Hamburg Messe und Congress Regrets Failure of Talks with Husumer Wirtschaftsgesellschaft (Germany)

Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH (HMC) regrets the failure of the talks with Husumer Wirtschaftsgesellschaft mbH (HWG) which sought to achieve agreement on procedure for organisation of a wind energy fair.

“Right up to the last minute we had been hoping for an agreement,” said Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH, “but the proposals which were on the table were not in line with the ideas and interests of the industry.”

“For us, this is not a dispute between two trade fair sites. It is a decision about the direction to be taken for the future of a leading wind energy fair in Germany,” said Bernd Aufderheide. “Major sections of the industry are aware that the wind industry needs a new trade fair concept which is capable of reflecting developments in the industry in the long term.”

Hamburg Messe und Congress had been selected by VDMA Power Systems and leading industrial companies to host an international wind industry fair in 2014. In view of the global developments in the wind energy sector, it is a key objective of the supporting industry to maintain and strengthen the presence of a trade fair in Germany in future, selecting Hamburg as the location and using a new, further developed concept.

Hamburg is Europe’s wind industry capital, and sees renewable energies, especially wind energy, as one of the key business clusters for the city; Hamburg provides strong support to the wind industry. Leading international companies in the wind industry are convinced of the merits of the Hamburg Fair concept.

In connection with SMM Hamburg, the world’s leading maritime industries fair, Hamburg also provides ideal conditions for presentation of the whole future theme of offshore. Several hundred companies in the shipbuilding industry that participated as exhibitors at the very successful SMM Hamburg 2012 have already announced their commitment to WindEnergy Hamburg 2014, which is to take place shortly after SMM Hamburg 2014.

In addition, Hamburg as a major city and HMC with its state-of-the-art exhibition halls and its experience in the conduct of international technology fairs provide the ideal infrastructure.

Hamburg Messe und Congress had put forward a number of far reaching proposals for joint procedure. Among other things, HMC proposed joint discussions with a wider group of industry representatives. All these proposals were rejected by the Husum representatives.

Husumer Wirtschaftsgesellschaft mbH is likewise planning to hold a wind energy fair in 2014. A series of mediation talks were held with facilitation by the business organisation Unternehmensverband Nord with the aim of identifying possibilities to hold an industry fair under joint organisation.

Following the breakdown of these talks, Hamburg Messe und Congress will now concentrate fully on the planning and implementation of WindEnergy Hamburg from 23 to 26 September 2014. “Our concept has already convinced many international and national companies.” They include leading manufacturers of wind turbines, energy utility companies, major component suppliers and service providers both onshore and offshore, and leading representatives of the maritime industry.

“We have already rented out many thousand square metres. Leading international companies are clearly in favour of Hamburg as the location,” said Bernd Aufderheide. But, he added, Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH are still hoping to find a common approach with Husum by 2014.

[mappress]

Press release, September 19, 2012; Image: Hamburg Messe und Congress