Cities
CCW 2024: The great post-event report
From June 4 to 5, 2024, the congress trade fair was able to expand its status as an innovative specialist event for mobility solutions at the plus-one level and make a significant contribution to networking decision-makers and driving urban cable car projects forward.
Over 600 trade fair and congress participants from 21 countries – including delegations from Brazil and Sierra Leone as well as the C40 Cities network and the International Organization for the Ropeway Industry OITAF – came to find out about technologies, products and services from 51 exhibitors and 17 partners from ten countries.
Attractions included the Mobility Lab with a Science Wall and City Lab, a cable car model and the Cable Car Congress.
Fatzer-Trux Team (from left to right): Matthias Stacher, Erik Riefer, Tobias Weiss. Images: © SI/Surrer, unless otherwise indicated
Georg Schober (left) and Peter Hofer (second from left) discussed TÜV Süd’s services with their customers from Polyma Energiesysteme – Sebastian Ray (right) and Steffen Link.
REMEC/SISAG brought AI to the Essen trade fair.
Martin Gfall from Zimm in conversation with a customer.
The demand for information at Cable Car World 2024 was high. Both the topic of ‘urban cable cars’ itself and specific aspects such as funding scenarios and legal framework conditions met with great interest among the trade visitors.
“Cable Car World 2024 has established a new pillar. Since the last trade fair, urban cable cars have experienced an enormous boost. What is already established practice in transport planning in other parts of the world is gaining more and more momentum in Germany and Europe. Many visitors came back to concretise their plans,” summarises Dominik Berndt, Managing Director of Cable Car World GmbH and partner of the congress trade fair.
“The topic has also become an integral part of cable car manufacturers’ product development. We are delighted that the industry has accepted Cable Car World as a new presentation platform and wants to collaborate with Messe Essen to expand it into an international industry meeting point,” adds Oliver P. Kuhrt, CEO of Messe Essen GmbH.
The Leitner booth attracted great interest.
Stephan Obexer from the Ropeway Project Group (second from left) with his clients from Gebag Duisburg (from left) Philipp Gladen, Stefan Christochowitz, and Jessica Kirstein.
Doppelmayr presented the first production gondola for the currently under construction cable car in Paris.
Alexander Depser (left) and Maximilian Politsch represented the engineering and consulting firm MRK.
Trade fair
Exhibitors offered a wide range of products and services tailored to the urban use of cable cars. For example, the design of the cabins is adapted to the needs of public transportation:
DOPPELMAYR brought a cable car gondola to Essen, which will embark on its maiden voyage on a 4.5-kilometer route in Paris in 2025. LEITNER presented a cabin that is already successfully in operation in Mexico City, transporting people over a distance of around eleven kilometers.
A delegation from Freetown (Sierra Leone) didn’t miss the trade fair.
Florian Jandl (left) and Hans-Georg Leitner were on site for Baucon.
Florian Immoos provided information about mountain systems.
Learning from other cities around the world
Practical examples were one of the focal points of the integrated Cable Car Congress. Guests included the operator of the world’s largest public transport cable car network, ‘Mi Teleférico’, who reported on his experiences in La Paz, Bolivia. Sierra Leone had travelled to Cable Car World with an entire delegation.
In the capital Freetown, a cable car would above all mean economic and social progress thanks to the newly gained mobility, Freetown’s Lord Mayor Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE emphasised in her presentation.
Note:
The presentations from Cable Car World will be gradually detailed as articles on SI Urban.
Cable car planner Stephan Salzmann spoke about his experiences with urban cable car projects in India.
After a video message from the German Minister of Transport, Volker Wissing, his State Secretary, Hartmut Höppner, officially opened the Cable Car World.
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr, Mayor of Freetown (Sierra Leone), discussed the potential of urban cable cars for Africa.
Cesar Portillo from La Paz (Bolivia) shared ten years of experience with the world’s largest urban cable car network – Mi Teleférico.
Interactive trade fair concept was well received
Cable Car World 2024 used various formats to familiarise visitors with the topic. The Mobility Lab powered by Bartholet & Leitner was the centrepiece of the trade fair. The communication area was frequently used for discussions with experts from consulting and planning or in-depth workshops.
It was also the starting point for guided tours. Special attention was paid to the City Lab, which was supported by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport.
Bogotá, Bonn, Duisburg, Freetown, Herne, Munich, Oberhausen, Offenbach, Toulouse and the Rhine-Neckar Transport Association presented their current cable car projects. For example, a connection across the Rhine in Bonn, Germany is currently being planned.
The project fulfils the criteria for public funding and therefore has the best chances of being implemented. Herne is also focussing on an urban cable car. In the city in the German Ruhr region, a new technology district is to be connected to the railway station in Wanne-Eickel.
In four panel discussions, selected speakers discussed the topics of the congress.
At the Mobility Lab, visitors engaged in workshops with industry experts.
At the Science Wall, universities and research institutions showcased their findings on urban cable cars. © Messe Essen
On the first day of the trade fair, the networking evening provided a great opportunity to casually make contacts.
Podcast cabin & trade fair book
As a professional magazine, SI Urban was also represented at Cable Car World. With the SI 2/2024 issue serving as the official trade fair brochure, the editorial team and sales department once again closely connected with the growing industry.
A special highlight was the CWA podcast gondola, where numerous interviews for Cable Car Radio were recorded.
SI Urban editor Gerald Pichlmair in a podcast interview with Christoph Rittersberger from mobility service provider Transdev.
The podcast cabin in the foyer of Messe Essen was a real eye-catcher.
Stand supervisor Sandra Kanzler, customer advisor Laurin Strolz, and publisher Gerald Pichlmair proudly presented SI Urban as the official media partner of the Cable Car World.
Yvonne Aki-Sawyerr OBE, the Mayor of Freetown (Sierra Leone), spoke with SI Chief Editor Thomas Surrer about the cable car plans in her city.
Save the date!
Anyone interested can already make a note of the new date in their calendars: The next Cable Car World and the integrated Cable Car Congress will take place on June 9 and 10, 2026 at Messe Essen. Information at: www.cablecarworld.de
