Amazing!!!!

On Saturday, July 6, Hamburg experienced a major public event of a very special kind and a real highlight, when more than 10,000 Lions Club members from 131 countries paraded round the Binnenalster according to the w.internationalmeetingsreview.com.  The parade marked the high spot of the Lions convention from July 5 to 9 – the biggest international congress that Hamburg had ever seen.

Hamburg was not just the venue – as Convention host it also delivered services on a grand scale. For this purpose a Steering Committee under the aegis of the Hamburg Convention Bureau und Matthias Rieger had been set up, already beginning with its preparations in 2009.

Bureau chief Matthias Rieger: “Multiple municipal organisations such as the police, fire service and district authorities, as well as City Management and the hotels, are represented here.” In bringing together more than 24,000 participants from all over the world “we are setting international standards for both Hamburg and Lions”, commented Barbara Grewe, Chair of the Lions Organisation Committee. Prior to the event 127 countries had registered for Hamburg, with host country Germany most strongly represented (5,558 participants), followed by Japan (3,304), USA (2,007), China (1,295), France (1,279) and – surprisingly – Nigeria (816). “A lot of convention planning was definitely devoted to transport for all the guests between the 75 hotels, which are spread throughout the city, and for the exhibition centre, Congress Center Hamburg and the O2 World-Arena as the event venues,” said Matthias Rieger from the Steering Committee.