The Windforce offshore exhibition was launched in 2012 to take place every two years alongside the Windforce conference, but survived only the 2014 event. It is now to be subsumed into WindEnergy Hamburg, which takes place 27-30 September 2016.
Windforce exhibitors signed up for the June event were informed of the development on 26 February 2016 by organiser Offshore Wind Messe und Veranstaltungs.
"Talks began with WindEnergy Hamburg several months ago," said Windenergie-Agentur Bremen (WAB) chairman Klaus Meier. WAB is a network for wind energy in Germany's north-west specialising in offshore wind issues and initiated the Windforce events.
Exhibitor numbers for Windforce were a third less than in 2014, when 253 companies exhibited, and concentrated mainly on logistics and foundation structures. No turbine manufacturers had signed up, Meier said.
"To an increasing extent since 2014, we are seeing a separation of the wheat from the chaff. Companies have withdrawn from the offshore market after deciding that if there is no success now, then it won't happen in the future. The market has shrunk, and it makes sense to concentrate activities in Hamburg," said Meier.
"Every trade fair concept stands for itself with its own character and must fight for success in competition with other trade fairs," said Urs Wahl of Offshore-Wind-Industrie-Allianz in the coastal north of Germany, in which WAB is a member. "The size of the offshore wind energy sector influences the size and number of trade fairs," he added.
The conference that takes place at the same time, the 16th International Windforce offshore wind conference, will take place in Bremen 7-9 June as scheduled.
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