German cooperative exhibits have "exhibition venue function"
Pragmatic, practical, prestigious. Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe was a promoter of participations in trade fairs abroad. Now the "public servant" is retiring.
He is an institution in the industry . "Without his efforts Germany's promotion of trade fairs abroad would have remained insignificant: through his perception of his work he succeeded in giving the department a distinctive new image," is the fulsome praise from his companions. Kreienkamp-Rabe’s commitment transformed his department from a routine processing agency to an important spearhead of Germany's foreign trade offensive. The political dimension of trade fairs abroad took centre stage, as the man who was fond of describing himself as a "public servant" played on his excellent contacts within the ministry and without. At the end of February Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe (65), head of the International / National Exhibition Policy and EXPO Participations section in the German ministry of economics and technology, retires after almost forty years of public service.
"You always considered it your duty to serve industry and German companies. Your work paved the way for many exhibitors, enabling them to find a foothold in foreign markets - you have been an extremely dedicated ‘public servant'," Herta Krausmann from Nürnberg Global Fairs, whose work brought her into close contact with Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe over many years, said of the committed public official at a farewell dinner in Nuremberg. "You have made the world a bigger place for exhibitors and exhibition companies," Krausmann continued. "Germany is the world's number one exporting nation. At our trade fairs abroad we experience at first hand the external trade dynamic that drives Germany on. Trade fairs abroad are a lynchpin of foreign trade and our export-focused industry." She added that the hectic pace of exhibition business often clouded the view for the part played by the federal economics ministry and the promotion of trade fairs abroad.
It is thanks in no small measure to Kreienkamp-Rabe that participations in trade fairs abroad have not only been assigned an important place in the present-day federal economics ministry's foreign trade promotion toolkit, but have also gained in financial and geographic clout. A glance at the facts and figures underscores this impressively. Whereas the budget in 1990, when Kreienkamp-Rabe was made head of the Department for the Promotion of Trade Fairs Abroad (now known as International / National Exhibition Policy and EXPO Participations) amounted to just DM 39 million for 136 cooperative exhibits abroad with 275 exhibitors, in 2005 it hit EUR 36 million for 232 participations in shows abroad and almost 6,100 exhibitors. The increase is all the more notable for coming at a time when funds were scarce. "Word has it from ministry sources that only those familiar with the trials and tribulations of procuring funds internally can really appreciate his achievements in this respect," Krausmann insisted in her eulogy.
Kreienkamp-Rabe has got around a lot in the world. There is not an exhibition centre he doesn't know. The highlight's of the economics ministry's many participations in trade fairs abroad were German industry's capital goods, technology and consumer goods shows. They include Technogermas 1991 in Seoul and 1994 in Mexico City, Febral 1995 in Sao Paulo, Konsugerma 1998 in Shanghai and Technogerma 1999 in Jakarta. "In the organisation of these events, too, Kreienkamp-Rabe demonstrated exceptional commitment and the courage to take what were at times unconventional decisions," the ministry acknowledges. They certainly were high spots that he looks back on with pleasure. Most importantly, they helped "keep the subject of exhibitions high on the political agenda". After all, the political elite always made a point of showing up.
Not that Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe’s brief was always an enviable one. Held in high regard as a fair partner, he sought to mediate between the interests of exhibitors and host companies. "It certainly is a bit Janus-headed," he admits. Nonetheless: "Our department, which has a staff of seven, perceives itself as providing exhibitors with a service. Otherwise we wouldn't have this success."
In his opinion, the fact that many small and medium-sized businesses hesitate to venture abroad, believing the commitment too risky, will place more of an onus on event management companies as the industry moves forward. "They will have to boost their solicitation effort considerably," the civil servant says. "And their advisory skills will also play a more important part." He encourages SMEs to take the plunge abroad. "That's another reason why German participations are so important. It's not so much the financial support, but far more our "exhibition venue" function. We are the safe handrail into unknown markets."
International/national exhibition policy is one part of Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe’s remit, EXPO participations the other. "They have become a passion," the hearty pragmatist readily admits. Under his aegis Germany's participations in world expositions have taken a huge leap forward. That a separate budget was allocated to this form of national presentation abroad for the first time ever at the EXPO 2005 is to his credit. This meant that a clear financial distinction could be drawn between the German economics ministry's participations in trade fairs abroad and in EXPOS - something the exhibition community registered with satisfaction.
Kreienkamp-Rabe and world exhibitions: He was responsible for Germany's participations in EXPO 92 in Seville/Spain, EXPO 92 Genoa/Italy, EXPO 93 Taejon/Korea, EXPO 98 Lisbon/Portugal and EXPO 2005 Aichi/Japan. In Portugal and Japan he was also present as General Commissioner, thus acting as political representative of the respective German participation, in addition to his duties in the ministry. These two most recent presentations were hugely successful, with the German pavilion in Lisbon rated the best international contribution. And in Japan the German pavilion won the Golden Award as best contribution to the EXPO 2005 theme. "Japan, that certainly was fantastic," he recalls with pleasure.
The quintessence after 16 years of exhibition policy: "I'm glad we’ve succeeded in securing a prominent position for promotion," Rüdiger Kreienkamp-Rabe says. Among the "must dos" for his successor, who has not yet been named, he would include his "wholehearted concern": "Small and medium-sized businesses must venture into new markets and the promotion of trade fairs abroad must remain a conspicuous political tool."
m+a report Nr.1 / 2006 vom 13.02.2006
m+a report vom 13. Februar 2006