IPS 2026 #1: OpenSpace, AI and Outdoors Programming

Hello, Christian.

Can you just introduce yourself briefly,

please? So my name is Christian Theiss.

I'm the Managing Director of the Planetarium in Mannheim, Germany.

We are on IPS right now.

So what's the key topic that you are catching here? What's the most interesting idea?

First of all, the IPS meeting is always a meeting where, let's say, planetarians all over the world are gathering.

And you get a lot of ideas, especially how to introduce your main topics to the public.

And you see the differences between different countries, which is, of course, always very interesting to see.

And, of course, there are a lot of new shows which are interesting, new techniques.

So that's, of course, also fascinating.

And would you have like one tip that you would give your fellow planetarians that you learned here, how to work with the audience or something useful?

The one tip is not really existing, but I think what is very important is to have more and more live interaction with the people.

And the engagement with the audience is extremely important.

And you see different traditions in different ways.

That's very good.

And I think one suggestion is, of course, go more directly to the people, to your audience and try to interact with them as strong as possible.

And do you have any specific idea on this point, like going directly to the audience, like on your mind for like the Meinhardt Planetarium that you want to do?

Yeah, well, it means that you have also to do a lot of things, let's say, outside the dome, not only inside the dome.

There are a couple of ideas, for instance, with special exhibitions part and so on.

So that's definitely a very important stuff to do.

And of course, it's also very important that you try to catch all generations more or less directly, some with hands-on stuff, some, let's say, with explanations in detail.

And so it depends on which group you are talking to.

And when you're saying like going outside to meet the audience, what's that?

Yeah, basically it means that not all the things are really happening in the dome itself.

Hello, Christian.

Can you just introduce yourself briefly,

please? So my name is Christian Theiss.

I'm the Managing Director of the Planetarium in Mannheim, Germany.

We are on IPS right now.

So what's the key topic that you are catching here? What's the most interesting idea?

First of all, the IPS meeting is always a meeting where, let's say, planetarians all over the world are gathering.

And you get a lot of ideas, especially how to introduce your main topics to the public.

And you see the differences between different countries, which is, of course, always very interesting to see.

And, of course, there are a lot of new shows which are interesting, new techniques.

So that's, of course, also fascinating.

And would you have like one tip that you would give your fellow planetarians that you learned here, how to work with the audience or something useful?

The one tip is not really existing, but I think what is very important is to have more and more live interaction with the people.

And the engagement with the audience is extremely important.

And you see different traditions in different ways.

That's very good.

And I think one suggestion is, of course, go more directly to the people, to your audience and try to interact with them as strong as possible.

And do you have any specific idea on this point, like going directly to the audience, like on your mind for like the Meinhardt Planetarium that you want to do?

Yeah, well, it means that you have also to do a lot of things, let's say, outside the dome, not only inside the dome.

There are a couple of ideas, for instance, with special exhibitions part and so on.

So that's definitely a very important stuff to do.

And of course, it's also very important that you try to catch all generations more or less directly, some with hands-on stuff, some, let's say, with explanations in detail.

And so it depends on which group you are talking to.

And when you're saying like going outside to meet the audience, what's that?

Yeah, basically it means that not all the things are really happening in the dome itself.