This year HUSUM WindEnergy, with its accompanying trade symposia, took place from 9 to 13 September. This was the first edition where Husum Messe and Hamburg Messe joined forces after competing for several years with separate shows. More than 700 exhibitors from about 35 countries, among them all major global turbine manufacturers as well as suppliers and providers from all industry sectors, presented themselves at the exhibition. The event attracted almost 30,000 attendees from 40 nations. Despite the lack of good infrastructure (insufficient hotels, exhibition buildings instead of tents, etc.) Husum WindEnergy is one of the most important shows for the industry. On page 38 we publish a review of the event but if you want to find out for yourselves what is going on in the industry I suggest you attend the next show in 2010.

The 2008 HUSUM WindEnergy and its accompanying trade symposia will take place between 9 and 13 September. Having started life nearly 20 years ago as a local event with 29 exhibitors, the 2007 trade fair brought together 640 exhibitors from 30 countries and over 18,000 trade visitors from about 40 countries. This year the organisers are expecting around 700 companies, including wind turbine manufacturers, suppliers and service providers from 35 nations, and 20,000 visitors from 40 countries.

WINDPOWER on its way to becoming the world's largest wind event

The WINDPOWER 2008 Conference and Exhibition took place from 1 to 4 June in Houston, Texas, USA. The WINDPOWER 2008 Conference programme had over 50 education sessions, and included over 350 speakers and moderators, and 150 poster presentations on wind energy topics. This year around 700 exhibitors (up from 420 last year) displayed their products and services and over 13,000 registered visitors attended the event.

At EWEC this year there were a record 6,000 participants from 82 different countries. As EWEC 2008 drew to a close, EU Commissioner for Science and Research Janez Potočnik, awarded the wind energy sector's most prestigious prize, the Poul la Cour prize. This went to Jos Beurskens, from the Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN), for his outstanding achievements and many years' service in the field of wind energy. Afterwards, Belgium handed over the role as host of EWEC to France, where next year's conference will be held, in Marseille, on 16-19 March 2009.