Voices from Ham Radio 2026

Kristin Hanisch, Executive Assistant, Aaronia AG

“We’ve been exhibiting at Ham Radio for four years now. What makes the trade fair so special is, above all, the friendly visitors and the personal interaction we get to have with them. We've had many great and interesting conversations at our booth, and sales got off to a strong start right from the first day. People are gradually realizing that we’re here to sell products as well. In our first year, it was much more difficult – most visitors came on Sunday just before the fair closed. This year, however, sales started from day one. There was a steady stream of visitors to our booth throughout the event. It was really packed, especially on the first day of the fair. The service provided by Messe Friedrichshafen is excellent: For us, it’s one of the trade fairs where you can reach your goal most easily and effectively when you need something. It’s always a pleasure to be here.” 

Jan Hauschildt, Managing Director, Hilberling GmbH

“This year marks our twentieth time exhibiting at Ham Radio, so we’re also celebrating a special anniversary. Ham Radio is Europe’s largest exhibition for radio amateurs, and we’re always delighted to be here supporting the amateur radio community. That’s our primary goal. Naturally, we’re also showcasing our products, and we’re very pleased with how the event has gone. We’ve had a great deal of interest from visitors at our booth. Since we sell exclusively through direct sales and don’t work with dealers, having this kind of face-to-face contact with customers at the trade fair is especially valuable to us. We’ve enjoyed meeting many of our existing customers while also making connections with plenty of new ones. For radio enthusiasts, Ham Radio is a fantastic opportunity to get together with and meet fellow enthusiasts from other countries. Thanks to its location, many visitors come from Austria, Switzerland, and Italy, making Friedrichshafen an especially attractive venue for German companies looking to reach an international audience. For us, traveling all the way from Schleswig-Holstein is always a long journey, but from a European or even global perspective, the location is exceptionally well chosen.”

Stephanie Heine, Press Spokesperson of the German Amateur Radio Club (DARC):

“This year, Ham Radio took place for the 49th time, and we’re already looking forward to celebrating its 50th anniversary next year. Personally, this was my 20th Ham Radio, and every year it continues to be a very special experience. We were extremely pleased with how the trade fair went. I was particularly delighted that the Ham Rally for children and young people, held on Friday and Saturday, attracted significantly more young participants than in previous years, with a total of 137 taking part. The ARISS and DARC teacher training course, with 78 participants, and the Contest University, with 47 attendees, were also exceptionally well received. We’re very proud of that. My personal highlight was the visit from Rabea Rogge. She is a wonderful ambassador because she is just as passionate about amateur radio as she is about astronomy. She was therefore the perfect person to help launch the first Astro event here on Lake Constance, and I’m truly delighted that she could be part of it. What makes Ham Radio so special to me is that it’s much more than just a trade fair. While it is Europe’s largest exhibition for amateur radio, it’s above all a place where people come together. It’s where radio enthusiasts meet old friends, discover the latest technical innovations, browse the flea market for components and hobby equipment, and exchange ideas. At the same time, numerous associations and organizations have the opportunity to present themselves. I was especially pleased that volunteering also received the recognition it deserves. Around 4,000 volunteers are involved with DARC alone, and several hundred of them contributed here at the trade fair. It was inspiring to see how much dedication and passion they brought to the event. You can never thank them enough for their commitment. And of course, Friedrichshafen is the perfect location for us. Summer, sunshine, and Lake Constance have simply become part of the Ham Radio experience for many visitors. We always feel very welcome here, and our collaboration with the Messe Friedrichshafen project team has been excellent for many years. That’s why we always look forward to coming back.”

Berthold Wassmuth, Chairman, Astronomical Association of Lake Constance (Astronomische Vereinigung Bodensee)

“From our perspective, Astro was very well received. You could see the strong interest right from the start, with long queues at the ticket counters and a constant flow of visitors to our booth. Our solar observation activities were especially popular. Many visitors looked at the sun several times through our special solar filters. We experienced a fascinating mix of amateur radio operators and astronomy enthusiasts. Both groups found plenty to enjoy, and that’s exactly what made the event so special. The exchange with the amateur radio community was particularly interesting. We talked about the challenges we face in our respective hobbies and discovered just how much they have in common. Many amateur radio operators themselves commented on how well astronomy and amateur radio complement each other at this fair. We’re especially pleased that, over the past few days, we’ve received several inquiries about joining our association. That shows the event will continue to have a positive impact well beyond the trade fair weekend. We’d be delighted to take part again next year and build on the experience we gained from this successful premiere to make our presence even stronger.”

Melanie Huber, Head of Marketing, Baader Planetarium GmbH

“We’re extremely pleased. To be honest, we never expected such a positive response. As this was the first Astro event, we’re absolutely delighted. The location in southern Germany is ideal for us. Our solar observation products were especially popular, with the major solar eclipse coming up in August. There was also tremendous interest in astrophotography and our entry-level telescopes. We welcomed a very broad range of visitors, from complete beginners to customers planning fully equipped observatories. The quality of the visitors was excellent. Many people already knew us and had traveled here specifically to meet us and speak with our CEO in person. We also welcomed a large number of visitors from Switzerland. The timing of the event was a bit challenging for us in terms of inventory, but we’re extremely pleased with the outcome and fully expect to be back again next year.”

Kai von Schauroth, Managing Director of “astronomie – DAS MAGAZIN” and Athos Centro Astronónomico SL

“The trade fair was a great success for us. Our expectations beforehand were fairly modest, but they were exceeded in every respect. The quality of the visitors was outstanding. There were far more amateur astronomers than we had expected, and many Ham Radio visitors also showed a strong interest in our topics and products. We measure the success of the event primarily by the many valuable conversations we had. As a magazine publisher, we also look at the number of new subscriptions taken out directly at the trade fair, and those results have left us extremely satisfied as well. Having been involved with Astro from the very beginning, it goes without saying that I’d be delighted to take part again next year.”