For many buyers, the beginning of the year is the start of trade fair season with shows such as Maison&Objet, NY NOW, Christmasworld and Ambiente taking up most of January to March.
Unfortunately, the pandemic is still creating major problems for large scale events, so trade fair organiser Messe Frankfurt has decided to revamp its spring 2021 schedule.
Not only are governments tightening travel restrictions again, the latest pandemic developments are also causing growing uncertainty amongst trade fair customers.
“It is important for our customers that we make a decision at an early date, as it would otherwise be time for them to begin investing in their trade fair presentations,” says Wolfgang Marzin, president and CEO of Messe Frankfurt.
“Messe Frankfurt will continue working closely with its customers to ensure that its decisions serve the interests of the exhibiting industries.”
So what does this revamp mean?
There will now be an International Consumer Goods Show – Special Edition, encompassing Ambiente, Christmasworld and Paperworld.
Running from 17 to 20 April, the once-only joint event will be supplemented with digital offerings as part of Consumer Goods Digital Days, which will also be home to the purely digital Creativeworld, an event that is taking a one-year hiatus as a physical fair in 2021.
Heimtextil will move from January to May and will take place alongside Techtextil and Texprocess 2021 in Frankfurt.
“Much of the international home and contract textiles industry has made it clear that they want Heimtextil 2021 to take place,” explains Detlef Braun, member of the executive board of Messe Frankfurt.
“Many companies are looking to their trade fair presentations to help boost sales following the resumption of business, and we feel that it is more important now than ever that we satisfy this demand.
“However, the travel restrictions that have now been put in place and a renewed rise in the number of infections simply pose too great a hurdle for our very international event. We are working closely with our exhibitors and the relevant authorities and doing everything we can to ensure that we are able to hold a safe and successful Heimtextil 2021.”
The new dates are now 4 to 7 May 2021.
