The results of this year’s RDA-Workshop in Cologne are satisfied exhibitors, a lot of business concluded, an excellent atmosphere and more visitors than in the previous year. 11,237 trade visitors – a plus of some 2.3 per cent – visited this year’s RDA-Workshop. 1,157 exhibitors, including 200 first-time exhibitors, presented their product palette over the three days of the show – a plus of 2 per cent compared to last year’s RDA-Workshop. These included suppliers from 73 branches exhibiting a comprehensive range of holiday offerings from 60 countries. The RDA’s Tourism Advisory Council, which represents RDA-Workshop exhibitors, was also content with these concluding results. Manfred Schürmann was visibly very happy about the positive turnaround in visitor numbers: ‘I am most delighted. We can certainly be content with these increases.’ The mood on the ground this year was fairly upbeat to cautiously optimistic.

RDA President Richard Eberhardt shared Mr. Schürmann’s evident delight:
‘In view of the fact that the branch in Germany is no longer growing, I am content with this result.’ Stronger co-operation with organisations beyond Germany is being actively developed e.g. with the Global Passenger Network with head office in Kansas USA and with the Coach Tourism Council (UK) with head office in London.  US exhibitors for example, exhibiting their products and services at the RDA-Workshop for the very first time, reported buoyant interest and a large number of business contacts made.

The interactive ‘Talking Together’ forum was initiated this year and was – in principle – fairly well received. Exhibitors, tourism industry experts and federations were able to bring to the point what is new and useful for the coach tourism sector in ten minute long presentations: from the ‘Cycling Tourism’ offers campaign to product innovations and diverse marketing initiatives. Some birth pangs will, however, have to be soothed before next year’s RDA-Workshop opens its doors. The 2010 RDA-Workshop after-Workshop event was in a ‘Sixties’ mood this year with a visit to the popular musical ‘Hairspray’ in the Musical Dome Cologne. The Wednesday evening was a big hit with some 1,200 exhibitors and trade visitors who availed of the opportunity to enjoy lively music and dance and to relax afterwards and network in the shadow of Cologne’s world-famous gothic cathedral before the final day of the exhibition.

This year’s RDA-Workshop illustrated once again that it is rightly titled the leading purchasing, sales, promotion and networking platform for the international coach- and group tourism sectors. 76 per cent of visitors placed orders at the exhibition itself or directly afterwards. There are still, on average, four primary motivators for visiting the RDA-Workshop. The most frequently mentioned are: ‘nurturing existing contacts’, ‘gaining an overview’ and ‘seeking out new offers’. Ms. Therese Heslop, Visitor Services Manager, Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England, said ‚‘The RDA-Workshop has helped us enormously to strengthen existing relationships and make new contacts. We have made many friends through exhibiting at the RDA-Workshop and as a direct result German coach business to Canterbury is growing every year. We will definitely be back in 2011!’

The 37th RDA-Workshop will take place from 26th to 28th July 2011 in Cologne.