• 74,182 visitors – a new record
• More exhibitors than ever before
• “The leading branch meeting point in Europe”

JAGD & HUND 2008 can boast of growth in all areas. The international hunting and fishing exhibition attracted 74.182 visitors between the 5. and 10. February: this is almost 5% more than in the previous year. Indeed it sets a new record for visitors. Furthermore, 642 commercial and honorary exhibitors from 28 countries also set a new record for exhibitors. Both visitors and exhibitors were correspondingly delighted.

In his opening speech at JAGD & HUND 2008, Jochen Borchert, President of the NRW Federal Hunting Association and the German Association for the Protection of Hunting e.V. underlined the importance for hunters of European cooperation. "JAGD & HUND is the leading meeting point for the branch in Europe", said the president, and added: "The exhibition has further strengthened its position this year."

This was due not only to a new record number of exhibitors and visitors, but also to the enormous international interest in JAGD & HUND. Around 12% of visitors came from abroad. Thus the proportion of participants from abroad rose once more. Foreign guests in Dortmund included visitors from Belgium, France, Great Britain, Lithuania, Latvia, the Netherlands, Sweden, and Hungary. A particularly notable feature is that half of all visitors travelled between 100 and 300 km to be present at JAGD & HUND 2008. And one in four visitors came from within a radius of 50 to 100 km. These figures are taken from a questionnaire of visitors conducted by an independent trade fair marketing research institute.
 

Exhibitors very much appreciate the international character of the visitors. "Czechs, Romanians, Poles, Britons, Danes – we had them all visiting our stand", said Wilhelm Goddek, managing director of Alljagd Versand GmbH from Lippstadt. Amongst others he sells high-tech fibre textiles which, as he explained "help prevent people from freezing even in Siberia at temperatures of up to -30°". Last year German lumberjacks bought the corresponding overalls at his stand at JAGD & HUND in preparation for their operations in Siberia. "One year afterwards Russians who had met the Germans in the east were standing here at the stand. They wanted the same overalls."

This anecdote might be about "tough men": but the fact remains that many of the themes at JAGD & HUND are no longer solely in the male domain. Indeed 20% of visitors to the exhibition this year were women.

Partner country Hungary

For some years now JAGD & HUND has been offering a comprehensive presentation of international hunting trips in the whole of Europe. Within the framework of our partner country concept, the Republic of Hungary was at the centre of interest in 2008. At JAGD & HUND, Hungary presented itself along with a huge amount of local exhibitors. All in all, 22 businesses and associations were present here.
At the opening event, József Gráf, the Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development in the Republic of Hungary campaigned for further visitors from Germany. At the moment around half of the 25.000 hunting guests who visit Hungary every year come from German-speaking countries. "We have set ourselves a future target of improving the standard of catering and accommodation for our guests even further", said the Minister.

In his opening speech, Eckhard Uhlenberg, the NRW Minister for the Environment and Nature Protection, Agriculture and Consumer Protection emphasised that "Hunting holidays make small contributions to the mosaic of human coexistence" – especially when things like ethics and animal protection are also legal duties in the countries visited.

Actions on actions

One of the prominent features of JAGD & HUND has always been its entertainment value. Special actions, presentations and competitions take place in all the halls. Of all the many actions in 2008, the favourites amongst visitors were the presentation of predatory birds in flight and of gun-dog breeds.

The German Stag Callers Championship  at JAGD & HUND is also a great attraction amongst journalists and the general public. This year's German champion was Immo Ortlepp from Wedemark. He thereby qualified to take part in the 2008 European Championships in the Czech Republic. Amongst others, stag calling is about imitating the roar of the stag as authentically as possible. The runner-up this year was Josef von Gostkowski (Rommerskirchen) and third place was taken by Tasso Wolzenburg (Bad Laasphe).

The winners of the ladder building competition at JAGD & HUND 2008 on 9th February were Silke Brauckmann from Hagen and Patrick Baksa from Nottuln. In second place came last year's winners, Jens Stalter (Bonn) and Ingo Stalter (Zweibrücken). Third place was taken by Daniel Dohr (Düsseldorf) and Robert Kansy (Dormagen). The ladder building competition is about constructing a solid ladder seat as used by hunters.

The last day at JAGD & HUND included the speed carving action which brought in 1000 € for a good cause. Arne Wilhelm from the Stihl company carved out wooden sculptures in the shortest possible time; these were then auctioned amongst visitors at the exhibition. The Paul-Parey-Verlag partnered the action, the proceeds from which were donated to the Dortmund charity, "Kinderlachen".

Several of the actions at JAGD & HUND took place in action hall 3B that was used for the first time in 2007. The range of offers was also very well received in 2008. 71.3% of visitors were of the opinion that hall 3B was "good" or even "very good".

Jürgen Lorkowski from the Dortmund Hülpert-Gruppe was exhibiting VW cross-country vehicles for the first time in hall 3B at JAGD & HUND on the special track that had been built there. "Hall 3B is ideal for the motor business", he said. As an exhibitor to JAGD & HUND he felt that he had been very well looked after. Lorkowski is sure of one thing: "We shall be back again next year."

Business success

It goes without saying that JAGD & HUND is not only a stage for actions, but also primarily a flourishing business platform. Proof of this can also be found in the visitor questionnaire. 94% of visitors bought or ordered something at the exhibition, and the average purchase amount to 500 €. All in all, there was a turnover of around 35,000,000 € at this year's exhibition, around 3,000,000 € more than in the previous year.

The goods most in demand at JAGD & HUND 2008 were hunting equipment in general, hunting clothes, hunting weapons and their accessories. Visitors rated the range of offers at the exhibition as "good" to "very good". When asked whether their visit to JAGD & HUND 2008 had been worth their while, only 2.7% replied no.

Exhibitors’ opinions

The exhibitor questionnaire reveals a thoroughly satisfactory picture. 87.3% of exhibitors said that their expectations at JAGD & HUND 2008 had been partially or completely fulfilled. A further 5% said that their expectations had even been exceeded.

Heiner Großmann from Großmanns Angeltreff in Kiel achieve the same level of turnover in Dortmund as he had at the BOOT exhibition in Düsseldorf. His customers feature anglers who travel to all four corners of the globe, like Scandinavia, and Russia. "Most of them return to me because of my advice. I have a lot of regular customers here", he said. He has the necessary know-how to be able to give good advice. Heiner Grossmann has been the world champion in boat fishing on several occasions. He was extremely delighted with his business results at JAGD & HUND 2008.

Michael Lüke, the owner of Kettner Jagdreisen in Emsdetten was also "very satisfied". "We were not only able to explain things in detail to our customers and make them offers, we also closed a lot of deals." Lüke has been an exhibitor at JAGD & HUND for many years; he specialises in hunting trips to Africa, Asia and Hungary.

William McLeary (The Highland Connection – Country-Mode) is thoroughly delighted with JAGD & HUND. "Nothing else in Europe can compete with it, except perhaps a single outdoor exhibition in England", he said. "Audiences here are good and visitors have a lot of money in their pockets." Doctors and lawyers are amongst the customers who buy high-class Scottish and English tweed from McLeary. "They know what's good", he observed. He sold up to 40 jackets per day in Dortmund.
Hubert Müller, managing director of the Bavarian hunting fashion company Hubertus, depends for his insistence on a discerning clientele. "We sell high-class products from pure wool, felt and loden", he explained. Here a rucksack can cost well over 300 €. Müller went on to underline: "We need a special audience. JAGD & HUND is our most important exhibition." For his medium-range business, the exhibition means "a lot of money".

The majority intend to return

93.9% of exhibitors stated that they would be certainly or very probably be returning once again to Dortmund next year. Not a single exhibitor was prepared to definitely rule out participating once again.

Visitors too showed a high level of readiness to visit next year's exhibition. 69% gave the exhibition a rating of "2" and "3" (a high level of readiness), and a further 39.3% even gave the exhibition the top rating of "1", an extremely high level of readiness to return to JAGD & HUND 2009.

The next JAGD & HUND will take place from the 3. to the 8. February 2009 in the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund. Next year's exhibition will also include the European Stag Callers’ Championship.