The city of Bern in Switzerland is set to host two major meetings for the global caravanning industry in May this year.

The 47^th annual general meeting of the European Caravan Federation (ECF) and the 30^th Meeting of the European Leisure Vehicle Industry (MELVI) will both take place at the Swissôtel Kursaal Bern from 15 to 17 May, as part of a major industry summit organised by caravaningsuisse.

This event attracted more than 100 representatives from the European caravanning industry when it was hosted in Sorrento, Italy last year.

This year in Bern, on Thursday 15 May, the ECF Technical Committee Meeting will take place from 10:00 to 13:00, then an ECF Board meeting will be run from 14:00 to 16:30, and finally, a PAN European Supplier meeting will be held from 17:00 to 18:00.

On Friday 16 May the 47^th annual general meeting of the ECF will take place from 09:30 to 11:00, then after that, the 30^th Meeting of the European Leisure Vehicle Industry will be held from 11:300 to 17:00.

A series of dinners and social tours and trips around the city of Bern will also be included in the full agenda.

The Swissôtel Kursaal Bern offers views of the Alps and the historic, UNESCO World Heritage old town – which is just a five-minute walk across the bridge.

The event is sponsored by several major companies including Dometic, Thetford, Truma, BernExpo, Wohnobil & Caravan, Fiamma, Isabella Deutschland, Hartal, Erwin Hymer Group, CA Auto Finance Suisse, and LCI Industries.

About the organiser

Caravaningsuisse was founded in 1963, at the same time as the first Schweizer Caravan Salon in Zurich. The organisation went on to become a founder member of the ECF a year later in 1964.

In the early 1970s, the Schweizer Caravan Salon was moved to Bern, where the exhibition developed into Switzerland’s only national camping and caravanning fair. With the name evolving into Suisse Caravan Salon, the exhibition, organised by caravaningsuisse in Bern, has strengthened this national claim since the late 1990s. The exhibition is organised in close cooperation with today’s Bernexpo AG, which, under the supervision of a parity-formed exhibition commission, largely handles the organisation and management.

Caravaningsuisse primarily comprises companies engaged in the trade of recreational vehicles, motorhomes, and caravans. It also includes those involved in areas such as rentals and repairs or in the distribution of relevant camping accessories, such as awnings.

Image: Swissôtel Kursaal Bern