exhibitors arrive with bespoke concepts, they were offered fixed-stand facilities to ensure all necessary hygiene and safety standards were handled in a uniform manner. Other considerations had to be given to spacing and meeting points to ensure all security conditions were met. But by mid-July with only 100 exhibitors committed and the effects of the pandemic far from easing, a final decision had to be made. “A hundred exhibitors is enough to stage an event,” Fischer told me. “But the expectation was for a lot more. Two hundred to 250, in fact. With August coming and people likely to be going away on holiday it was unlikely we were going to get more commitment until at least September. And we had to give those who were committing a decision one way or another.” I asked her how hard a decision it was to cancel. “Emotionally - it was not easy,” she said. “Especially after so much effort and dedication was put into the preparation. With the extensive concept, we proved that – theoretically – it would be possible to host a trade fair that is safe to attend and is useful and valuable for all participants. Our exhibitors truly appreciated the concept, but for lots of them the situation was still too uncertain, especially regarding travel bans, the unforeseeable effects of the pandemic on the ability to travel and the economic situation. “Every POWTECH Edition is strongly aligned to the wants and needs of the industry. Our decision to cancel was strongly informed by our exhibitors. The economic situation in the wake of the crisis and uncertainty about how the pandemic was going to evolve are the main reasons why some of them were hesitant to attend.” She added: “Logistically, everything was done to prepare
properly. Extensive preparations were made to ensure the highest safety and hygiene standards, including and updated floor plan, a new catering concept, and we even developed a brand new stand that would include all necessary safety features. We wanted to create a safe and relaxing atmosphere to meet and do business.” I asked her how important the POWTECH brand name will be in helping to maintain relationships in the future and she agreed it extents “beyond the trade show in Nuremberg”, adding: “With our shows, POWTECH India and IPB China, we are able to reach large audiences in Asia. And with our extended network of associated leading powder shows, we can reach audiences and help maintain relationships across even more countries. “It is a great sign of hope that IPB China was successfully held in Shanghai this very July and shows us that in a post-
pandemic world, trade shows will have a place important as ever.” On the subject of maintaining a dialogue, she said: “On the one hand, we have our international events that continue to attract international experts and brands and will help keep the information flow going. “And on the other hand, we are looking to support the industry dialogue in new ways, this includes this particular magazine you are reading right now, but also a series of webinars dubbed POWTECH Virtual Talks we hosted this summer and more ideas to come. “We are also strongly engaging in social media and use our LinkedIn and Twitter channels to connect with our audiences and support the exchange of information and ideas.”
So, in the light of that, does she see her focus and responsibilities having to change in the short term? “POWTECH continues to connect the experts of particle, powder and bulk solids technologies across various industries and enable new ideas and businesses. This is our main mission,” she said. “Our responsibility now is to make this possible across even more channels, including, for example, digital tools. But we strongly believe in the unique power of real face-to-face meetings and will put in all our efforts towards a great POWTECH 2022.” Finally, I asked if she has a message for visitors and exhibitors in terms of
looking forward to the future? “Even in these difficult times, what we experience right now is a burst of innovation and new ideas in so many fields among our exhibitors,” she said.” This really gets me excited for POWTECH 2022 and I am sure this is going to be an edition with an unparalleled amount of new technologies and ideas.” At the time the decision was taken, expocheck, the global fair advisory company estimated there were 3,770 fairs and exhibitions either postponed or cancelled all together worldwide. Europe accounted for 2,174 (803 of them in Germany), 896 in Asia, 517 in North America, 68 in South America, 7 in Africa and 38 in Australia. Within two weeks, the database had revised its figures to 3,793 fairs and exhibitions cancelled worldwide, 2,190 of which were in Europe and 815 of them in Germany. Along with big-hitters such as Paris Fashion Week and the Cannes film festival, lesser-known events included the likes of Antwerpfila – international Stamp and Coin Fair in Belgium, the Croatia Boat Show in Split, the MODEXPO textiles and clothing expo in Bucharest and the
Classical: NEXT International Professionals Forum in Rotterdam.
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