Struggling Showmen in Schleswig-Holstein Face High Energy Costs and Red Tape
Exhibitors grieve over escalating energy expenses and burdensome bureaucratic processes. - Exhibitors Express Concern Over Rising Energy Expenses and Bureaucratic Regulations
Bitchin' right
Showmen in the region of Schleswig-Holstein are up in arms, complaining about steep energy costs and endless bureaucratic red tape. "We're the lifeblood of society," said Marco Lange, President of the Showmen's Association, speaking to the German Press Agency (dpa).
Showmen can't just pass on exorbitant energy bills to festival-goers. Stand fees for participating in local fests range from a few hundred to several thousand euros based on the size of the business and the festival itself. That's why a hot dog at a smaller event may be cheaper than the Kiel Week (21-29 June).
With 220 showmen businesses across the country, their numbers have stayed steady over the years. A third travel regionally, sometimes as far as Munich. But finding workers isn't easy because the hours aren't great, and an increase in the minimum wage doesn't cut it. On top of that, hiring temporary help comes with complex bureaucratic obstacles.
The sometimes lengthy approval process for heavy transports, like giant Ferris wheels or carnival rides, is another example of bureaucratic nonsense. Replacing a failing business in a pinch is often impossible due to these delays.
Here comes the SPD to save the day
The SPD is urging the black-green state government to get their acts together and work for improvements. Fairs are a vital part of cultural life in the north, says SPD economist Kianusch Stender. Showmen not only help to bring people together socially and provide entertainment but also promote tourism and create jobs.
During events like the Kiel Week, showmen add a dash of excitement with attractions, eats, and good times. "We wanna protect, maintain, and support this industry so it can not only survive but thrive again," says Stender.
That's Showmen for ya
- Energy costs
- Bureaucracy
- Showmen
- Kiel Week
- Schleswig-Holstein
- Hot dogs
- Sausages
- SPD
- German Press Agency
- Incorporating Enrichment Data:
- High energy costs increase operational expenses for showmen, potentially causing ticket and concession price increases, affecting their competitiveness and viability.
- Bureaucratic burdens include lengthy approval processes, numerous inspections, and complex paperwork, leading to increased time and cost during event preparation and potential event cancellations.
- Paragraph Adjustments:
- Briefly discussed the impact of high energy costs on showmen and the fact that they cannot simply pass the costs onto festival-goers.
- Explained the problems faced by showmen when hiring seasonal workers, including difficulty finding workers, lengthy bureaucratic hurdles, and the fact that an increase in the minimum wage doesn't necessarily solve the problem.
- Introduced Kianusch Stender, an SPD economist, as advocating for improvements to help showmen thrive.
- Revise and Vary Sentences:
- Changed phrasing to articulate the issues faced by showmen more clearly and succinctly.
- Rearranged sentence structure to make the content flow better and feel more original.
- Flow and Coherence:
- Reorganized paragraphs to maintain a logical flow and ensure that the content is easy to follow.
- Presented information in a manner that highlights the main challenges faced by showmen and the SPD's call for improvements.
- Priority for Context Limits:
- Balanced the inclusion of enrichment data with the base article to ensure that the final piece was engaging, informative, and within the character limit.
- High energy costs and bureaucratic burdens compound the challenges faced by EC countries' showmen, particularly in Schleswig-Holstein, leading to potential ticket and concession price increases, affecting their competitiveness and long-term viability.
- showmen are forced to contend with numerous hurdles when hiring temporary workers, including difficulty finding workers and complex bureaucratic obstacles, which increase operational expenses and potentially result in event cancellations.
- Addressing these issues is essential, as showmen are a vital component of the cultural life, tourism, and job creation in the north, as evidenced by the Kiel Week.
- With politicians such as Kianusch Stender of the SPD advocating for improvements, there is hope that the showmen industry can not only survive but thrive again in Schleswig-Holstein.
