German Trade Shows in March 2021

Due to the Corona Virus pandemic, the fair and trade show calendar world wide is riddled with postponements and cancellations. There are a few bright spots, but they are very few and far between. At least till now. However, since things seem to be looking up, and because we would prefer to be better informed and prepared, we are trying to keep ourselves and everyone around us, abreast of the latest happenings in the exhibition scene. So we decided to restart our postings on the next set of exhibitions that are planned.

Here goes:

1. Interpack, Dusseldorf, scheduled from the 25th of Feb 2021 till the 3rd of March 2021, unfortunately stands cancelled. One of the biggest fairs of its kind, for the packaging industry, probably tried its best to stay afloat, but succumbed for this year to the pandemic. No news, as yet has been shared for new dates. The website only says that the show has been cancelled for this year. Better luck next time!

2. Tire Technology Expo, Hannover, scheduled from the 2nd of March 2021 till the 4th of March 2021 initially, it has been postponed to June. The new schedule of the fair is from the 8th of June till the 10th of June 2021. In its 21st year now, the Tire Technology Expo is Europe's most important tire manufacturing technology exhibition and conference.

3. IAW, Cologne, one of the most important fairs, anywhere in the world, for promotional items, which was initially scheduled for March 2021, has now been postponed to April / May. Concrete dates have not been announced yet, as more discussions and deliberations are underway (as per the organizers). However, once the green signals are received from the authorities, and once this pandemic is under control to the extent that international travel is a reality, the concrete dates will be announced, and hopefully this will be a major physical event.

4. International Dental Show, Cologne, again a very important fair for the dental care industry, this is held once every three years, and this year it was scheduled to be held from the 9th till the 13th of March 2021. However, obviously, now in view of the havoc wreaked by the corona virus, it now stands postponed. New dates have also been announced. The fair will now be held from the 22nd till the 25th of Sept 2021.

5. ITB Berlin, another one of those must-attend fairs, especially for the tours, travel and MICE industry folks, scheduled for the 9th till the 12th of March 2021, is planned to be a virtual event. So you can now attend it for a fraction of the cost, from the luxury of your home. Although, I am not much in favor of virtual events, especially because virtual events mean losses for me and other people associated with the design and fabrication of stalls at exhibitions, but this is one of those fairs where a virtual event might actually be just as good as a physical one. Frankly, nothing can replace a human to human interface, but maybe the carbon footprint that gets reduced by virtual events, balances out the missing human touch to it. Do let me know your thoughts on this. I am genuinely interested in finding out!

6. ECS, Nuremberg, the last of the major events scheduled for March 2021, this one caters to the paints and coatings industry, and is widely respected through out the world. It sees exhibitor participation and visitor attendance from all over the world. Initially scheduled from the 22nd till the 24th of March 2021, it too stands postponed. The new schedule says that it will be held from the 14th till the 16th of Sept 2021. 

We wish all of you a great start to the year, and enough success to more than compensate for the losses, if any, incurred last year. We hope that this will also see the transition from uncertain dates, postponements and cancellations, and virtual events to certainty about trade fair dates and physical events with all the associated enthusiasm!

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!