Germany: Mediation Process between Hamburg and Husum Fails

The Federation of Business Associations in Hamburg and Schleswig-Holstein, which was acting as mediator, has announced that the mediation process between the trade fair organisers in Hamburg and Husum has failed. This was the result of a last telephone conference between the parties on Sunday, 16 September. No agreement will therefore be reached before HUSUM WindEnergy 2012, which starts today.

Peter Becker, managing director of Messe Husum, made the following comment: “We deeply regret that the cooperation talks have failed. We made the Hamburgers a constructive proposal with which we reached out to them as far as was possible. The suggestion was that we celebrate the 25^th anniversary of HUSUM WindEnergy together with Hamburg in Husum. I emphasise that this was to be in cooperation with Messe Hamburg.

“This would have finally given the industry the planning security for their 2014 budgets and trade fair preparations. We also proposed carrying out an industry survey together with Messe Hamburg which would clarify in a representative and independent manner, what the exhibitors want. We would have been bound by the results of such a study, even if it would mean the end of the road for Husum as the exhibition venue for 2016. Unlike the announcement by VDMA Power Systems in spring last year, we would have had known that we really were representing the wishes of the international wind energy industry. The Hamburgers rejected our proposal.

This therefore confirms our position: We stand by our goal of maintaining Husum as the exhibition venue, and together with our partners in the wind alliance, Hannover Messe and the German wind Energy Association (BWE), continue to offer the industry the ideal solution. We already have firm bookings for over 50% of our exhibition space and will continue to be the industry’s leading international trade fair.” 

[mappress]

Press release, September 18, 2012; Image: Husum WindEnergy