Seeing opportunities in the crisis 

* More efficient business through optimized site planning: Tangible added value for the visitors and exhibitors of interzum

The world is in motion more than ever in the light of the current situation, but it is also certain that there is going to be business after the crisis too. Trade fairs will have a special significance here, because they serve as a driver and trendsetter for an industry. Beyond this, trade fairs also create space and encounters that cannot be depicted virtually. “Leading international trade fairs like interzum are pure energy, which enfolds when people get together, engage in a personal and emotional exchange and ultimately result in business,” stated Matthias Pollmann, Vice President, Trade Fair Management, Koelnmesse. “This is why we are getting ready unabatedly for interzum 2021, because we intend to continue the success story of interzum,” the Vice President added. The high interest in interzum is also reflected by the current registration status.

Good twelve months before the next interzum opens its doors on 4 May 2021, the clear form of the new concept is visible: The hall allocation has been optimized with the addition of the exhibition hall 1plus, supplier segments have been grouped together and the homogeneous structures revitalized.

Most conspicuously the new hall, 1plus, which is being integrated into the trade fair concept for the first time in 2021 for the segment “Materials & Nature”. However, this new exhibition hall is just one aspect of an even more deeply-founded structure optimization of the exhibition space: The spatial consolidation of the exhibition segments enables the exhibitors to present themselves more cohesively in line with the focus of their offers. The consequences: A significant increase in the efficiency and quality for the trade fair visitors and thus more successful contacts, facilitated business and faster transactions.

The foundation was already laid for the new concept at interzum 2019: with the integration of Hall 10.1 a closed hall connection, a kind of “strip” from Hall 9, to 10.1 through to the levels 1 and 2 of Hall 11 was created in the section “Textile & Machinery”. As such, the suppliers for mattress production, fabrics and material processing were located on one connected visitor aisle.

This type of visitor guiding will also apply in future for the segment “Materials & Nature”. The Halls 6, 4.2, 5.2 and 1plus form a further connected area. The attractiveness of this planning has convinced many exhibitors so far to apply for the coming interzum at an early stage – and happily not just existing, loyal customers, but also global players, who haven’t been represented in Cologne before such as Financiera Maderera, S.A. or Yildiz Entegre.

The section “Function & Components” is also benefitting from the new hall concept, namely in addition to its main focus lying in Halls 7 and 8, it will have a second hotspot in Hall 10.2. Thanks to the concentration on just two centers for the fittings section, the visitors will be spared a lot of walking in the spring of 2021, which means they can engage in their planned business dialogues quickly and directly.

Matthias Pollmann, Vice President Trade Fair Management

Of course, in a year’s time the component suppliers for the office furniture industry will once again be placed as a closed group. With the relocation from Hall 5.2 to Hall 5.1, the site optimization will enable the success model for this homogenous group to continue.

“I am convinced that we are taking a major step forward with our comprehensively optimized site plan. Our international leading trade fair has also been adapted in this aspect to secure the satisfaction and business success of our exhibitors and visitors. And with a view to imminent changes in the trade fair business, we intend to sustainably enhance the foundation of interzum precisely at this period in time to ensure a high appeal long-term and raise interzum’s profile,” concluded Matthias Pollmann, Vice President, Trade Fair Management, Koelnmesse.