Press release
Friends, benefactors, Exhibitors at the JetPower Fair!
We, the JetPower team, have decided that the JetPower Fair 2017 was our last event. There were a number of factors that played into this:
Naturally the difficult relationship with our permit authorities has been the source of much frustration and disappointment for a long time, but because we were promised greater help from politicians this year we were able to see a solution. Nonetheless, it cannot go unmentioned that the requirements for an event of this size increase year after year, because the responsible authorities shift all liability risk onto the organiser.
The changed space situation at the Bengener Heide caused by the construction of the new hangar showed us this year that it is nearly impossible to continue holding the JetPower Fair there in the same way we have in the past. This starts with the power supply and ends with the now limited parking and camping possibilities. Approximately 3000 m2 of camping space has been replaced by the now necessary, changed set-up area for the tents. This year that resulted in chaos on the camping grounds still available, because many campers - as in previous years, despite corresponding announcements - arrived without registering and were not prepared to leave the space.
We were astonished by the report to the publisher that, as of now, 43 presenters no longer want to come to the Bengener Heide because of the space situation, yet not one of them has spoken with us previously.
15 years of the JetPower Fair also meant 15 years of hard work for the team. Preparations stretch over months, and the week on the airfield is stressful and draining on all involved. We have all become 15 years older, and so it's understandable that many on the team are now simply no longer willing and able. This team has turned the JetPower Fair into a global success over the years, and so not one of its members can be replaced. Not when it comes to technical operations, tent allocation, the flightline, the tills, the campground, nor to cleaning the toilets and showers. The THW, without which JetPower could not have even been organised at all, cannot be forgotten. And only with this team was it possible to hold JetPower for such a long period of time without any major problems and accidents.
That is why, after 15 years, we wish to thank everyone who has supported us and we hope that the JetPower Fair will long be remembered fondly as the world's largest event for model jets.
And one closing remark, for my own purposes:
For 15 years as the organiser of the JetPower Fair, I bore the sole responsibility and personal liability for the event. I cannot and no longer wish to accept this risk that grows with each year, because if I did I would certainly be out of house and home, and I do not know anyone who would be there at my side if that were to happen.
Winnie Ohlgart and the JetPower Team
Where to go from here?
The publisher Modellsport Verlag, who sponsors the JetPower Fair and holds the rights to the name, is currently negotiating to continue holding the fair with a new team and at a new location. It will thus go on by all means, and that is surely the good news for all exhibitors and visitors.
