After a 12-month break the trade fair is set for a triumphant return from 2 – 4 March 2021
Following extensive discussions with many long-standing exhibitors and partners of the IAW – International Trade Fair for Retail Promotions and Imports – the organizers Nordwestdeutsche Messegesellschaft Bremen-Hannover mbH have decided to hold the next event in March 2021.
Despite some promising signs and optimistic feedback received over the past few weeks, it has been concluded that no-one could reliably predict the incidence of Covid-19 infections in the coming months, thus causing continued uncertainty among many market partners. Consequently, the trade fair organizers felt it wise to make this decision. Government and local restrictions, travel warnings and numerous other considerations have made exhibitors and visitors, in particular, very hesitant to make a commitment so that it is impossible to guarantee that the trade fair could be organized successfully to the satisfaction of all the parties involved. It was also felt that the cancellation of many other events, not only at the Cologne trade fair venue but across Europe, would have an adverse effect on the customary high quality and benefits of the trade fair.
For these reasons the trade fair team is now focussed on the relaunch of the IAW from 2 – 4 March 2021, which will again take place in Halls 6 and 9 of the Cologne exhibition centre.
It goes without saying that the planning efforts will be “corona compliant” and all measures stringently observed, e.g. hygiene measures, distancing rules, wider aisles and compulsory masks (i.e. when moving around and not seated), as well as travel and access restrictions applied within a responsible, integrated concept. With this plan in place, there is every reason to be optimistic about the outlook for next spring, especially as it is quite possible that many restrictions can be safely relaxed by then.
“Back to business” says Ulrich Zimmermann, Managing Director of the IAW. “This is the goal that we share with our many trading partners from all over the world, and they are accompanying us on every step of the way to making the IAW the event that we have all missed this year.” His conclusion: “Although it was a difficult decision, we are convinced that we are doing the right thing in the interests of our exhibitors and visitors.”
