The German trade fair industry approves of the agreement of federal government and states, that was made in order to revive public life and to show economy a perspective for a restart. However, the trade fair industry expects a prompt perspective for its own restart. So far, exhibitions have been mentioned in company with open-air festivals or sports events with a large number of spectators.
“Trade fairs, though, are essential business platforms for rebooting the economy efficiently and sustainably” emphasizes Jörn Holtmeier, Managing Director of AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry. For trade fairs can be an important driving force stimulating the buying willingness of severely affected retailers and ensuring the top position of Germany’s export economy.
Moreover, they are platforms for presenting innovations and for negotiating co-operations. Above all this applies to small and medium-sized enterprises being the backbone of the German economy.
According to a survey by the ifo-Institute trade fairs in Germany, especially in the trade fair cities, generate a macroeconomic production effect of more than 28 billion Euro annually. In AUMA’s judgement, these stimuli are needed urgently by the respective regional economies, starting from hotels and restaurants and reaching to retail stores, public transportation and skilled crafts and trades.
The industry has developed recommendations for a trade fair restart
Jörn Holtmeier: “The trade fair industry thus expects that exhibitions will be regarded as a separate event format by the German federal government and states when it comes to future decisions. We demand a timetable for the restart that factors the trade fairs’ lead times of two or three months.” The exhibition business shall be resumed as of September. The industry has already developed recommendations for basic parameters in order to get exhibitions re-started.
AUMA is convinced that exhibitions can meet the requirements for protecting the health of all parties involved because of their organisational form and the venues themselves built for exhibition purposes. Trade fairs are in the position to fulfil the Robert-Koch-Institute’s official guidelines for hygiene and physical distance.
Likewise, it shall be taken into consideration that specialised fairs in particular show a much lower index of capita per square meter as most of the other event formats. Usually visitors are browsing individually through the exhibition halls, and they will not gather at one single stage or around a playing field. Additionally exhibition organisers have expert knowledge in crowd management.
