The SuperBooth2026 (May 7th to May 9th, 2026) is coming up very soon! In anticipation and celebration of ten years of SuperBooth, we reached out to André Kaufmann, the managing director of the SuperBooth and asked some questions about the past, present and future of the event.
If you haven't already, you can grab your pre-sale tickets here (there is also ticket box office at the event itself).
STROMKULT: For those who don't know, what is the Superbooth and what makes this event different from other trade shows?
André Kaufmann (SuperBooth Berlin): Can you really imagine there’s someone in the synth world without having heard of it? Ok let’s try … I’d say it’s a 3-day full-on experience and platform for likeminded people who get together to celebrate their shared passion for electronic sounds and music. And their partners. And their kids.
Could you tell us a little about the origins of Superbooth?
There are two starting points. The classics about the Frankfurt [Musikmesse] times are very often told. My start was at the first SB Berlin in Funkhaus ten years ago. There was a special connection between SchneidersLaden and the Eurorack scene (which was way smaller than it is now I think). But even in the very first year at SB2016 there were also Software brands like Bitwig, Ableton and MusikAppManufaktur as exhibitors. And from one-man shows, building one or two little modules up to big established manufacturers like Roland and Moog. Even four different loudspeaker manufacturers were exhibiting at the first stand-alone event. It was a matter of trust and personal connection to Andreas, not about single devices. Almost all of them are still with us if their company still exist.
Who are you as a team, who's behind the Organisation?
Toni, Alex, Thomas, Evi, Timo, Katja, Adam, Annette and a bunch of impressively nice young people helping us with all their energy every year. But the core office team are only four people in the summertime until early winter.
The Superbooth ticket & merch team, image credit: Angela Kröll
Who can exhibit with you? Are there specific criteria?
Being easy and kind is definitely a big plus, haha. The thing is that we are loyal to our long-term partners who support us for eight or more years already and were there in the beginning. Most of them just keep booking their spot again over the years, so mostly only about 30% of the positions become available to newcomers or the ones who took a break. There are so many new manufacturers entering the scene, it’s impossible to integrate all of them unless we would change our identity. That’s also probably the hardest part of the work, having to say „no“ to someone full of passion for their instrument or device they want to present. To get in it’s a mixture of timing, attractiveness of the presented set-up, originality and long relationships. We’re immensely grateful for this big interest and enthusiastic response we receive.
The core idea of Andreas Schneider back in the Musikmesse days was to enable even small manufacturers with a tight budget to have a booth. Is this aspect still relevant to the fair?
Yes, absolutely. The small manufacturers usually have the best ideas and the big ones mostly try to copy them, haha.
When curating artists, do you ensure that they perform live, or is the focus on the music itself? You must receive a lot of applications.
The focus of the concert program is on 100% live performances. But for some years the Superpower sound-system of our friend Tom Hammerla became part of the program with their dub and experimental stage. They also include a lot of DJ sets besides the live. And on the after parties in the Waldkater location next to FEZ, we present one live and one DJ set in the evenings, trying to help you finding the right way out of the intensity of a day at SB.
The Superbooth tech, stage & A/V team, image credit: Angela Kröll
What trends are you currently observing among manufacturers? What role do influencers, YouTubers and journalists play in the tradeshow?
A few days ago I saw an announcement of TipTop with a huge module. I thought wtf, is this the first Eurorack module with six holes to screw it in?! Crazy … and proper 6-8 channel mixers in Eurorack format seem to be quite en vogue currently. I’m always impressed by what genius ideas the exhibitors come up with year after year – they still take things a creative step further within the entire complexity of modular patching. And the best thing is, you can combine everything with each other, which kicks you even deeper into the endless universe of options.
Youtubers are our big friends, they do a great job, carrying all this heavy camera stuff around, always with a smile, and create high-quality videos about single devices and programs and spread it out to the farthest corners of the world. They are very important and they have proper knowledge of course. We support BoBeats with his Youtuber meet-up on Saturday in the little wood. It grows every year, a fantastic idea it is. Journalists and everyone most of them who are active in the media landscape seem to face difficult times. But I’m impressed by how motivated and determined they are, of course all of them, the magazines, platforms, forums, podcasts and what not are a crucial part of Superbooth as well.
What was the biggest challenge you faced in recent years? Covid?
Yes, for sure. In spring of 2020 we were almost bankrupt. Only with the help of a lot of manufacturers who let us the money they had already paid and we used it for the coming event a year later so we could manage to maneuver through this heavy time. But I’m sure almost all of us had very thin legs during these two years.
What's new or different this year?
The FLINTA* area is probably the best news this year. We‘ve received many contributions from exhibitors for the room already. It’s a wonderful step further on this path we want to go. Most of the new aspects come from the exhibitors themselves and often happen surprisingly. I see our role more in providing the stage in the best possible way, to let exhibitors present themselves well and shine for the day. We also try to not distract too much from the main topic (which is an abstract version of a trade show), but still offering an interesting frame with entertainment and education. You can spend your day hanging out in all the workshops all day long and afterwards only going to the concerts. Or you get a drink after breakfast and talk endlessly to the creators behind the instruments you have in your studio. Hard choice. There are crazily more than 50 exhibitors in the Bungalowdorf now under two big tents and believe it or not, Roland is back [for the first time] after 2019. Lots of little news.
Noise levels often come up, how do you manage that on the tradeshow? There’s been some criticism in the past.
Yes, it definitely became a topic. We’ll try out certain headphones-only areas this year for exhibitors and guests who prefer a less intense noise environment. But the rest is presented with loudspeakers as you know it. The noise is part of the whole experience.
The Superbooth logistics, event and set-up team
What are you particularly proud of this year?
I would relate the word proud to something you’ve achieved, but I don’t see it like that. The only thing I’m deeply proud of are my colleagues. They are very kind and motivated humans with the right values and a positive, always supportive approach. It’s a pure pleasure to be surrounded by them. We have a good working environment together and we’re very lucky to be in this situation.
André, what's your personal connection to synthesizers?
If we take the step further to electronic sounds, I couldn’t live without them. I’m attracted to the idea of having a powered kind of machine on the table which produces pleasant sounds you can manipulate in real time. And the endless options you have to process the sound. For me the fascination of programming a sequence on a drum machine has never disappeared. Also the humans around synthesizers are grandioso. Most of them are super kind, it’s a special way within the community how you treat and respect each other. With the usual exceptions of course!
Do you have a favorite story or anecdote from Superbooth history?
There are countless little wonderful memories and encounters. But this feeling back in 2017 in the FEZ, when all tables were still in the hallways indoors and this intensity in the house. The moment we realized that it works, people really connect and everyone seems to have fun … that was probably unforgettable. And of course the Ricardo Villalobos concert together with Max Loderbauer in the K1 area also back in 2017.
Have you visited other events? Like Bristronica, it's a shame it's not happening this year, isn't it?
I can live with it.
Andreas Schneider on stage, image credit: Angela Kröll
Andreas Schneider is no longer active in the organization team. How do you view this change, and does carrying on his original vision matter to you?
The SB2016 was a masterpiece in Entrepreneurship by Andreas. What he managed to get together with his energy is pretty impressive. At that time I was on a year off after my old job and then, what to do?! I somehow got wind from this event called Superbooth, pretty late in February or so and thought this is the place I want to be and the people I want to be with next. And this feeling hasn’t changed until today.
Of course the original values and the basement of the event still exists, but obviously changes are necessary. I think HerrSchneiders’ main power is to have an idea, build a vision and work on it. No doubts about his personal achievements in the synth world at all. But „everything flows.“
My approach is to listen as carefully as possible and trying to get a feel for certain developments. Not product trends, but in terms of mood and personal feelings and perspectives. The FLINTA* area is a very good example of something very modern and of its time. I love if things evolve organically without too much pressure. Then they’re usually built on a stronger foundation. But the good thing in our small team is that we all have pretty different skills, so the combination is quite effective and it never gets boring.
For people traveling to Berlin for a Superbooth weekend: What in the city should they not miss outside the event?
Of course this is too much depending on your age, interest and weather. If you are in your dancing and club music phase, go to this big disco at Wriezener Bahnhof on Sunday around 10:00 after breakfast. There is also no word needed about the cultural landscape in Berlin or the beauty of Potsdam or Grunewald close by. If I had to pick one, I’d recommend walking up to Teufelsberg on Sunday early afternoon and enjoy the incredible street art in this special surrounding. I found this is a pretty calming space. But better don’t ask me, I’m very much from yesterday, haha … just seeing my long answers – thank you for the inspiring questions.
For more information about all things Superbooth, visit Superbooth.com.