07/01/2022

2022 Ham Radio, the International Amateur Radio Exhibition, held last weekend (June 24 - 26) in Friedrichshafen, Germany, drew enthusiastic crowds and amateur radio enthusiasts from 52 countries.

Messe Friedrichshafen Managing Director Klaus Wellmann and Project Manager Petra Rathgeber said the event attracted 10,200 participants. While attendance was down (14,300 in 2019) because of COVID, visitors and exhibitors were upbeat -- a sentiment reflected in the event's slogan this year: "Seeing Friends Again."

"Together with our outstanding partner, the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC), we have put on a top-notch trade fair with a wide-ranging supporting program," said Wellmann and Rathgeber in a joint statement.

There were 129 commercial exhibitors and associations with 265 flea market exhibitors from 27 countries. DARC Press Spokesperson Stephanie Heine, DO7PR, and DARC Chair Christian Entsfellner, DL3MBG, emphasized the event created a unique space for meeting others in person, and fulfilled its role as a driver of the future of amateur radio. "Together we laid the foundation for the regional emergency radio groups at the fair, and we will launch a nationwide concept for emergency communications in the near future," said Heine.

ARRL was among the participating International Amateur Radio Union[1] (IARU) member-societies exhibiting at the convention. Representing ARRL in Germany was President Rick Roderick, K5UR and his wife Holly Roderick; CEO David Minster, NA2AA; Director of Operations Bob Naumann, W5OV, and Director of Public Relations and Innovation Bob Inderbitzen, NQ1R.

Naumann led a team of ARRL volunteers who supported DXCC card checking at its stand -- a service that's very popular within the international ham radio community.

"It was fantastic to visit with so many members and friends in Germany," said Inderbitzen. He noted that ARRL has thousands of International Members. "QST magazine is among the most recognized amateur radio journal in the world -- and draws many hams to ARRL for membership," he said. "Other popular membership benefits include ARRL Equipment Testing and QST Product Review; our entire suite of digital magazines, including QEX, NCJ, and On the Air; and member-pricing for popular ARRL Awards." He also noted ARRL's role in protecting and promoting amateur radio worldwide, and as Secretariat for the International Amateur Radio Union (IARU).

A short video tour from the convention is posted to ARRL's YouTube channel[2].

The next Ham Radio event will be held in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from June 23 to 25, 2023.

More information is available at Ham Radio[3].


[1] https://www.iaru.org/
[2] https://youtu.be/QbKAPf9o3HY
[3] https://www.hamradio-friedrichshafen.com/

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