But Johanna's eyes light up as she talks about more than just this meeting. Her passion for the congress is evident in every sentence. Femworx, the largest career conference for women in STEM, is held annually as part of HANNOVER MESSE and attracts hundreds of participants from all over Germany. This year alone, 1,500 women gathered for two days to learn, network and advance their careers.

"The months leading up to the event were a real rollercoaster ride," laughs Johanna. No wonder, since the Femworx Congress was previously known as "WomenPower" - an established part of HANNOVER MESSE for more than 20 years. "It was simply time for a remake," she explains. The concept was radically overhauled with a clear goal in mind: to shine an even brighter spotlight on women's careers in STEM and to break new ground. "We wanted to create an event that wasn't just informative, but one that really helped and inspired attendees - cool, modern, and emotional," Meyer says enthusiastically.

Femworx stands for empowerment, innovation and networking. This year's speakers included impressive personalities such as Tijen Onaran, Aya Jaff, Annahita Esmailzadeh, Dr. Irène Kilubi, Evelyne de Gruyter, Natascha Wegelin and Christiana Richter.

Johanna emphasizes the quality of the papers. "There are so many conferences where you immediately notice that the speakers or companies have bought their way in. It feels more like a sales event," she says, shaking her head. "That's exactly what we don't want." While companies can sign up as exhibitors, the actual speaker slots are allocated by the Femworx advisory board, which is filled with women from industry, digitalization and media, including Dr. Kamila Klug of Altair, Angelique Mesch of Schneider Electric, Gabriele Hantschel of IBM, Gerlinde Sturm of Siemens, Angela Josephs of Phoenix Contact and Prof. Barbara Schwarze. This is about real expertise and authenticity.

The overwhelming feedback after the events shows that this is the right approach. "Thank you so much for two amazing days in Hanover, Johanna," writes LinkedIn influencer Christina Richter, and Lisa Reehten, managing director of Bosch Climate Solutions, also raves: "I'm definitely coming back next year!"

Despite her success, Johanna remains ambitious: "I think there's a lot more to come. Her vision for the future is clear: Femworx should become a truly international congress, reaching beyond the borders of Germany. "I can easily imagine us welcoming 3,000 participants in three years," she says confidently. After all, the issues affecting women and their careers in STEM are more pressing than ever.