Messe Frankfurt has cancelled the exhibitions it had rescheduled to April and May, including Heimtextil.
In September the show organiser said it was postponing all shows in the first quarter of 2021, and would hold them later. Now these have been cancelled, with Messe Frankfurt saying further postponement would not help exhibitors.
‘There is currently no end to the pandemic in sight. Events are effectively banned in Germany, and ongoing international travel restrictions mean that it is impossible to make any trade fair plans for April or May 2021. The coronavirus pandemic has taken centre-stage, and our plans have not escaped its impact. In light of the current situation, it would not be possible for us to satisfy our customers’ requirements for international trade fairs in April or May,’ says Detlef Braun, Messe Frankfurt director.
‘That is why Messe Frankfurt has decided, following close consultation with its customers and partners, to postpone the hybrid Prolight + Sound event planned for April and the three textile fairs Heimtextil, Techtextil and Texprocess scheduled for May, and to cancel the International Consumer Goods Show scheduled for April. An annual spring event is essential for the trend-based order cycles in the entertainment, technology, consumer goods and textile industries, which means that postponing these events until the second half of the year would not serve the interests of exhibitors.
‘In addition, this is the time when industry participants normally shift their preparations into high gear – logistics lead time that is particularly essential for exhibitors at Techtextil and Texprocess, some of whom need to bring machinery to Frankfurt for their presentations. As a result of the current situation and ongoing travel restrictions, exhibitors are faced with huge uncertainties regarding who will be allowed to be present and their customer contacts, making it extremely difficult to commit to trade fair participation. It simply is not possible at present to offer any planning certainty for investments in trade fair presentations for April or May.’
Messe Frankfurt will host a Consumer Goods Digital Day on 20 April and additional digital information and content offerings are already being planned for the cancelled events.
‘The ongoing shutdown of retailers in our visitor countries has made relevant up-to-date information and solutions essential, and we are satisfying this demand with our digital offerings during this volatile time. As you know, we are also continuing to do everything in our power to make safe and successful trade fairs possible, because nothing can take the place of face-to-face encounters,’ says Braun.
As a result, Heimtextil will now take place from 11-14 January 2022, followed by Christmasworld from 28 January to 1 February 2022, and Paperworld and Creativeworld from 29 January to 1 February 2022. Ambiente will be opening its doors from 11-15 February 2022 in its customary slot.
Image: Messe Frankfurt/Pietro Sutera
