WindEnergy Hamburg, which just wrapped up this week, has further strengthened its position as an important platform of the global wind industry. Many of the 1,482 exhibitors from 40 different countries at the world’s leading expo of the onshore and offshore wind industry announced product launches and business transactions.
In total, WindEnergy Hamburg was attended by 35,000 industry visitors from 100 countries. Its share of international visitors grew to 45%.
The share of international exhibitors grown to more than 50% (as compared to 44% in 2016). All key players of the entire value chain were present in the fully-booked exhibition halls, including 16 wind turbine manufacturers from Europe, the Americas, and Asia. The featured topics of this year’s flagship fair included Dynamic Markets, Cost Effectiveness, and Smart Energy, putting the spotlight on current developments in the globally expanding wind industry.
“WindEnergy Hamburg is the only global industry event of the wind energy sector,” stated Bernd Aufderheide, President and CEO, Hamburg Messe und Congress. “As the energy transition unfolds around the world, and more and more wind markets exhibit dynamic growth, the interest in sharing knowledge and ideas and staying informed is stronger than ever. The world’s leading wind industry expo offered the right opportunities at the right time – an innovative platform for sharing information, doing business and networking at the highest levels.”
Aufderheide added: “What became clear in the discussions with international industry visitors and exhibitors more than anything else was that the Global Wind Summit is considered a launchpad for further growth.”
In parallel with WindEnergy Hamburg, the global WindEurope conference was held at the Hamburg Messe fair site. Both events jointly formed the Global Wind Summit 2018. The presence of 40 national delegations from countries such as the United States or Pakistan, as well as energy ministers and other high-level representatives of many nations highlighted the significance of this knowledge-sharing event for the global wind markets.
In a representative survey, 96% of industry visitors said expectations had been fully met. The most important reasons for attending this fair were to establish new business contacts, renew existing ones, and get information about new products and trends.
The comprehensive coverage of topics at the trade fair was commended by 97% of industry visitors. Exhibitors and industry associations agreed that the business climate was excellent at this trade fair, a statement confirmed by representatives of the 23 national and regional pavilions at the event.
“If anyone had doubted the global demand for wind energy, the international character of WindEnergy Hamburg this week has delivered the final proof,” said Matthias Zelinger, Chairman of VDMA Power Systems. “And if anyone had doubted whether wind energy can make an attractive contribution to climate protection in the transport and heating sectors, the WindEurope conference confirmed that it can and will. Without the shadow of a doubt, this combination as presented in the Wind Capital has been a full success.”
“WindEnergy Hamburg has definitely fulfilled our expectations. In particular, the somewhat subdued mood in the German wind industry brightened up noticeably in view of the international character of this trade fair,” said Executive Vice President Dr. Andreas Schröter of DNV GL – Energy. “We were also pleased to note that the photovoltaic and wind energy sectors are finding more and more common ground. Combined with the topic of energy storage, the fair therefore reflected a holistic approach. Apart from being a technology exhibition, WindEnergy Hamburg has evolved into a business platform that attracts international investors. We ourselves were able to generate many leads, including international ones, from countries such as Poland or Argentina.”
Stewart J. Mullin, Director of Marketing, Communication and Public Affairs at MHI Vestas Offshore Wind A/S added: “WindEnergy Hamburg is one of the best trade fairs ever. The combination of the trade fair with the WindEurope conference is fantastic. We met visitors from all business segments. We were exhibiting for the third time, and from our viewpoint, the fair is getting more and more international. Contacts at the fair are high-level and represent the entire value chain of the offshore segment. We think it’s a great idea that there is a dedicated Offshore Hall where you can focus your networking activities.”
The next WindEnergy Hamburg trade fair will take place in two years, from September 22 to 25, 2020 at the Hamburg Messe und Congress fair complex. The WindEurope Conference will again be held in parallel.
“WindEnergy Hamburg 2018 was a fantastic fair,” said Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy CEO, Dr. Markus Tacke. “It brought people from all over the industry together to network, to share ideas, and to think about the future of renewable energy. For Siemens Gamesa, WindEnergy Hamburg offered a great opportunity to meet up with our customers and present our innovations.”
Brent Nussbaum, VP Member Relations at the U.S. wind energy association AWEA, was concise and clear: “Our expectations have been met. WindEnergy Hamburg is a show with a strong international engagement. Very positive: We had international delegations at the booth and are happy to see the excitement of Europeans in the American offshore market. It was a successful fair with lots of follow-ups.”
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