Voices on Ham Radio 2024 and amateur radio:

Christian Entsfellner, Chair of the German Amateur Radio Club (Deutscher-Amateur-Radio-Club, DARC):

“As the inaugural Chair of the German Amateur Radio Club, I always have a packed schedule, so the time at the fair always flies by. But all in all, the Ham Radio event was once again enjoyable, with a fantastic atmosphere in the exhibition halls. It was clear to see that people were having a great time here. As Federal Minister Dr. Volker Wissing emphasized in his video message during the opening of this year’s Ham Radio, amateur radio fosters and nurtures cross-border friendships. The international gatherings held at the fair, particularly with the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU), sparked numerous fruitful discussions. We were able to successfully coordinate various international matters, including the utilization of frequencies and operating modes, benefiting all parties involved. I also think that the trade fair theme of “60 years of IOTA” with the special area in Foyer West and the accompanying program was very well-received and the right choice for this year’s edition. Our slogan for next year will focus on the 75th anniversary of DARC, reflecting on everything that has happened in our association’s history and looking ahead to future developments.

Thorsten Chmielus, Chief Executive Officer, Aaronia AG:

“Participating in the Ham Radio exhibition is fun as it allows you to connect with a unique community.”

Valentin Mihaylov, Sales Manager, Acom:

“The trade fair went very well for us, and we are very satisfied. Most of the audience were our own customer, so we already know each other. We measure our success through sales following the trade fair. Therefore, the visitors’ interest is crucial for our success, because we want them to see what we have to offer and what is new here. For us, the trade fair is the most important in the whole of Europe. It is important for us to be present at the trade fair to be visible to our customers and to show them that we are doing well as a company. Even though there are no direct flights to Friedrichshafen, we think it's a great location for a trade fair like this.”

Lutz Heuschke, Amateur Radio Department, Germany’s Federal Network Agency:

“The Federal Network Agency was able to make an important contribution at Ham Radio by serving as a key point of contact for radio enthusiasts and those interested in radio communication. Many people took the amateur radio exams, and the new N license was met with great interest. There were also questions about the topic of ‘suppressing radio interference.’ At our stand, we also offer the opportunity to test radio equipment to ensure it complies with the technical limits; interest in general is very high.”

Erik Swartz, Chief Executive Officer of Elecraft:

“It was a very good trade fair for us. We had strong traffic of people coming to our booth the whole time. I have been coming to Ham Radio as an exhibitor since 2011 and am therefore very familiar with the trade fair and the Friedrichshafen area. The location is perfect, and I feel very comfortable here every year. The trade fair went very well, and we had a lot to do, which is great. The overall mood among the visitors was positive. The fair had a big impact on our sales afterwards. We can usually see an increase in sales within a month of a trade fair, this one included. As we are a purely online company and deliver to our customers all over the world, the trade fair appearance is all the more important for us, as this is where customers come into contact with the product and can talk to us directly. I think we would have much less success without trade fairs like Ham Radio. The organization was very professional, even if the language barrier was a bit of a problem from time to time. I particularly liked the fact that you saw more young people here than in some other countries. Although I had the impression that the number of attendees was equal to last year, we were far more busy than last year.”

Frank Dathe, Managing Director of Funktechnik Dathe:

“I’m satisfied and happy again this year; it’s nice here. We have been exhibiting at Ham Radio for seven years now, establishing a strong presence in the southern region that has become essential for us despite the distance we have to travel. Our customer base has grown enormously, and this trade fair radiates throughout Germany. We will be happy to come again.”

Dean Croome, Yaesu UK Limited:

“The feedback has been overwhelmingly favorable. We had many visitors interested in taking a look at our products. Because of the coronavirus pandemic and Brexit, we haven’t been able to come here for five years. So, it’s good to be back and to present new products to radio amateurs which have not yet been shown at the trade fair. As a result, interest in the new products was high. We had good feedback and many questions about the new technologies of our products and were therefore able to demonstrate the latest functions and features. As we sell our products through re-sellers, the trade fair offers a good opportunity for customers to experience, touch, try out and feel our devices. So, it's good to be able to hold the appliances in your hands and then ask questions about them on site. Even if the journey to Friedrichshafen is somewhat more difficult due to the lack of direct flights from the UK and other countries, we like the location very much. Messe Friedrichshafen is a beautiful venue, and the event was well-organized, so overall it was a very positive experience for us.”

Axel Andraczek, Team Leader of Lufthansa Technik AG:

“We had engaging conversations during our time at Ham Radio and found a wealth of technical expertise here in fields that are relevant to us. We made some contacts that could lead to people applying for jobs. However, we will need to wait for the upcoming weeks and the feedback to really gauge the success of the event for us. Overall, we had anticipated a greater turnout of younger professionals. The organization and communication with the project team went smoothly.