The “European Flood Protection Association” (Europaverband Hochwasserschutz e. V.), founded in Munich on 4 May 2011, introduced itself to experts at the acqua alta trade fair in Hamburg last October. Eighteen companies from five European countries had unanimously voted in favour of founding an association to deal with issues that may affect those involved in flood protection. The proposal resulted, among other things, from an attempt by “numerous stakeholders” to dictate production and safety criteria – especially concerning mobile flood protection systems – to the manufacturers. The association intends to take action against such interference from outside. If the association’s statutes come into force, the current Europe-wide practice of establishing a flood protection system in the run-up to public tenders will also cease. According to the statutes: “Product neutrality in public and corporate tenders will lead flood protection back to the market economy, and it will no longer remain in the hands of small groups.” A research institute will be set up to deal with quality labels and to develop the association’s policy. BLOBEL Umwelttechnik is a member of the association.

Link: www.europaverband-hochwasserschutz.eu

BLOBEL has delivered a huge, 20-metre-long barrier with a retention height of 800 mm.

The seven sections were fitted under the supervision of engineer Sebastian Prestel, the designer of the barrier, to protect O’Riordan Street in Sydney (main contractor: Buildline Constructions, owner: SCP, Sydney Corporate Park). Even heavy rain and extremely limited working times – only at weekends and at night from 7 pm to 5 am – could not stop the successful completion of this project. The residents of SCP in Alexandria, NSW, will therefore be able to face the next flood with confidence.

BLOBEL barriers of this kind can, of course, be driven over by a lorry when they are not in operation. In Germany, only two of these models have been fitted so far – all the others have been delivered to Australia.

In November 2011, we attended FIMAI, the international industrial environment and sustainability trade fair held in São Paulo, Brazil. Here, too, we shared an exhibition booth with Bayern International.

It was BLOBEL's first ever participation in a Brazilian trade fair – and it proved to be a wise decision as great interest was shown not only in flood protection but also in containment systems. Fortunately, we had come well prepared with brochures in Portuguese (many thanks to Dr. George Bernard Sperber), for English alone would not have got us very far. Our interpreter, Daniely Jonas Ferreira, was a godsend. A certain Herr Pauluschke from Germany dealt with organizational issues for the exhibiting companies, and did so with true German efficiency. Everything went smoothly. The fair ran from 2 p.m. until 9 p.m. – which we have never experienced anywhere else.

Naturally, BLOBEL also explored the culinary side of Brazil: meat, meat and more meat – with waiters slicing chunks of grilled meat from huge skewers that they carried from table to table. Another interesting experience was the invitation extended to our delegation by Consul General Matthias von Kummer. The torrential rains that flooded the roads as we were leaving Brazil, forcing fountains of water out of the drains, made it clear that this place could really do with BLOBEL products!

In October 2011, BLOBEL participated in the Western China International Fair (WCIF) in Chengdu, sharing a booth with Bayern International. The event was organized within the framework of Bavaria's trade fair promotion programme. This large industrial fair was remarkable for the unbelievably large number of visitors and interested parties yet few decision makers.

A procedure that one can hardly imagine happening here in the West: on the day that a very high-ranking politician visited the fair, the authorities closed off the entire exhibition grounds until 2 p.m. We even had to leave our hotel, which was located on those grounds, at 7 o'clock that morning, otherwise we would not have been allowed to step out of the building. On the other hand, it gave us plenty of time to visit the city's famous Panda Breeding and Research Centre. This was not the only outing on which Mrs. Janli, our interpreter and the wife of our business partner William Ma, proved indispensable. English would not have been enough to cope with everything going on at the fair.

With their command of the Chinese language, the staff members of the German Chamber of Foreign Trade and the Chamber of Industry and Commerce optimally organized the evening events: a Western-style buffet to which our delegation had been invited by the City of Chengdu, the typical Chinese dinner arranged for us by Chengdu Province, as well as a “hotpot” evening, which featured a spicy variation of fondue that is typical of the region. Chinese fairs can be quite strenuous for “long-nose” Europeans...