Aachen, 29. Juni 2008

Double victory in the shop-window competition
Wiener Caféhaus wins both judges' and public opinion poll prizes

Erika Petersohn was totally overwhelmed: "I still haven't got over the shock," the co-owner of the Wiener Caféhaus (Vienna Coffee House) in Aachen said laughing. She had just been called up onto the stage twice, had shaken a lot of people's hands and had stared into rows of cameras. Her café had left the fellow competitors trailing behind in both categories of the 17th shop-window contest - the judges' and public opinion pole prizes - organised for the World Equestrian Festival, CHIO Aachen (June 27th - July 6th). "This was the first time that we have taken part and I was already very proud, when I was informed that we were definitely under the top 20."

Well over a hundred businesses in Aachen and the surrounding region took part and creatively decorated their shop-windows with the colours and special characteristics of this year's CHIO partner country Russia. The shop-window contest is a joint initative of the CHIO organisers, the Aachen-Laurensberger Rennverein (ALRV), the Aachen newspaper publishers and the City Market and Campaign Committee (MAC). Whereas design students from the technical college in Aachen selected the best 20 businesses in the first category under the direction of Prof. Christoph Scheller, a panel of expert judges subsequently chose the winners. In the public opinion pole prize the readers of the Aachener Nachrichten and Aachener Zeitung newspapers voted for the public's favourites. "All of the participants in the shop-window contest showed an incredible amount of dedication and creativity in promoting our tournament in the region. And we are extremely grateful to them for this," commented the Vice-Chairman of the ALRV Supervisory Board, Carl Meulenbergh. Aachen's Mayoress Sabine Verheyen emphasised, "how closely interwoven the CHIO, the business world and the population are". The prizes were presented by Bernd Mathieu, Chief Editor of the Aachen newspaper publishing company and by Manfred Piana, CEO of the MAC.

Erika Petersohn won two holiday trips: One to Paris and one to the Voralberg in Austria. "So now I will have to find someone to run the café for the first time ever," Petersohn laughed. However, she is going to celebrate first. "When I ring my husband Udo in a minute, my colleagues in the café will no doubt jump for joy. And then they'll put the champagne on ice."

Winners of the judge's classification:

1st place: Wiener Caféhaus, proprietor Udo Petersohn, Roermonder Straße, Aachen
Prize: Travel voucher for 4 nights accommodation for 2 persons incl. half-board in a 4-star hotel in Montafon/Voralberg in Austria + 2 free entrance tickets of one's choice for the Aachen Theatre

2nd place: Kaffeekännchen, Walter Braun, Neupforte, Aachen
Prize: Travel voucher for 2 nights accommodation for 2 persons in a luxurious double room incl. breakfast in the Sofitel Munich Bayernpost + a voucher for Sunday brunch for 2 persons at the Kohlibri Restaurant in Aachen

3rd place: Nobis Printen, Renate Dorsch, Münsterplatz, Aachen
Prize: 2 nights accommodation in a double room incl. breakfast in a QGD-Holiday-Inn-Hotel of one's choice + a voucher for 2 persons for a day at the Carolus Thermal Baths in Aachen incl. sauna.

Winners of the public opinion poll prize:

1st place: Wiener Caféhaus, proprietor Udo Petersohn
Prize: 3 day short trip to Paris for two persons. Donated by the DER Deutschen Reisebüro, Touristik & Incentive, Aachen. Including arrival and departure by Thalys.

2nd place: Roswitas Blumen, Kapellenstraße, Aachen-Burtscheid
Prize: 1 week at the Robinson Club Arosa for 2 persons
3rd place: Sonnenblume, Alte Straße, Herzogenrath
Prize: A three course meal at the Kohlibri Restaurant for 6 persons.

Opening hours of the CHIO Aachen 2008 ticket sales:
Sunday, 29.06.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Monday, 30.06.2008 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Tuesday, 01.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Wednesday, 02.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Thursday, 03.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Friday, 04.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Saturday, 05.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sunday, 06.07.2008 from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Ticket hotline: +49-(0)241-917-1111