DEUTSCHES MESSEFORUM, BONN, MAY 10TH

Under the title, Trade Fairs - Experiencing Success, AUMA for the first time explicitly opened its forum to foreign colleagues, providing English translation. And it immediately experienced success with 400 participants, gathering in the impressive former German Parliament.

Keynote speaker was Prof. Dr. Herman Simon, talking about the challenges facing F & E in the future.

Prof. Simon started with an analysis of the industry in Germany today : 5 of 10 exhibitions with the biggest turnover worldwide are organised in Germany, 100 of 150 leading exhibitions are organised in Germany, 4 out of the 6 biggest exhibition centres are located in Germany. Having said that, Germany (only) has a 10% share of the world exhibition market, notes nearly zero growth and see little theme renewal. New exhibitions struggle.

In Prof. Simon's view, this is down to an ill defining of the industry's objectives and hence, there is no clear idea about how to change the industry into a service industry.

He pleaded for an extended competition perspective for the F & E industry :

In as much that the production delocalise, F & E should follow this movement into the new production sites  
In as much as production dematerialises, the form transactions take should change as well; 'cognitive exhibitions' or congresses might be the better tool. If exhibitions don't change, other media competitors might take over its role.  
Globalisation just started and keeps changing

 
• Mental internationalisation    
• Dislocation of added values processes into new economical areas    
• Intensifying struggle for global knowledge    
• Transatlantica (integration of the European and American economical zones)  

In view of these tendencies, it becomes clear that exhibitions seldom are market conform. What can be done?

In Prof. Simon's view, Germany remains the worldwide best location for F & E organisation (time zone, infrastructure, know how). In order to realise that potential, several strategies need to be implemented :

Realise global industry events on a continental scale; this event will host global key accounts and receive regional (i.e. continental visitors)  
These global industry events should control other regional events in the same industry in order to achieve a major synergy potential.  
More value for the visitor; more appeal can be realised by having the industry's stars visiting the event  
Create new revenue models, away from the classical, over important m  mil milk cow  
E-business will only be of relevance in the organisation process optimalisation; it will not be relevant in the F & E core business : B2C will prevail!  
Develop regional F & E concerns (in analogy with the stock market concerns)