Hands-on EU policy
European exhibition companies can integrate EU initiatives effectively into their events, as interfaces between politics and industry with the necessary technical expertise. But only very few are already doing so.
Only a few exhibition companies in Europe have dedicated staff specialising in EU affairs. "With us the linkage is ideal," says Barbara Weizsäcker, who mans the EU department at Messe Frankfurt together with her colleague Katja Kammerer. "We also have an office in Brussels." There Jörn Kronenwerth watches over events, with the support of Yvonne Hendrych, a fully trained lawyer. The office combines the duties of a classical foreign representative office with those of representation at the EU. It is this interlocking of precise knowledge of the core business of an exhibition company with experience and networking in Brussels that is crucial. In terms of content a distinction has to be made between two sets of topics: on the one hand those areas of EU policy that affect exhibition business as such, and on the other all the issues that touch on the exhibition themes and sectors that Messe Frankfurt serves.
The first set includes working actively on the various bodies in the German and European associations AUMA and EMECA. "Only in concert, and ideally Europe-wide, do you really gain a hearing in Brussels," the EU expert says. New political requirements or initiatives from Brussels are integrated early on into the events, either as a fringe programme in the form of addresses, panel discussions and special shows or as official delegation visits. For example, the Architecture and Technology Award presented by Messe Frankfurt was designed in collaboration with the European Commission. The parameters of the competition were aligned to the new EU energy efficiency requirements. The award is presented regularly during the Light and Building fair under the Commission's patronage with a strong media presence and amid considerable industry interest. A member of the Commission also sits on the award jury.
Added to this is participation in various EU-funded projects. At the Ambiente 2006, for instance, under the AL Invest trade and investment promotion programme a matchmaking meeting was arranged between 15 Latin American firms and 30 European companies to sound out possibilities for cooperation. "Organisation of the meeting is sponsored by the EU, which is interested in strengthening economic ties between Europe and Latin America. Activities of this kind are an excellent opportunity for small and medium-sized businesses in particular to gain a foothold on a new market at little expense." At Messe Frankfurt's exhibitions in Latin America sectorial meetings of this kind are offered as an additional opportunity to visiting the fair.
Messe Frankfurt has also participated for five years in various research promotion projects, one of the few exhibition companies to do so. Given that contacts with research facilities are close anyway and the European Commission is at pains to communicate research results to a broad audience on a timely basis, this brings the exhibition company into play again. By way of illustration Weizsäcker mentions the Tensinet textile architecture project, whose results were repeatedly presented during Techtextil. "The follow-up project is now in prospect. Running for four years with some 30 partners, it will be exciting again."
Yet another way for the exhibition company in Frankfurt to make its trade fairs available as platforms for communication between industry and politics. This commitment pays off, "because the sector-relevant EU activities enhance any international fair and are acknowledged by customers."
m+a report Nr.2 / 2006 vom 24.03.2006
m+a report vom 24. März 2006