Virtual Fairs

Ever since the CoVid-19 pandemic started and began to engulf the entire world in its huge embrace, humanity has changed, sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. Some of these changes seem to be permanent, while some look temporary, at least till now. However, in wake of the fact that this pandemic is beginning to look like a never ending saga, more of the temporary changes are turning permanent. How permanent they will eventually be can only be judged when the pandemic has been over for at least a few years. 

One of the changes has been the increasing acceptance and use of interpersonal relations through an online or virtual interface. It is really not as if this is a new concept that was introduced as a response to the highly infectious nature of the corona virus. The idea has been around for quite a few years, but this was a seed that was taking forever to properly germinate and turn into a plant of any note. The pandemic just gave it the right environment for a proper germination, and turned it into a pretty powerful and strong tree, that one can just not ignore any more!

Suddenly we can see the very widespread use of apps like Zoom, Teamviewer and other such for online video conferences, regular team meetings, and even for education. Again both these apps and other similar ones, have been around for some time, but they had very little acceptance, and were used majorly for long distance meetings where travel was not possible for some reason, by the comparatively bigger corporations. Now we see even micro offices using these apps to stay in touch with their regular employees who are now working from home, and are located hardly any distance from the office. Even schools are teaching the young ones on a laptop through these apps, just so that attendance in schools of a large of these students can be avoided. 

Another major fallout of these strange times has been the introduction and large scale acceptance of virtual fairs. Again the idea is pretty old, but the spread has been tremendous only in the last few months. In fact, interestingly, it had been suggested a decade back, that virtual fairs would be the order of the day in the next few years. But that was a reality that found very few takers, and the onset of this system was hardly noticeable. But with the pandemic going strong even after so many months, and still showing hardly any signs of abating, travel restrictions and social distancing norms, have only become more pronounced, leading to an almost impossible situation where large scale exhibitions, events and conferences are concerned. Whether this is only a temporary change that will go away once the virus has been controlled, or is it going to be permanent and will lead to real exhibitions in the physical world becoming the exception rather than the rule, only time will tell. My gut feeling is that the virtual fairs can never really replace the one-on-one human interaction of the real world. But then again, with the improvements in the technologies involved, it might not be that different to the real thing. What do you think?

Some of resources that I went through in my search for answers are: https://www.insightssuccess.in, https://www.researchgate.net and https://www.futuremarketinsights.com

CPhI India 2020, Greater Noida, India

It seems like there is finally some light at the end of the tunnel. It is going round that the Govt. of India is working to open up the exhibitions and congresses segment, very soon, and allow the congregation of exhibitors and visitors at B2B fairs. And with this comes the announcement that the CPhI India 2020 event that was initially planned to be held from the 25th till the 27th of November 2020, at the India Expo Centre in Greater Noida, will now be held from the 27th till the 29th of Jan 2021 at the same venue.

Expecting to host over 43,000 visitors and more than 1,500 exhibitors from India as well as the rest of the world, the CPhI India hopes to be the first major international exhibition that will be held in the physical form, instead of the virtual platform that most exhibitions today have embraced. Lets keep our fingers crossed.

It is very interesting to note that the CPhI WorldWide 2020, that is the international edition of the same fair, that was supposed to be held in Milan, Italy, and puportedly was to be the first major international fair to go live physically, anywhere in the world, was forced to take the virtual route too. That was a major let down for all stakeholders. 

We at Studio One Designs Pvt. Ltd., have always been at the forefront, when it comes to designing and constructing for the fair. Now that the fair is being held in Greater Noida, we being located in Ghaziabad, are very well placed to handle all your requests and needs at the fair. If you would like to discuss the possibilities that the fair and our team offer for your firm, please do not hesitate to get in touch. We look forward to hear from you!

Expo Riva Schuh, Riva del Garda, Italy

The Expo Riva Schuh Fair, in Riva del Garda, Italy, is one of the most important international shoe fairs anywhere in the world. Held twice every year, in January and June, it presents the latest fashion collections for Autumn / Winter and Spring / Summer. The June edition of 2020, was unfortunately postponed, as were many other fairs and congregations, because of the Covid pandemic, and is now scheduled to be held from the 11th till the 14th of December 2020. This edition will also, understandably, replace the January 2021 edition. As yet there is a lot of visible enthusiasm for the show, which might finally be able to kick start the fair and exhibitions scene internationally, but there is little more that we can do than keep our fingers crossed, and hope that it does not get cancelled or postponed further, like most of the other big trade shows around the globe.

The Expo Riva Schuh, has become even more attractive because of Garda Bags, a show completely dedicated to bags and accessories, that has been added very recently to the fair. With 1,388 exhibitors at the fair displaying their goods, spread over 33,288 sqm. of space, including 2 pavilions, to nearly 12,000 visitors from all over the world, it is really not very difficult to gauge the importance of this fair, to world of volume footwear.

We, at Studio One Designs Pvt. Ltd., have been designing and constructing at this fair since 2016. This is one of those fairs that gives a double high to any exhibitor, visitor or designer and constructor, simply because apart from the very high fashion and top business environment, it also offers probably the best scenic views as compared to most other trade show venues. As a designer at the fair, the fair also offers the unique possibility of designing with a very open mind, and of trying out all possible styles, be it contemporary or classical, ostentatious or elegant. Very proudly we can say that we have been able to experiment with most of the styles at the fair, and to very good effect too.

If you would like to discuss the possibilities with regard to creating the right brand identity for you at this fair, or at any fair any where in the world, especially India, the Middle East and Europe, please do get in touch with us. We will be only too happy to hear from you and be of any help. You can reach us here. Please do check out about us on our facebook page and our Youtube channel, which we try to keep updated, as often as possible. Also check out our other blog for more info on the Expo Riva Schuh Fair.

The Medica, Dusseldorf, Germany

The Medica, in Dusseldorf, Germany, is the place where the world of medical technology meets, once every year in the month of November. This year the fair is slated to be held from the 16th till the 19th of November. All the high tech products, world market leaders, hidden champions and startups will be there, in their full glory, waiting to welcome trade visitors and decision makers from al over the world. Just to give a small snapshot of the fair, this year there are expected to be about 1700 or more exhibitors from almost all corners of the world, displaying approximately 16 different product and service categories. The exhibitors will include manufacturers, traders and service providers, and the visitors will include the top decision makers from the global industry. These are just some of the figures leaned from the fair's official website here. The fair is expected to host many conferences and forums, where a veritable exchange of ideas and thoughts is expected to take place. There will obviously be a lot to learn, for both the exhibitors as well as the visitors.

In view of the prevailing conditions because of the havoc caused by the corona pandemic, the fair this year is expected to be different in terms of the health and hygiene protocols that are being put in place. A lot more planning is expected to go in this year, to make the fair a success. More so because of the fact that a lot of the international fairs have been cancelled or postponed this year, some at the very last minute, and that list is growing longer with each passing day. Even with this fair, there are apprehensions about whether this fair will at all take place. The German economy being very closely linked to the events and exhibitions market, has made the whole thing even more complex. With so many fairs and trade shows organizers, designers and stand constructors, practically on the verge of going bankrupt, it is high time that the fair scene gets back on its feet. With the travel and hospitality industry too closely linked to the events and fairs calendar, this is even more so. But whether exhibitions will again be organized any time soon, also depends on how the Covid virus spreads or behaves in the coming days.

We are all keeping our fingers crossed, and hoping and praying that everything turns out well and the exhibitions and events calendar starts turning its pages again, and we are again able to get back in the fair grounds, designing and building up for our clients again, just like we have been doing in the last so many years. We pray that everyone stays safe and is able to see a turnaround in the economy sooner rather than later. And that we al come out with smiling faces again, hopefully without masks to keep safe!

Do stay in touch and let us know if we can be of any help. We look forward to hearing from you.

The FormNext, Frankfurt, Germany.

The Formnext, in Frankfurt, Germany, organized by Mesago, is the leading industry platform for the additive manufacturing and industrial 3D printing segments. This is an annual event, held every year in the month of November. This year the fair is planned for the 10th till the 13th of Nov 2020. In view of the CoVid 19 pandemic, this fair like all others still has not been able to put out a clear yes or no, to the very important question of whether or not a physical event will be held. The website says that a final decision in this regard will be taken latest by the 9th of Sept 2020. The fair organizers, like all other stakeholders, do recognize the fact that the holding of the exhibition is very important, for the German and the world economy, as well as for the trade show and event industry. This just might be the fair that kickstarts the event calendar this year, and makes it easier for the other fairs to make a show. As of now, the organizers have promised to refund the entire participation fee, if the fair needs to be called off. However, if a participant is unable to reach because of travel restrictions, either by Germany or by the participants country, then that is a different situation altogether. Interestingly, the fair this year, just like a lot of other fairs that are scheduled to be held this year, has been named the C-Edition, in view of the corona thing!

The fair presents the full spectrum of additive manufacturing, showcases the entire process chains and process integration in additive manufacturing, and promises to be the knowledge platform that provides in-depth interaction with the AM community. There are also going to be conferences and ongoing training options designed to provide fresh ideas. Basically this is the place to be at, where experts from a wide range of industry sectors such as automotive, aerospace, medical technology, and many more will come together, like every year, to discover innovative production technologies for themselves.

Like every year, we at Studio One Designs Pvt. Ltd., would love and hope to be there. Unfortunately, given the situation that exists, that is a promise that we can not make. We are as yet, pretty unsure about our presence at the fair, which, incidentally, has a very minuscule participation from India. But we are proud of the fact that we have had the opportunity to serve the biggest Indian company in this segment. Just like all the other stake holders, we too look forward to getting our feet back on the fair grounds, and see smiling faces of our proud workers and the happy clients. 

The Heimtextil, Frankfurt, Germany

Just like most other fairs held in Germany, the Heimtextil in Frankfurt, is by far the biggest fair in its category, anywhere in the world. This fair, held once every year in January, is the biggest international trade show for the home furnishings and contract textiles. Next year in 2021, it is planned to be held from the 12th till the 15th of January. And hopefully, it will be a physical event rather than an online version of the fair.

Heimtextil is the fair opener for the year, and is the go to fair for retailers, wholesalers, designers, furniture and bedding stores, interior designers, architects and other decision makers, from around the globe. In the Heimtextil Trend space, one can find the new trends of the year. The fair, very masterfully combines the big names of the industry with the numerous new comers and start ups, who are able to establish a foothold in the world market, even as the visitors are able to interact with their old vendors and get in touch with new exhibitors every year.

However, this year, with the CoVid pandemic playing havoc globally, forcing more and more fairs to move into the digital space, the Heimtextil hopes to bring in a change by going the physical way as always. But there will be changes, with regard to health safety concerns. So they seem to have formulated a concept to ensure optimum hygiene, practice distancing norms, and generally make sure that the fair does not result in a boost to the spread of the virus. You can read about the detailed plan here. Hopefully, there may be a vaccine in place by the time the fair opens, and that will also help to make things better. It is now high time that business got back to normal, and the sooner the efforts are made in this direction, the better it will be for the world economy. Opening up of fairs, just might be the first welcome step in this direction. Lets all hope for the best!

The Frankfurter Buchmesse, Germany.

The Frankfurter Buchmesse, in Frankfurt, Germany, has been organized by the Frankfurter Buchmesse GmbH since 1949, when 205 German exhibitors put together the first post war book fair. Today, it is the largest book fair in the world, an international trade mark, a model for cultural events, and the leading venue for printed and digital content. As per the facts and figures published on the official website of the fair, it attracted 7,450 exhibitors, 302,267 visitors and saw over 4,000 events and had about 10,000 journalists covering all of it. Those numbers are truly mind numbing and help one to comprehend the enormity and the importance of the show. More numbers, about the visitors, exhibitors and their countries and regions of origin are shown below. These numbers and the graphic below have been taken from the official website of the fair, just like all the other numbers mentioned here.

Probably, in view of the corona virus, and also probably also because it really is the call of these times and of the future, this year in 2020, the book fair is a special edition. Because of the travel restrictions worldwide, and the social distancing norms that need to be followed, organizing physical fairs, where the exhibitors as well as the visitors have to be physically present, to be able to conduct business, has become difficult this year. This has resulted in organizers moving to the digital space, and more and more fairs and trade shows this year are being held virtually, where all the stake holders plant themselves in front of their computer screens, and conduct business meetings from the comfort of their homes. Whether this model will stand the test of time or not, only time will tell. But for the moment this is all that can be done.

It is in this regard that the Frankfurter Buchmesse, hopes to change things. The special edition this year, is to be held both physically as well as digitally. The physical version will be called the Bookfest city, and the virtual version will be called the Bookfest digital.The Bookfest city will have events on all five days of the fair, with the individual events being held all over the city of Frankfurt. The Bookfest digital on the other hand, will offer a unique celebration of literature and culture on the Saturday of the fair, and will be broadcast live all over the world. The fair this year promises to be one event that will be remembered for a long time to come, not only for the wonderful time that it is bound to deliver, but also for the new amalgamation of the new and the old style of fairs, that it is attempting to manage.

Lets hope for the best!

Indian Handicrafts and Gifts Fair

The Indian Handicrafts & Gifts Fair (IHGF), organized by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH),is by far the single largest fair for the handicrafts and gifting industry in India, and is also widely respected and internationally recognized. For buyers looking to source from India, it is a much anticipated trade show, that is held twice every year in Spring and Autumn editions. What started off from Pragati Maidan in New Delhi, the fair grounds owned and managed by the ITPO or the Indian Trade Promotion Organization, one of the most respected trade promotion bodies in India, is now held in the EPCH owned fair grounds, the Expo Mart in Greater Noida, very close to New Delhi. That has been quite a journey for on the one of the most widely anticipated exhibitions in India, in any category.

The EPCH has a very strong network of manufacturers and exporters of the Home, Lifestyle, Fashion and Textiles segments. and facilitates its more than eleven thousand members to customize and offer unique styles and quality products to the world sourcing community. It also provides very comprehensive information about the Indian industry segment to the international buyers and buying agents, and ensures an optimal interface between the two. With its headquarters in New Delhi, the EPCH also has regional offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bangalore, Moradabad, Jodhpur, Jaipur, Saharanpur, Agra, Guwahati and Narsapur.

This year, the Spring edition which is usually held in the month of February, was postponed to be held in April for some reasons best known to the EPCH. However, because of the global pandemic that the CoVid 19 virus has proved to be, it could not be held. Instead a virtual edition of the fair was organized in the third week of July 2020. Naturally, the Autumn edition which is held every year in the month of October has become more important than ever before because of the human interface that it offers, after so many virtual fairs the world over. Whether it will actually be held or will this fair also go the virtual way, is still to be seen though. Travel restrictions worldwide, especially in India where international flights have still not resumed properly, and the rising cases of corona in India, may not make the environment here any more conducive to hold a fair, than it was in April or July. 

If, you would like to discuss the possibilities that this fair, or any other fair in India, the Middle East or in Europe, holds out for you, please do get in touch with us. We will look forward to hearing from you. Studio One has been a brand and display designer for this fair, since a very long time, and has been associated with some of the leading names from this industry, designing for them not only in the IHGF fair, but also, very regularly in the Ambiente and Christmas World fairs in Frankfurt, Germany. To know more about us, please do visit our webpage, or youtube channel.

The Wire & Tube Show 2020, Dusseldorf, Germany.

Of the many international trade shows and exhibitions that have been cancelled or postponed this year, due to the CoVid 19 situation and the resulting flight and travel restrictions, and social distancing norms, one fair that, till now at least, looks to be holding its own is the Wire & Tube 2020 fair, scheduled to held in Dusseldorf, from the 7th till the 11th of December 2020. It needs to be added however, that this show was initially slated to be held from the 30th of March till the 3rd of April 2020, and got postponed from there. But what is heartening to see is that, though most fairs in October, November and December are getting cancelled or postponed, as yet Wire & Tube 2020 is holding up.

The Wire & Tube are 2 concurrently held shows that are organized once every two years, the last edition having been held in 2018. Together they are the leading and the one of the largest fairs for the wire, cable, tube and tube processing industries worldwide. This year, it is slated to get bigger with space being allotted to the spring and fastener industries too, with the end products being added to the portfolio of products displayed at the fair. 

Buyers will be able to experience the latest technologies and state-of-the-art machinery live in action at the trade show, meet market leaders, challengers, new comers and traditional companies at the fair, even as they make valuable contacts and fine new business partners. Just to get an idea of how big ar how important the Wire & Tube 2020 is, one only needs to consider the statistics of the 2018 edition. Spread over 52,404 sqm., it hosted 1,242 exhibitors (933 foreigners, and 309 national), and 29,838 visitors of which 19,991 were foreigners. Considering that this year it is slated to be even bigger, it is not very difficult to fathom the importance of this fair.

And as usual, we at Studio one Designs Pvt. Ltd., will be there again, designing and constructing for our clients. If you would like to discuss the possibilities that your space at the fair can offer, or what we can do for you with our local partners in Europe, in these uncertain times, do mail us and we will get back to you n no time. We would love to hear from you. To keep yourself updated and to know more about us, please do visit our website or follow our youtube channel.

CPhI WorldWide 2020 ... bites the dust!!

The CPhI WorldWide, the premier event for the pharmaceutical industry globally, has finally surrendered in front of the global pandemic that is Covid-19. It is a travelling exhibition, in that every year, it is held in a different city, like Frankfurt, Milan, Barcelona, Madrid etc. This year, it was supposed to be held in Milan, Italy. 

As per a short and terse notice on its official website, after prolonged and detailed discussions and consultations with various stakeholders, it was decided to postpone the physical event to next year. This year, a digital meeting will be organized, so that business can be conducted, although in a virtual space. This probably is what the future holds. Virtual exhibitions and trade shows, where buyers and sellers meet digitally. 

The CPhI WorldWide is not the first fair to be postponed for a year. There have been numerous events this year that have been either cancelled or postponed. The way things are moving, it doesn't seem to be the last fair either, to be postponed. The earliest that normalcy will be restored, seems to be only by early next year, once either a vaccine or a medicine is widely available for CoVid-19. Till then travel restrictions will remain, and so will the atmosphere of fear. Till then we can only hope that things don't go further south.

International Exhibitions - Post the Pandemic!

The Corona or the Covid-19 pandemic has been a destructor like none before. There is no industry any where in the world, that hasn't been badly hit, except probably the healthcare sector, and the factories which have suddenly started manufacturing face masks, sanitizers, disinfectants and such other.

However, businesses worldwide now, need to open up and start functioning to stay afloat and survive. And for that they need to meet people, and discuss. The best platform for that, so far as international business is concerned at least, is the humble exhibition or the trade show. The problem is that the moment we talk about international trade shows, we have to talk about air travel across borders, we have to talk about hotel stays, and we have to talk about the crowds at the venue. What we are effectively talking about is close interaction with potential virus carriers, and a potential spread of the corona virus. We could do away with participating at the fairs, or visiting them, but then that would mean the end of profitable business for many. So it is really a very difficult trade-off, one which does not offer any easy answers.

Thankfully, as the virus gets controlled in most parts of Europe, the area it hit the hardest till a month back. things are looking up. There are fewer postponements and cancellations. Participation at the next few fairs might be a little lower than usual. The visitors might not come in as huge numbers as is normal. But with things normalizing for most part, the exhibitions coming up in Europe, might be the harbingers of good news for many. Precautions will need to be taken, planing will have to be more intense, and there will be many new normals. But things will get back to normal.

Hopefully by September 2020, the exhibition and trade show sector, in Europe will be booming again, and will lead to many more business deals and many more happy stories. Looking forward to it!!

A Snapshot .... Heimtextil Frankfurt 2016

Stand design at the Heimtextil 2016, in Frankfurt, Germany, is almost like the distant past, one would be tempted to say. So why post a snapshot now? Well, the answer is slightly embarrassing. We just got a little lazy, and didnt get around to preparing a good enough snapshot earlier. Happens!!

Well, to cut a long story short, we designed and built a stand for Divya Textiles Pvt. Ltd., a Mumbai based manufacturer of quality home furnishings, at the 2016 edition of the Heimtextil in Frankfurt, Germany. The design brief was, well very brief. We had to design a simple stand, to showcase the elegance of their products, and we had to be economical. 

We somehow managed to do it, we believe. The high point of the design was the three focal walls, which formed the backdrop to their three bed stories. The straight shelves with concealed lighting, were for the display of their cushions in bulk. Each cushion was a symbolic representation of their complete bed story.

Rather than detail out the complete stand in our words, we would much rather prefer that you go through the snapshot, which we have posted on youtube, and form your own opinion about it. Do let us know what you think. You can post here, or mail us at info@teamstudioone.in We will look forward to your feedback.

Do also visit our website to know more about us.