"Europe is the guest of Leese"
Germany is the world's number one exhibition host. A lot of highly specialised activity also takes place outside the familiar big fairgrounds. A brief "venue crawl".
Most people will presumably know towns like Bad Salzuflen, Rheda Wiedenbrück, Bremen or Husum, at least by name. But Leese? Or Bockerode? They are places to which the term provinces may even fit - but certainly not the adjective provincial.
For Leese this is borne out not only by asparagus growers. They know exactly where the town is situated, given that for some years now it has hosted the biggest European asparagus show in the heart of Germany's biggest asparagus-growing region. The 19th edition took place from February 10 to 12. Under the motto "Cultivation, technology, market" visitors to the leader fair gathered information on asparagus, strawberries, bilberries, redcurrants and raspberries as well as direct marketing. More than 250 exhibitors - from Bavaria to Schleswig-Holstein, from Greece through France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the Netherlands - were on show in five heated exhibition tents on a 10,000 m2 site.
"Europe is the guest of Leese. This year we had more exhibitors from the neighbouring countries," Britta Ronnenberg, managing director of Raiffeisen Agil Leese, says. In collaboration with the Lower Saxony Asparagus Growers Association, a practised team organises the exhibition. There, professional attendees can catch up on new developments, for example in seedlings, cultivation technology, treatment, harvesting technology, logistics and cooling. Specialists present the latest trends, statistics and research. Representatives from the chambers of agriculture are also available for talks. For the sixth time a used machinery exchange was staged concurrently with the asparagus show, giving all asparagus producers a chance to buy and sell.
Marketing plays a prominent part in Leese. The organisers are focusing more on direct selling. "North German direct sellers have a new platform with the special "Yard Sales" show. As a result of the considerable response from all over Germany, the segment was expanded further this year," says Reinhard Rohlfing, responsible for coordination. Experts from the chambers of agriculture came up with background information on efficient marketing, concepting and setting up a farmyard shop. Ideas on shopbuilding and lighting as well as product storage and logistics rounded off the offering. But the special "Yard Sales" show is also in great demand with consumers, who are admitted on the exhibition Sunday. The positive reception is hardly surprising, given the host of products available to try out, from asparagus and ham, sauces, cheese and wine through to bilberry waffles. Entertainment is provided by a jazz band, and other special shows are staged for interested end-users.
If things go as the DLG German Agricultural Society, Eschborn, plans, Bockerode will soon also be on everyone’s lips. The manor estate Rittergut Bockerode is to host PotatoEurope 2006 on September 6 and 7. Initiated by the German potato association Union der Deutschen Kartoffelwirtschaft (UNIKA), the show aims to bring together on the estate 30 kilometres southwest of Hanover all the industries involved in the potato value chain, including producers of farm inputs, farmers, consultants, dealers, packagers, processors and food retailers. As a special event for potato professionals, the show concept covers demonstrations of machinery, exhibition booths, a trial plot and an information centre "Potato Delight 2015". A high proportion of international visitors is expected. The DLG is reckoning on more than 10,000 professional attendees.
Hans Peter Schneider, managing director of Messe- und Ausstellungsgesellschaft Hansa GmbH, reports that "fish international" in Bremen went "exceptionally well". "We strengthened old partnerships and forged new, important ones." That brought new content - and new exhibitors. Poland was represented for the first time, likewise Russia. Also new on board were the Vietnamese, who have increasingly discovered the European market for their own purposes. Schneider does not just see the reason for the show's exceptionally positive reception in its intensified national and international marketing - fish international 2006 addressed topical issues that are being debated in the sector. A large segment was devoted to emerging trade between East and West.
Staged every two years, the demopark, arguably the biggest open-air exhibition with demonstrations of machinery for professional lawn care and local outdoor maintenance in Europe, keeps its fingers crossed for good weather. For all local authorities and professionals engaged in tending lawns and landscaping, building and maintaining sports facilities or paths, the show presents machinery and equipment on a large open space: the site near Eisenach where the machinery is displayed in use measures more than 25 hectares. The fourth demopark (June 12 to 14, 2005) was the most successful in its history notwithstanding relocation from Fulda to Eisenach. Its organisers reported a 16% increase in attendance to 25,746. And with 370 exhibitors from 15 countries the product range was broader than two years ago in Fulda, so the VDMA agricultural plant and machinery makers association and exhibition organisers Messe Fulda GmbH report. The next demopark takes place from June 17 to 19, 2007 near Eisenach.
ZOW - three letters linked inseparably to the furniture components and supply industry. Since its debut in 1995 the Zuliefermesse Ost-Westfalen, the exhibition for suppliers to the furniture industry organised by Survey Marketing + Consulting GmbH & Co. KG in Bielefeld, has grown into the regional event for this sector. The show in Bad Salzuflen's modernised exhibition centre is considered the epitome of an efficient industry meet and, with its workshop concept, a communicative innovation platform.
From February 20 to 23, decision-makers from the furniture and furniture supplies industry will gather again for the premiere of new products and design solutions. The footprint has been revitalised and the fringe programme upgraded. "Innovations Scouting" introduces convincing product developments in the industry, while the special show "E3S" celebrates the variety of the cutting edge materials Solid Surfaces and Engineered Stone. Four weeks later it's KMO time in Bad Salzuflen. One of the foremost industry events, KMO is sustained by the enormous appeal of injection moulding machine makers. At the plastics processing fair (from March 15 to 18) manufacturers and market leaders present their technical innovations in K-free years (K, the leader fair for plastics and rubber in Düsseldorf, takes place every three years.
It's all about hospitality in Erfurt. inoga, Trade Fair for Hotel, Restaurant and Catering (October 15 to 17), will be accompanied for the first time by the newly-designed euro.sweet, trade fair for confectionery and pastry making. The latest confectionery and pastry creations are presented not only for the experts delectation...
"interlift" in Augsburg is also aiming high. Since its 1991 launch with upwards of 150 exhibitors it has steadily expanded. The meeting initiated by the sponsoring association VFA Interlift has advanced to the world's leading international industry event. 455 companies from 39 countries took part in interlift 2005, almost two-thirds (64%) of them from abroad. Around 17,700 visitors examined what they had to offer. Almost one in every two attendees (49%) came from outside Germany.
When it comes to floor construction, it's all happening in Feuchtwangen. There, the company Service- und Verlagsgesellschaft des Bayerischen Baugewerbes GmbH stages the EstrichParkettMesse with a distinctly international grounding. There’s almost nothing missing on a footprint of more than 50,000 m2. But it's the ‘almost' that niggles the organisers. They are considering broadening the range of themes to ensure that the fair really does cover the entire spectrum of floor construction. EstrichParkett will take place from June 19 to 20, 2008, probably then with an expanded name and programme. Nobody gets the brush-off in Freiburg. On the contrary, when the international fair INTERbrossa-BRUSHexpo takes place it attracts all the industry greats to the city. The three-day trade exhibition is the Mecca of the international brush, paintbrush, paint roller and mop industry. The next edition of the show, which takes place at four-year intervals, is scheduled for April 2008. 142 exhibitors and around 8,000 visitors from almost 90 countries took part in the last exhibition. Freiburg does not need to hide its light under a bushel in terms of solar technology either. From June 22 to 24 Intersolar 2006 will again gather solar experts there from all over the world. The trade fair for photovoltaics, solar thermics and solar building is sponsored by the leading industry federations. Its organisers, Messe Freiburg and Solar Promotion, are expecting more than 400 exhibitors and roughly 20,000 professional attendees from more than 60 countries.
Husum is bursting with energy. Situated in the north of Germany, it already enjoys an international reputation as the wind energy exhibition capital. Now the seaport is setting out to become the top exhibition location for other renewables such as solar and biomass. The North Frisian county town will host the second New Energy Husum from October 7 to 10. Even though the debut show two years ago did not meet its organisers expectations, Hanno Fecke, Messe Husum managing director, clings to the long-term vision of establishing New Energy as a second international leader fair. It alternates every two years with Husum Wind, which is, however, a pure-play trade fair. Under the motto "Know what is feasible now", New Energy aims to address professional attendees and the average punter alike. Big exhibition organisers are aware of these pearls, only a few of which are mentioned here for lack of space. Interesting partnerships come about in the process. For example, the Steinexpo managed by Geoplan GmbH, Iffezheim, is going to Istanbul shortly with Messe Frankfurt. In September 2006 the partners are launching Aggregates in Istanbul. Some 80 exhibitors are expected to the debut event. Aggregates will be modelled along the lines of Steinexpo, which is staged in Homberg/Niederofleiden roughly 90 kilometres north-east of Frankfurt. The building materials industry's demonstration fair last year attracted around 32,200 visitors and roughly 200 exhibitors with 325 brands. The active presentation of machinery moving some 15,000 tonnes of stone and earthworks was the out-and-out favourite with visitors.
m+a report Nr.1 / 2006 vom 13.02.2006
m+a report vom 13. Februar 2006