Following the success of IBRA 2023 in Essen, the Federation of German Philatelists will be organising another World Exhibition five years later. The exhibition will move from Essen to Ulm in southern Germany.
IBRA 2028 will take place from 26 to 29 October 2028 at the Ulm Exhibition Centre. It will be a General FIP World Exhibition featuring all classes, including the Championship Class. Around 2,000 exhibition frames are planned for the Donau Halle and the Donau Saal. At the same time as IBRA 2028, the international stamp fair will take place in Ulm, which is held there every year. Around 50 dealers and 80 philatelic study groups and societies will be exhibiting in two exhibition halls.
There are excellent facilities for travel and accommodation in Ulm. Ulm is around 100 km from Munich International Airport. Transfers for commissioners and judges will be organised from there. The official exhibition hotel, the Maritim, with 287 rooms, is two tram stops away from the exhibition centre and can also be reached on foot. The Palmares will take place at the Maritim Hotel. The biannual FIP Congress will be held at the same venue to mark the conclusion of the IBRA on 30 October 2028. Ulm will also host numerous meetings of FIP commissions, working groups and societies.
Ulm is a fascinating destination for tourists, with its old town, town hall, and Ulm Minster, which boasts the world’s second-highest church tower. In 2026, it was overtaken by the Sagrada Familia by a difference of just 6 metres.
We warmly welcome you all to IBRA 2028 as exhibitors, visitors, dealers, commissioners, or jurors. We look forward to seeing you all in Ulm.
Photo: The letter of endorsement was signed by BDPh President Alfred Schmidt (left) and Vice President Frank Blechschmidt (right), as well as by Peter Suhadolc on behalf of the FIP. [photo credit]: BDPh
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/ibra2028-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2026-04-19 14:26:252026-04-19 14:28:52IBRA 2028 is on its way
The American Philatelic Society has revealed its strategic plan for the next five years and is sharing it in an 84-page publication. The plan is signed by Kirk Gillis, Executive Director; Mark Banchik, APS President; Murray Abramson, APRL President; and Lawrence Haber, Treasurer. In the Preface, we read the following:
Organized philately is not about stamps. It is about people and the infrastructure that connects them. It is about friendships formed at stamp shows and club meetings. It is about the quiet generosity of a mentor explaining plate varieties to a new collector. It is about the shared language and knowledge, created and reinforced by generations of collectors. It is about the fellowship and the spirit of curiosity that make this hobby so deeply rewarding.
Stamps and covers do not carry intrinsic value on their own – they are designed to be used and discarded. Yet for us, these ephemeral objects are imbued with deep meaning and value. The stories, history, and worth of our collections are constructed through the ecosystem that organized philately provides. That ecosystem does not happen by accident. It exists because generations of collectors built the organizations, wrote journal articles, mentored newcomers, preserved archives, and gathered in clubs and societies to share what they knew and loved.
The American Philatelic Society (APS) is entrusted with maintaining that ecosystem and nurturing the community it supports.
This plan was shaped with the input of staff, volunteer task forces, board members, individual members and other thought leaders who care deeply about organized philately. It reflects both realism and optimism. It recognizes that the hobby has evolved before and commits to evolving it again. Most importantly, it affirms that organized philately remains essential.
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/aps_2026-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2026-04-18 15:38:252026-04-18 20:06:26A Strategic and Operations Plan by the American Philatelic Society
After New Zealand (1990), Germany (1994), Great Britain (1998), the Netherlands (2002), Denmark (2006), Belgium (2010), France (2014), Luxembourg (2018) and Austria (2022), the 10th anniversary edition of BIRDPEX will take place again in Belgium (28-30 August, 2026). BIRDPEX is a specialised exhibition dedicated to all kinds of exhibits with the theme “birds”, primarily thematic philately, but other bird exhibits can also be shown (open philately, maximaphily, traditional philately, postal history, picture postcards, etc.). It is a national exhibition with international participation, also open to first-time exhibitors.
The anniversary exhibition BIRDPEX 10 will take place together with the national exhibition Philhainaut ’26 in La Louvière. After nine different countries, BIRDPEX will now reside for the second time in Belgium, with more than 100 bird species since 1985, the country of the longest-running definitive bird series in the world. We hope for many exhibitors and visitors to be present at this special event for bird collectors from all over the world. You still have time to send your entry form until 20th April. Regulations and the entry form are found on www.birdpex.com.
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https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/birdpex_10-800.jpg800800Costas Chazapishttps://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/fepanews_logo-107x138-1.pngCostas Chazapis2026-04-17 14:08:122026-04-17 14:08:12BIRDPEX 10 again in Belgium
IBRA 2028 is on its way
We have received the following report from Alfred Schmidt, Bund Deutscher Philatelisten e.V. (BDPh) President.
Following the success of IBRA 2023 in Essen, the Federation of German Philatelists will be organising another World Exhibition five years later. The exhibition will move from Essen to Ulm in southern Germany.
IBRA 2028 will take place from 26 to 29 October 2028 at the Ulm Exhibition Centre. It will be a General FIP World Exhibition featuring all classes, including the Championship Class. Around 2,000 exhibition frames are planned for the Donau Halle and the Donau Saal. At the same time as IBRA 2028, the international stamp fair will take place in Ulm, which is held there every year. Around 50 dealers and 80 philatelic study groups and societies will be exhibiting in two exhibition halls.
There are excellent facilities for travel and accommodation in Ulm. Ulm is around 100 km from Munich International Airport. Transfers for commissioners and judges will be organised from there. The official exhibition hotel, the Maritim, with 287 rooms, is two tram stops away from the exhibition centre and can also be reached on foot. The Palmares will take place at the Maritim Hotel. The biannual FIP Congress will be held at the same venue to mark the conclusion of the IBRA on 30 October 2028. Ulm will also host numerous meetings of FIP commissions, working groups and societies.
Ulm is a fascinating destination for tourists, with its old town, town hall, and Ulm Minster, which boasts the world’s second-highest church tower. In 2026, it was overtaken by the Sagrada Familia by a difference of just 6 metres.
We warmly welcome you all to IBRA 2028 as exhibitors, visitors, dealers, commissioners, or jurors. We look forward to seeing you all in Ulm.
Photo: The letter of endorsement was signed by BDPh President Alfred Schmidt (left) and Vice President Frank Blechschmidt (right), as well as by Peter Suhadolc on behalf of the FIP.
[photo credit]: BDPh
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A Strategic and Operations Plan by the American Philatelic Society
The American Philatelic Society has revealed its strategic plan for the next five years and is sharing it in an 84-page publication. The plan is signed by Kirk Gillis, Executive Director; Mark Banchik, APS President; Murray Abramson, APRL President; and Lawrence Haber, Treasurer. In the Preface, we read the following:
Organized philately is not about stamps. It is about people and the infrastructure that connects them. It is about friendships formed at stamp shows and club meetings. It is about the quiet generosity of a mentor explaining plate varieties to a new collector. It is about the shared language and knowledge, created and reinforced by generations of collectors. It is about the fellowship and the spirit of curiosity that make this hobby so deeply rewarding.
Stamps and covers do not carry intrinsic value on their own – they are designed to be used and discarded. Yet for us, these ephemeral objects are imbued with deep meaning and value. The stories, history, and worth of our collections are constructed through the ecosystem that organized philately provides. That ecosystem does not happen by accident. It exists because generations of collectors built the organizations, wrote journal articles, mentored newcomers, preserved archives, and gathered in clubs and societies to share what they knew and loved.
The American Philatelic Society (APS) is entrusted with maintaining that ecosystem and nurturing the community it supports.
This plan was shaped with the input of staff, volunteer task forces, board members, individual members and other thought leaders who care deeply about organized philately. It reflects both realism and optimism. It recognizes that the hobby has evolved before and commits to evolving it again. Most importantly, it affirms that organized philately remains essential.
Read or download the Strategic and Operations Plan 2026-2030 from here:
https://fepanews.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/04/APS_2026-Strategic-Plan_PROOF_sm.pdf
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BIRDPEX 10 again in Belgium
After New Zealand (1990), Germany (1994), Great Britain (1998), the Netherlands (2002), Denmark (2006), Belgium (2010), France (2014), Luxembourg (2018) and Austria (2022), the 10th anniversary edition of BIRDPEX will take place again in Belgium (28-30 August, 2026). BIRDPEX is a specialised exhibition dedicated to all kinds of exhibits with the theme “birds”, primarily thematic philately, but other bird exhibits can also be shown (open philately, maximaphily, traditional philately, postal history, picture postcards, etc.). It is a national exhibition with international participation, also open to first-time exhibitors.
The anniversary exhibition BIRDPEX 10 will take place together with the national exhibition Philhainaut ’26 in La Louvière. After nine different countries, BIRDPEX will now reside for the second time in Belgium, with more than 100 bird species since 1985, the country of the longest-running definitive bird series in the world. We hope for many exhibitors and visitors to be present at this special event for bird collectors from all over the world. You still have time to send your entry form until 20th April. Regulations and the entry form are found on www.birdpex.com.
…