WindEnergy Hamburg, the world’s leading wind energy event, is taking place in 2020 despite the crisis. However, organizer Hamburg Messe und Congress GmbH is not inviting visitors to its local exhibition campus this time but to the World Wide Web. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, WindEnergy Hamburg 2020 will be a fully digital event held from December 1st to 4th, four days, around-the-clock.
The new format was created within record time after the tradeshow had at first been postponed from September to December, then converted into an online event because international travel restrictions and rising infection rates made it impossible to plan for an on-site, physical exhibition.
Reinventing the tradeshow concept
Once the decision had been made to run the entire tradeshow in digital format this December, Hamburg Messe und Congress had to find a way to allow all participants in WindEnergy Hamburg to have a successful tradeshow experience despite the unusual situation. In essence, the entire concept of a tradeshow had to be reinvented. Thanks to the hard work and commitment of the great team at Hamburg Messe und Congress and its co-organizer, WindEurope, supported by their partners and advisory boards, a new concept was developed. As a result, WindEnergy Hamburg Digital 2020 is now ready to launch.
The basis of the digital format was the organizers’ online exhibitor directory, essentially a Who’s Who of the global wind energy industry: At WindEnergy Hamburg, normally up to 1,400 exhibitors from 40 countries present their innovations and solutions. Equipment manufacturers and suppliers for all stages of the onshore and offshore wind energy value chain provide a comprehensive overview of the market; WindEnergy Hamburg is the world’s largest available sourcing pool for wind-related equipment engineering. Hamburg Messe und Congress had begun expanding this online exhibitor directory long before the pandemic, adding a variety of new features. In particular, the search functionality was enhanced, and new interaction options were added.
