Jury session for the 2008 LeadAward to take place in Haus Cumberland on Kurfürstendamm

The main jury deciding on who in the German media will be honored by a LeadAward in 2008 is to hold its session in Haus Cumberland on Kurfürstendamm this year. The LeadAward, a prize that has been awarded since 1993, is Germany’s most renowned award to be granted both for print and online media. Exceptional work done in the categories “Magazines”, “Advertisements”, “Photography” and “Online” is recognized by the award. In particular, the prizes for the “Lead Magazine of the Year”, “Campaign of the Year”, “Photograph of the Year” and “WebLeader of the Year” are particularly coveted in the industry. The reason for the high esteem in which the LeadAwards are held is given in the rules of procedure, which are unique for German media awards: it is not possible to submit an application since the right to select and/or suggest work is enjoyed solely by the LeadAwards committees themselves. In the course of a detailed assessment procedure, a preliminary jury selects work from all relevant magazines and websites that might merit a prize. These are then evaluated against the backdrop of the overall context of the development on the German media market in terms of visuals and content. Thereupon, the work is submitted to a main jury uniting prominent members, who will decide on the award winners. March 5^th, 2008 will see the LeadAwards ceremony in Hamburg.

Haus Cumberland, a part of the portfolio owned by ORCO Germany, is characterized by its varied history. The impressive building located on the Kurfürstendamm boulevard was designed in 1911/12 by the architect Robert Leibnitz and was used as a residential hotel for one year. Following World War II, in the course of which the building had served as a storehouse, the Reich Ministry of the Economy and the administrative headquarters of the German Postal Service (Oberpostdirektion), it was home to the Berlin Regional Finance Office (Oberfinanzdirektion) from 1966 until 1993. After a long period of vacancy, it was taken over in 2006 by ORCO Germany. The 10,200 m² of the property connecting Kurfürstendamm and Lietzenburger Strasse offer many options as regards its future use. Currently, the project development is still in the planning phase. First usage concepts will most likely be submitted in mid-2008.
In the meantime, Haus Cumberland will be made available to various renowned events and for movie shoots. The warm atmosphere of the building, its prestigious architecture, its size (five interior courtyards) all combine and make it an ideal set for photography and movie shoots.

ORCO Germany is a real estate company that is listed in the Prime Standard on the Regulated Market of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange. The ORCO Germany group, which operates under the uniform registered trademark ORCO Germany, has been pursuing its activities in Germany since 2004 and concentrates on residential and commercial properties as well as on asset management and project development. ORCO Germany currently employs about 200 members of staff in Germany.

In 2006, the company strategically reinforced its project development operations by acquiring Viterra Development. Viterra Development is one of the leading project developers and investors specializing in commercial and residential properties in the core German markets of Berlin, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Hamburg and Munich. ORCO Germany expanded its portfolio of properties in Berlin in June of 2007 by taking over Gewerbesiedlungs-Gesellschaft (GSG); the company now manages more than 1 million square meters of developed and undeveloped areas in the German capital. GSG was established in 1965 and is the largest owner of commercial space in Berlin with about 850,000 square meters of office and multifunctional space. ORCO-GSG owns 44 so-called commercial courtyards and centers, as well as 235 residential units. Most of the properties are located in the city center with excellent connections to the Berlin public transportation network.

ORCO Germany is a subsidiary of ORCO Property Group, one of the leading Central European real estate firms holding a portfolio worth EUR 2.5 billion (as evaluated on June 30^th, 2007). Established in 1991, the company has its registered seat in Luxembourg and is listed on the Euronext, Prague, Budapest and Warsaw stock exchanges. It operates primarily in the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Russia, Croatia, the Slovak Republic and Germany.

Contact
ORCO Germany
Sabrina Eilers
Head of Marketing & Communications
T +49. 30. 440 123 190
E seilers@orcogroup.com
http://www.orcogermany.de/