VDV Verband der deutschen Vergnügungsanlagenhersteller e.V.

A clear majority of all German specialist manufacturers founded Germany’s Association of Amusement Rides & Accessory Manufacturers (Verband der Deutschen Vergnügungsanlagenhersteller e.V.) in 1987. This federation of leisure and amusement attraction manufacturers – with some 30 member companies – represents the interests of the manufacturers, service providers and suppliers in the entire leisure industry. The main objective of this trade association is to showcase the high technology, safety and quality standards as well as the importance of German manufacturers and their production, by speaking and acting with one voice both nationally and internationally. The significance of German manufacturers of amusement rides and attractions, playground equipment, people moving systems as well as decoration, animation or light and laser technologies, has been steadily growing over the last 30 years. Nowadays, more than three quarters of all global attractions that are newly installed in any one year come from European production. The German roller coaster manufacturers and engineers rank among the top players, and one of the main responsibilities of the association is to demonstrate the enhanced role of this important German industry. Since the year 2000, the VDV has also been an active member in the European Association of Amusement Supplier Industry (EAASI), and represents the interests of German companies in a common European market.
For decades now, the high quality of the German leisure and amusement attractions has been guaranteed through stringent construction, building and operating regulations. Operators of fairground rides, leisure parks, water parks and visitor attractions all over the world value this quality, which is ensured by continuous monitoring on the part of the technical inspection control board (TÜV) in the Federal Republic of Germany. To date, the resulting high quality and safety standard of “Made in Germany” has ultimately led to numerous countries either adopting the German guidelines as their own standard or consulting them as a model for their own standardisation. German safety standards were eventually incorporated into the European standard EN 13814 for mobile constructions and fairground facilities as well as amusement park safety in the December 2004 edition.
The variety of manufacturers and suppliers associated with the VDV and their products and services shows the whole spectrum of products required in the German, and above all, international amusement and leisure industry. Carousels and roller coasters, animatronics, play equipment, motion simulators, design and tent construction are as much part of the range as lighting and sound technology, theming & design, water attractions or vehicle construction, to name just a few. The high levels of creativity and the great efficiency of the German industry are evidenced by the fact that almost every attraction and amusement park in the world works with rides and installations manufactured in Germany. Based on this overall situation, it comes as no surprise that the German manufacturers consolidated in the VDV alone would be jointly capable of designing, constructing, building and supplying the entirety of all rides, attractions, systems and equipment right through to stationary roofing structures for new amusement park projects of any kind. Of course, this is a theoretical scenario, but it does vividly demonstrate the economic potential and diversity of the German rides and attractions manufacturers.