GERMANY – Organisers have been forced to take emergency action after the 2010 edition of the international BAUMA construction trade fair opened with empty stands, a result of travel disruption caused by the volcanic eruption in Iceland.
The 555,000sqm event at Messe Munich features construction machinery, vehicles and equipment, and is arguably the largest international event of its kind. However, it opened today with empty stands as flights into Munich airport were cancelled due to the threat airborne ash poses to jet engines.
Organiser Messe Munich International has hired and trained additional personnel for the start of the fair, in an attempt to help field enquiries from visitors at unoccupied stands.
"Quite a number of the exhibitors who are reliant on long-haul flights to get to BAUMA are affected by the closure of most European airports, and it is expected they will not be able to staff their stands on time,” says the chairman and CEO of Messe Munich, Klaus Dittrich.
“We are in close contact with Munich airport and the airlines in order to bring these people to Munich as quickly as possible, as soon as the authorities say air travel can resume. From talks with the affected exhibitors, we know that within Europe most have switched to cars or coaches."
The organiser, which claims the vast majority of the 3,150 stands will be staffed by the exhibitors' own personnel, has made plans to accommodate the higher number of participants expected to arrive by road.
A telephone hotline will be open between 8am and 8pm CET to handle enquiries from exhibitors and visitors to BAUMA: +49 (0) 89 949 11348.
