Hamburg, frequently referred to as the “Highlight of the North” is the second largest city in Germany and home to 1.8 million inhabitants. It is the perfect blend of old meets new, with traditional buildings and its port heritage resting alongside the best in cutting-edge design. With a reputation as a young, modern and friendly city, Hamburg is a one of Germany’s most cosmopolitan, and provides the perfect backdrop to the Congress.

The designated Congress hotel, the Hamburg Marriott, is located in the city centre and is within walking distance of shopping, restaurants, art galleries and vibrant attractions. The wellness/fitness facility and spa is one of the best offered by Hamburg hotels and its restaurant, Speicher 52, offers local culinary specialities. Its well-appointed rooms will ensure a comfortable stay and are offered at the specially negotiated rate of €179 for a single room and €199 for a double. Room rates and availability of hotel rooms in the congress hotel are only guaranteed for reservations made before 15th July 2010.

The Congress commences with the FEIBP Board Meeting and registration, followed by an optional lunch to be hosted in the hotel’s restaurant.

The annually held Brush Forum gives the opportunity for all manufacturers of finished brush items, as well as suppliers to the trade, to present their companies and products in an exhibition setting. The purpose is to educate other FEIBP members regarding the technical aspects, characteristics and uses of their products. There will be two sessions of the Brush Forum, the first taking place during the afternoon business session on Thursday 16 September, and the second during the morning business session of Friday 17th September, although presentations may remain in the exhibition space for the entire Congress.

The registration fee for the Brush Forum is only €100.00 which includes a table, two chairs and electrical connection for audio-visual presentation. This is a great opportunity to offer and to find out about the latest innovations and technologies and one not to be missed!

The official opening of the 52nd Congress will take place from 14:00 on the Thursday, with a welcoming speech by Dr Bernd Egert, Chief Executive Director of the Free & Hanseatic City of Hamburg Ministry for Economic and Labour Affairs. This will be followed by the first of the planned speakers at the event.

At the 2009 Congress in Bristol, UK, delegates agreed that it would be beneficial to include educational sessions relevant to the brush industry and the application of brushes in industry. The first speaker of the 2010 Congress will be Mrs Gigi Haug who will address the subject of hygiene brushes, food hygiene regulations, HACCP, REACH and the FEIBP Charter and look at the products and materials available and the different fields of application of hygiene brushes.

The second speaker of the Congress programme will be Dipl. Ing. Michael Rehe who will present a seminar covering “Tailored cutting edge preparation by means of abrasive brushing”. This will be followed by the meetings of the working groups for technical brushes and hygiene brushes providing the opportunity for discussion of the latest developments in those sectors and will round off the business side of the first day.

For partners of delegates, there will be a sightseeing tour of Hamburg, taking in the major city sights.

In the evening, guests and partners are invited for drinks and an informal dinner on board MS Commodore. This classic harbour tour excursion will take passengers from the Landungsbrücken which were once dedicated to steam ship traffic, through the old warehouse district and to the modern day port.

With the Brush Forum again in session on the Friday morning, there are fresh networking opportunities for all members in attendance.
The Congress programme commences with the final speaker, Mr Georges Stocker, lecturer/trainer for strategic marketing, in particular limbic-marketing/neuro-marketing in international classes. This is aimed at presenting new ideas for companies wishing to get ahead in the current economic climate.
The General Assembly of the 52nd FEIBP, to include closing remarks from the President, Henk Slettenhaar and will be followed by the presentation of the Innovation Award.
This year’s Congress will see the presentation of the 4th annual Innovation Award, whose aim is to stimulate companies who are directly or indirectly involved in the Brushware industry to show their most recent products. Participation is open to every member of the FEIBP and the Congress is an outstanding platform for the exposure of the innovative character of the industry. Nominees will be offered an appropriate exhibition space for the duration of the Brush Forum and participants of the Congress will be able to vote to decide the winner. The winner of this prestigious award will receive full exposure in terms of attention at the Congress and other PR outings. Companies are now able to register for a nomination via the Congress website (link below).
The presentation of the Innovation Award will be the last item on the agenda and will be followed by lunch in the hotel’s restaurant.
Friday afternoon is designated free time for further networking or to enjoy the delights of the city of Hamburg.
The partners programme for Friday includes a visit to the Speicherstadt Museum; a “hands on” museum located on two floors of a red-brick warehouse that is over a hundred years old (in the authentic surroundings of the dockland warehouse district in the former free-port) where typical goods and tools collected from traditional warehouse companies and business premises of the warehouse district are exhibited.
The annual black tie gala dinner will this year be hosted at Die Bank restaurant, where guests can expect the finest of traditional German cuisine within one of the oldest banks in Hamburg.
There will be an optional Saturday excursion for delegates and partners, the details of which are as yet undisclosed, but will be bought to you by www.brushexpert.com as soon as they are released. Previous year’s tours have been both well-attended and well-received and are definitely worth your consideration.
Full details of the Congress programme and online registration are available now via the Congress website:

Place the date in your diary and hurry and book your place!