The economy now needs the impetus from trade fairs
The trade fair industry is perhaps the most damaged sector of the economy. Cologne's trade fair boss Gerd Böse wants to hold trade fairs again in September. Jörn Holtmeier from Auma says the economy needs trade fairs for a new start.
Jörn Holtmeier is managing director of the exhibition and trade fair committee Auma Berlin.
The German trade show industry welcomes the agreements reached by the federal and state governments to get public life back on track. Now the trade show industry also expects a timely perspective for its own restart.
Koelnmesse's Anuga, which is over one hundred years old.
Trade fairs are not public festivals
Trade fairs are often seen in connection with public festivals, open-air festivals or sporting events with high visitor numbers. But this is wrong. According to Jörn Holtmeier, managing director of the exhibition and trade fair committee Auma Berlin, "Trade fairs are business platforms and essential for getting the economy back on track quickly and sustainably."
According to the conviction of the Auma, trade fairs can create the conditions for the health protection of all participants through their form of organization and their implementation in buildings specially designed for this purpose. Trade fairs are able to meet the requirements of the Robert Koch Institute on hygiene and distance regulations.
Trade shows have a much lower density of attendees per square meter than most other event formats, given the variable space available. This is because trade show visitors moved individually through the halls and did not crowd around a single stage or playing field, for example. In addition, trade show organizers have vast experience in managing visitor flows. The Auma association goes on to say: "Trade fairs could provide important impetus to stimulate the willingness of hard-hit retailers to buy again and secure the leading position of the export industry."
Economic effects
"The trade fair industry expects trade fairs to be considered in a differentiated way as a separate type of event in future decisions by the federal and state governments," said Jörn Holtmeier. "We demand a timetable for the new start that takes into account that trade fairs have a lead time of two to three months."
According to calculations by the ifo Institute, trade fairs lead to annual production effects of over 28 billion euros in the entire German economy, especially in the regions around the trade fair cities. In the opinion of the Auma, the respective regional economy also urgently needs these impulses, from hotels and restaurants to retail, transport companies and the skilled trades.
Trade fairs are an important pillar for reviving the economy and trade. Every euro spent at trade shows causes economic effects of between 6 and 8 euros. To this must be added the exhibitors' business, which cannot be recorded and is at least as high. One euro spent at a trade show therefore generates around 15 euros in overall economic effects. These are now urgently needed.
