By this time tomorrow, we will have already concluded the first day of one of Hungary’s biggest-ever international events, the ‘One with Nature’ World of Hunting and Nature Exhibition 2021. With speakers and guests arriving from more than 100 countries and stands filling the vast, 75,000-square-meter indoor area of Budapest’s freshly renovated HUNGEXPO, Hungary will once again be the top spot for nature lovers worldwide during 20 busy days between September 25 and October 14.
While most of the expo’s key programs take place in Budapest, events in rural Hungary will revolve around three towns — Hatvan, Keszthely and Vásárosnamény — all of which are home to centuries-old hunting and conservationist traditions.
It is, however, not a coincidence that we get to host this world-class event in 2021. It was in 1871 that Hungary organized its first national hunting exhibition that served primarily as a forum for the region’s hunters. To mark the centennial of this first expo, Hungary hosted the legendary 1971 World of Hunting Exhibition that went on to become a huge success, attracting some 2 million visitors from around the globe. Back then, it didn’t simply help us showcase Hungary’s massive hunting and nature-related knowledge base, the event also gave us a glimpse of the world beyond the iron curtain long before the fall of communism.
Besides the many topical exhibitions, including the Central Hungarian Exhibition and the presentation of a wide range of hunting methods, debate and dialogue about the future of hunting and nature conservation will take center stage. Within the framework of the World Conservation Forum, a unique initiative that provides a platform for nature lovers to present their views on an array of different issues, visitors will get a chance to learn firsthand about the current debates surrounding nature conservation. Meanwhile, the four-plus-one-day International Hunting and Game Management Conference will mainly feature experts who work day in and day out on developing best practices in the field.
It is the World Expo’s mission to create a grand coalition of hunters and nature conservationists for the sake of the responsible, sustainable use of nature and wildlife because we believe that there is no sustainability without hunting and conservation, as much as there is no hunting and conservation without sustainability.
Stay tuned, we begin in less than a day. For the official program and tickets, make sure to check out the exhibition’s website.