The Show must go on

one of the first business trade shows to take place in Hamburg

The Show was one of the first major business events to take place in the city since Hamburg State eased regulations on 1 July – Hamburg can currently host indoor events of up to 650 people at a time.

Hamburg Convention Bureau launched their That’s Why Hamburg campaign to tie into the event with branding throughout the city and on bespoke face masks for some attendees.

The venue, organisers and caterers share their experience of hosting one of the first business events in Hamburg since the Covid-19 pandemic:

Venue team creates comprehensive health & safety guidance

Jana Carolin Krull, Senior Project Manager at Stacklies Catering & Events who manage the Fischauktionshalle venue says: “The Show was the first event we had hosted following six months at a standstill. As part of the planning, we drew up a 26-page hygiene and safety concept. Hygiene measures included signage, hand sanitiser stations, an accreditation & tracing tool (via barcode scanning) and onsite hygiene staff.”

In addition, each exhibitor had separating panes made of acrylic glass for their consultation tables and a sensor-controlled disinfectant dispenser at the entrance to each booth. The event allowed transport provider AMS (Advanced Mobility Solutions) to showcase their new health and safety practices including bespoke plexi-glass shields inside each vehicle and face masks branded with HCB’s ‘That’s Why Hamburg’ campaign logo. The vehicles used were 100% electric Mercedes-Benz eVitos with zero local emission.

Partnership working ensures success

“The development and implementation of a sustainable, responsible hygiene concept was the basis for the event. This is a completely new area of competence for event planners and involved close liaison with experts and authorities at all times.”

Celebrity chef makes a splash with catering on historic river vessel

She explains: “After a long dry spell caused by the coronavirus, our work for The Show was our first major out-of-home catering. We were a team of 15 people onsite and enjoyed being able to finally pursue our passion again. We weren’t the only ones having fun – the guests seemed very relaxed and happy and enjoyed being able to share the experience with others.

“For us, the challenge wasn’t following the safety guidelines, which we’re now used to, it was dealing with the fact that the event took place on an old Mississippi steamer and across two floors! We had to draw on our previous experience of catering for a celebrity wedding on a yacht – Heidi Klum to be exact!”

Reminding the world of the power of events

Florian Gerdes, marketing manager conventions, at the Hamburg Convention Bureau, adds: “The Show was one of the first major business events to take place in Hamburg since the pandemic. Its success was down to the close partnerships between all organisations involved, who were all committed to making The Show a safe, productive and fun experience for all involved. The event also serves as an important reminder of the power of events to boost business and create powerful working relationships, particularly in this current difficult business climate.”