VDFU Summer Meeting 2026: Leisure Industry Meets at the Baltic Sea
The Weissenhäuser Strand Holiday and Leisure Park: This popular destination on Germany's Baltic Sea coast is hosting this year's VDFU summer meeting. // Photo: Courtesy of Weissenhäuser Strand
(eap) From 31 August to 2 September, the German-speaking leisure industry is gathering at Weissenhäuser Strand in Schleswig-Holstein for this year’s summer meeting of the German Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (VDFU). More than 300 decision-makers from amusement parks, visitor attractions and other leisure businesses are expected to attend the three-day industry event on the Baltic Sea coast.
Under the theme “Zeitgeist”, this year’s summer meeting will explore which social developments are changing people’s expectations, values and lifestyles and what this means for the leisure industry. In her keynote, Kirstine Fratz, one of the leading zeitgeist researchers in the German-speaking world, will examine how cultural change can be translated into contemporary experiences.
This will be followed by a discussion entitled “Freizeitgeflüster”, featuring Andreas Michael Casdorff of Hanover Adventure Zoo, Bernd Beitz of Plopsaland Deutschland and Robert Rückel of the Deutschlandmuseum. From a business perspective, they will discuss where current developments are opening up new opportunities, in which areas the pressure to act is increasing and which approaches have proven successful in remaining relevant to guests. Dr. Catrin Homp, Managing Director of the Tourism Association of Schleswig-Holstein, will deliver a welcome address focusing on Schleswig-Holstein as the host region.
Alongside the professional exchange, this year’s summer meeting will also provide insights into three VDFU member companies. The event is being hosted by the Weissenhäuser Strand Holiday and Leisure Park on the Baltic Sea coast. Participants will also visit Hansa-Park in Sierksdorf and Karls Erlebnis-Dorf Warnsdorf. The site visits will offer an opportunity to gain a closer look at the concepts, offerings and operational processes of the three different leisure destinations.
The combination of conference programme, site visits and numerous networking opportunities will again provide ample scope over the three days to exchange views on current challenges, new ideas and potential collaborations within the leisure industry. Highlights from this year’s VDFU summer meeting, including a selection of photo impressions, will be featured in one of the upcoming issues of EAP. ■
