17th general meeting takes place digitally
On June 10, 2021, representatives of the GWP membership met online to discuss its comprehensive activities and provide an overview of the future direction of GWP’s committee work. The event took place digitally for the second time in a row. In a live vote, the topics relevant to the association for fiscal year 2021 were decided.
Even though personal encounters are paramount in a network such as German Water Partnership, and the direct exchange on projects, innovation and partners at national and international level is essential, the association has managed to successfully shift a large part of its activities to the digital space, even under pandemic-related difficult conditions.
Continuation of digital activities, planned trade show presence
At the 17th General Meeting, GWP Board Chair Gunda Röstel and GWP Managing Director Julia Braune moderated and presented the activities of the past year and provided an outlook on follow-up activities. The focus is on the development of foreign markets and support of market entries and investment decisions within the scope of the international market development, the preparation of country profiles, the expansion of the sustainable utility partnerships as well as the qualification of specialists and further training measures, also abroad. Other projects with an international focus, such as ATLANTIS, India Showcase Plant, Industrial Water Compendium, and the chamber and association partnership with the African Water Association (GAPWAS), are among the association’s promising ongoing projects, which will continue to be worked on in the working groups and regional sections.
In addition to the slowly resuming international trade fair business, the association is already planning with great anticipation to participate with a joint stand at the IFAT 2022 in Munich. GWP members can register for their space already. At the foreign trade fairs relevant to the water industry in 2021 – such as IFAT India or VietWater – GWP recommends that all interested parties participate as exhibitors at the German Pavilion.
New boost for the future of the association
In a live online vote, the topics relevant to the association for the 2021 fiscal year were decided. After around 13 years of the association’s history, the general meeting adopted groundbreaking amendments to the association’s statutes, which the board had put to the vote in response to the new requirements of the working world due to the pandemic, among other things.
The next general meeting is traditionally planned together with the GWP annual conference for July 5th/6th, 2022 in Berlin.