Stu Pringle
Director
I’m currently on the way home from WindEnergy Hamburg 2024. The BIG one.
This was my second time at the Hamburg event, which occurs every two years. The 2024 vintage was an absolute beast. Seven halls were filled with exhibitors large and small, along with country pavilions, theatres, and all the usual stuff that goes on in these mega expos.
What were my takeaways from 2024?
The general mood was optimistic. People were there to do business and not just catch up. Buyers were in the room, looking at kit and figuring out what they needed to procure for the upcoming projects.
It felt like there were more Chinese exhibitors than in previous years. Not just steel yards and shipping companies but also many other suppliers, bolts, seals, components, all sorts of bits and pieces on show.
Talking of ‘on show,’ it was also clear no expense was being spared. And I don’t just mean the free coffee. From the massive brand presence of Kraken both inside and outside the venue, to super cool demo’s of winches and climbing kit up the rafters of the halle, through to a very smartly dressed man carving Iberica Jamon on one stand… it was clear that the money was being spent to wow the punters.
Ah the punters. There were so many people. I know that sounds obvious but it was pretty overwhelming. Day one wasn’t quite at full pace but day two was mobbed. There were some big queues to get in both mornings and I saw more than one bit of agro as queue jumpers got called out and sent to the back with their tails between their legs!
A more personal reflection. This was the first show that I went to firmly with my own BD hat on. Previous shows have always involved some sort of side quest, either helping a client exhibit, hosting breakfast meetings around the fringes or chaperoning people in and out meeting rooms. This time it was all about Make the Break and growing our business. And that was fun. I did my best to follow my own advice on big show prep and largely did OK. Perhaps that final beer on the Reiperbahn at the end of day one was unnecessary but otherwise, I was fairly flat out with pre-booked meetings by day and seeing some friendly faces at Empire Engineering and Kraken over dinner in the evenings.
Will it have been time well spent? Too early to say. I’ve got several people to follow up with and some good intel on where there might be some needs. I guess as a footnote to my events blog, I would now ask an extra bullet point that sometimes the most interesting conversations are the one’s that happen by accident. Chance encounters over dinner and breakfast may well just be the one’s that turn into next years customer. Let’s see.
What I do know is if I hadn’t gone, I would have serious FOMO right now. No question, it’s a long and tiring week and it’s time away from the day to day. However, for something that comes around every two years, it’s got to be done.
Copenhagen? I see you…
Stu
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