Tradition plus innovation

Buyers always like to try and feel. But today's consumers want more. A product presentation is no longer enough. New ideas are needed for regional trade fairs.

Regional events are rich in tradition and firmly rooted in a particular region. Nevertheless, with a few exceptions, this segment is still going through a period of prevailing stagnation. According to Heiko Könicke, managing director of AFAG Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH, Nuremberg, the tough period of the past three years is over: "Exhibitor figures and rented floorspace are on the up again. Only the visitor figures are still in stagnation".
What is needed are new ideas to encourage consumers to attend tradeshows and to get new exhibitors to participate. Christoph Hinte, managing director of the trade fair organiser Hinte, Karlsruhe: "It is not so much about tradition as about conceptual innovations. The old familiar type of general consumer exhibition no longer works - despite the broad range of products and services. Today it is important to pursue a holistic marketing strategy." Christoph Hinte is already putting a new marketing idea into practice: Hinte Marketing & Media GmbH, founded on January 1, 2006 as a subsidiary of Hinte Messe, is to kick off its first TV project this year "Messe TV1" with the Karlsruhe regional station R.TV. The project is part of a future range of services. "Messe TV1" is set to start from September 2006 as a 15-minute programme with reports, interviews and news.
Important factors for a successful regional trade fair include an attractive accompanying programme. The recipe for Messe Sinsheim GmbH's success: a balanced mixture of special shows, audience participation, spectacular shows/demonstrations on various topics and a high-quality and prestigious selling exhibition - a blend of experiences that ensures the best entertainment for the visitor. Messe Sinsheim has carved out a name for itself as an organiser of model making exhibitions. For such a topic, half of the visitors are even prepared to travel more than 200 km. This is an exception as the average range of a regional trade fair is 25 to 50 km. With a special exhibition, AFAG was also able to draw interested visitors from far beyond the normal catchment area. Heiko Könicke: "Like many of our colleagues, we have started integrating top events with an international aura into the events, for example, with exclusive presentations such as ‘Tutankhamun'." The Mannheimer Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH has a very different story to tell. For the accompanying events, it is returning to tried and tested practices. Some organisers had made increasing use of concurrent entertainment events but found that, far from enhancing the appeal of trade fairs, they actually distracted from the purpose of the trade fair. Now the trend is again towards accompanying programmes that are derived from and complement the products and services on offer.
Infa has a special exhibition dealing with the trend topic of "cookery". This led to "Fun Cooking - An experience for gourmets and gourmands alike"; with a show kitchen, the Art of Cooking and Unusual Offerings for the Table. Carola Schwennsen, managing director of Fachausstellungen Heckmann, Hannover: "We see specialisation within the events as an extra opportunity to captivate the audience". A further highlight of the event is the special area "Enjoying a Bath". These new concepts have transformed the former "housewives fair" with its pots and pans, blood-pressure gauges and cucumber slicers into today's Infa, one of the biggest regional trade fairs in Germany.
One highlight, in terms of design, too, is "Giardina" which, after Karlsruhe, goes on to conquer Hamburg from 2007. The idea originates from Switzerland. Elaborately designed show gardens, fascinating special shows, high-quality outdoor furniture and selected accessories have made this trade fair from Zürich a trendsetting event in Europe.
Messe Pirmasens is relying on further developing its tradeshows and events. For example, equestrian sports is to be added to "Angling, Hunting & Nature" in 2006, giving the show appeal for the whole family. This also meets a further important condition for the future success of regional fairs: obtaining new target groups. Infa has also added new topics to open up to new target groups: The new "Building" section is drawing more male visitors. The organisers have also managed to reach new interessees by organising gala evenings for the special exhibition "Lifestyle". Carola Schwennsen: "These events do not just capture new target groups. They are also an extra marketing tool for exhibitors who can use these evenings to invite and entertain their customers individually." The Maimarkt in Mannheim addresses "tomorrow's target group", the children, with a specially created playworld. The new consumer fair berlin!berlin! has come up with some innovative categories: There are "hits for teens", "tips for singles", "info for families" and "heart for two".
Not only the World Cup has succeeded in addressing women as a target group in a previously male-dominated topic. Tuning World Bodensee shows that women are making inroads into the field of "Motoring". At the last event, the organisers recorded 25 % female visitors.
But what about the future of regional trade fairs? According to Mannheimer Ausstellungsgesellschaft mbH, regional trade fairs for consumers and trade visitors will remain important marketing tools in future. Project manager Armin Domdey with the Stuttgart based Messe- und Kongressgesellschaft mbH is optimistic: "Exhibitions for consumers must offer more than just purchasing opportunities. The visit must provide value-added in the shape of edutainment and access to specific information, for which the consumer would have to pay extra at retailers or at other events. This will give regional trade fairs the appeal to draw many visitors in future, too."
Angela Wiegmann

m+a report Nr.5 / 2006 vom 14.08.2006
m+a report vom 14. August 2006