Following the increasing concerns over the Covid-19 pandemic across Europe and continued travel restrictions, WindEurope Hamburg will be held online, on 1-4 December.
WindEurope Hamburg's organisers, after consultations with their co-organiser, WindEurope, partners VDMA, BWE and GWEC, and the exhibition committee, have decided to stage WindEnergy Hamburg 2020 as a digital event.
"In the face of growing infection rates in many countries and international travel restrictions, planning a physical trade fair with participants from all around the world is next to impossible. Our decision gives our exhibitors and visitors a reliable basis for planning and provides us with an opportunity to make the wind industry's leading networking event a great success on the digital stage," says Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH.
Hamburg Messe and Congress is working on the development of digital formats that will allow all participants in WindEnergy Hamburg to have a successful trade fair experience despite the present unusual situation.
The digital programme will include company and product profiles along with comprehensive, up-to-date background information, plus education, business and networking opportunities. Organizers also ensured it will be possible to make appointments for meetings in virtual meeting rooms, among other features.
"We intend to replicate the content of WindEnergy Hamburg digitally in a manner that will allow exhibitors to interact with their customers in a high-quality environment and engage in a fruitful dialogue with the global community. As an extra highlight, the Premium Conference by WindEurope will take place as planned, if as a digital event", explains Aufderheide.
"Despite the difficult conditions caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the digital edition of WindEnergy Hamburg will nevertheless be the world's biggest digital meeting place for sellers and buyers in the wind industry. We are in the process of reinventing and expanding the trade fair concept. Through our digital programme, we want to bring the industry together this year despite the difficult circumstances. When we meet again on the Hamburg Messe und Congress exhibition campus in 2022, some of these new services might turn out to be welcome additions to the proven trade fair concept," states Bernd Aufderheide.