EVENT REPORT: INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR A GLOBAL
MEETING POINT FOR HARDWARE INNOVATION
Kerry and Clive Daley from the Daley Hub report from this year’s Eisenwarenmesse International Hardware Fair, the world’s leading trade fair for the hardware industry, held in Cologne.
T
he 2026 Eisenwarenmesse International Hardware Fair saw around 2,500 exhibitors from
all 53 nations brought together to present their latest products and innovations from tools and accessories to building and DIY supplies. The halls were crammed with some amazing stand displays, music, refreshments even one with a DJ.
The show reported around 33,000 visitors from over 125 countries. The tense situation in the middle east also played its part with some short-term restrictions on international travel. We heard of one exhibitor took over 80 hours to get to the show from America! This year the event took place on
Tuesday to Friday instead of Sunday to Wednesday. For us at Daley Hub, this was a welcome change as having to fly on a Saturday to be ready for Sunday and spending your whole weekend working is not welcome for work life balance.
Why do we attend? We walk the halls as a buyer searching for brands we have not heard of, and products that at first
glance make us think, “How on earth can a company build an entire stand around just this one item?” and when you stop, look closer, and start a conversation we usually find something else entirely: a different story, an unusual strategy, a niche, a market insight. Huge passion for the brand and the product which gets us excited! Trade fairs are not just about the things you expect to discover. They’re about the things you didn’t even know you were looking for. We don’t just look for products.
We look for perspective, passion, different conversations, different thinking. We see their product and offering through the eyes of the retailer and challenge them on their thinking. We bumped in the legend which is John Herbert. “In all the years in the industry which has now been 70, I have always valued trade fairs as an opportunity to see innovation. I feel it’s a real treat for the buyers to come here. I don’t think some really realise how important these trade fairs are,” he commented.
First impressions from the show floor – things which were great! The atmosphere was buzzing, stand designs some of which were incredible. The diversity or product on display brilliant. Lots of colour, music, happy people. Trade Shows are all about relationships and having conversations. Exhibitors were friendly and welcoming to their stands. Some provided food and drinks which was a welcome gift to sit and chill for a bit and listen to the hubbub of the world around. There was lots of
30 DIY WEEK APRIL 2026 Left: Kerry and Clive Daley from the Daley Hub
“In all the years in the industry which has now been 70, I have always valued trade fairs as an opportunity to see innovation.”
excitement around the WTF/ Quickloader stand, and the afternoon refreshment get togethers each day were a great addition this year to talk to prospective new retailers and old friends. We are supporting their growth and are delighted to see Quickloader move into the first 50 Halfords stores in March this year. The Quickloader range delivers unique features for ease of use and a robustness that is unequalled. On the stand there were quality conversations on this busy stand all to a backdrop of the song produced to support the UK launch on the WTF sealant brand. To our knowledge this is the only brand to create a song and video to support a country launch… be fun and different we say. Fun and having fun whilst delivering business… we love this brand. It was great to spend some
more time with the EA (European Aerosols) team since we visited their
production facilities in Amsterdam recently, this long-standing business has such understanding of the automotive and industrial sectors, and it is time for growth in the UK. You would need five different suppliers to cover their range and this draw certainly made for a busy stand this show. We are delighted to be working with them… watch this space.
What could have been better? It would have been nice to see more... A lot of the exhibitors relayed that they felt there were less people this year. We know there were as figures from 2024 was 38,000 with 33,000 this time although 5k people isn’t a big drop in numbers and strange that exhibitors felt it was quiet. Lots said conversations were “quality over quantity”. A lot of stands, as we mentioned had food and drink and had clearly invited colleagues and friends to join them on the stand. This is great for present business but beware as it can be detrimental to new business as customers will not interfere or will just walk by if you’re busy. Some stands were humming with people so it can be quite off putting for someone to try and penetrate that crowd. So having extra people on your stand to make sure “everyone” is looked after and new business is not deterred is of paramount importance.
Marketing on the stands are still very end customer focused.
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