Tips on Navigating Hamburg Messe and the Aircraft Interiors Expo
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The annual Aircraft Interiors Expo, held at the sprawling Hamburg Messe und Congress in Northern Germany, is undeniably a “can’t miss” event for the aircraft interiors and in-flight entertainment and connectivity industry.
The show has grown from hardware-focussed event – or one for “nuts and bolts” – to an increasingly popular marketplace for buyers and sellers of “softer” in-flight services such as digital content, in-flight connectivity and entertainment solutions. With the 2011 acquisition and re-brand of the leading global flight catering event from ITCA (now called WTCE), edibles, service equipment and comfort products were brought into the fold – resulting in what is now a truly comprehensive omnibus of all things cabin interior and #PaxEx.
For newcomers to the event (and indeed, for veterans), navigating this massive annual conference can be challenging. Each year the layout of the show is altered somewhat, as new exhibit halls are introduced to accommodate its dynamic growth.
We have developed a few tips to help you keep your bearings, stay comfortable and find what’s important during the event.
- Wear comfortable shoes. We cannot stress this enough.
- Eat a good breakfast and drink a lot of water throughout the day. Nothing interrupts a meeting like a growling stomach… and dehydration can give you bad breath!
- Bring a LOT of business cards. Think about how many you need, then double it.
- Use landmark navigation. Some companies have huge stands that incorporate large and easy-to-spot branded signage hanging down from the ceiling. We find these make great “North Stars,” so learn where you need to be in relation to them. Most of these big exhibitors do not move from year to year. Some include Zodiac Group in hall B7, B/E Aerospace in B5, Lufthansa Technik in B6 and Gogo, Panasonic and Thales in the IFE zone.
- Be smart when you book appointments. If you’re walking about, try to group meetings in hall B5 into the same morning, then go to B6 for the afternoon, etc. Zig-zagging the show will exhaust you and waste time.
- Print a floor plan, or bring the pull-out insert form the show preview. Highlight the places you want to be and write the time you want to be there. Again, think about landmarks.
- Take lunch during off-peak hours. The cafes inside the Messe get rammed at mid-day and there is nowhere to sit.
- WTCE has moved this year to the A halls, which are actually across the street. You can take an indoor walkway across from the upper level of hall B1.
- Visit the Crystal Cabin Awards Showcase in Hall B6 beside the café (look for a huge window at one end of the hall). You can learn about the most exciting innovations of the year and also enjoy a free Wi-Fi hotspot!
Attending the Passenger Experience (PEX) Conference at the CCH Congress Centre?
Those staying at Hamburg’s towering Radisson Blu Hotel will have no trouble finding this, as the two buildings are connected. For others, it might be a little tough to find because the Radisson Blu Hotel actually obscures the CCH from plain view.
If you are traveling by train from another part of the city, or another city via S-bahn lines S11, S21, S31, or Deutsche Bahn, you’ll want to head for Dammtor station. Exit the station and go into the Radisson Blu hotel. Walk straight past reception on your left to the very back of the building and there you will find an entrance to the CCH.
If you are traveling by U-bahn (local trains), go to U1 station Stephansplatz and exit in the direction of Congress Centre (there will be signs). Take the pedestrian bridge towards the Radisson Blu Hotel and do as stated above.
If walking from the Messe, get yourself to the east entrance and follow the pedestrian path through the Planten and Blohmen park. It’ll take you straight there in five to 10 minutes.