New concepts for a successful future

New concepts for a successful future February 2006: Europe’s tradeshow market has matured. The growth rates of 10 to 15 % achieved only a few years ago are now history. Competition from other regions like Asia is strong – and growing by the day. All in all, it is time to team up and work on future-proof concepts. EMECA is doing just that. Europe’s market share of global exhibition capacities has shrunk in latter years from 61 to 57 %. At the same time Asia’s share has climbed from 13 to 16 %. EMECA is therefore looking to promote and strengthen Europe as an exhibition location, so the association’s president Piergiacomo Ferrari, CEO Fiera Milano, Marc Granier, CEO Paris-Nord Villepinte, Maria Martínez, a member of the management of IFEMA Madrid, René Kamm, CEO MCH Swiss Exhibition, and Bernd A. Diederichs, CEO NürnbergMesse, insisted at a press conference at the end of last year in Nuremberg. However, each country has its own approach: whereas the Germans remain fond of their world lead fairs, which are under ever greater threat, the Italians are investing heavily in venues – the most recent being one of the world’s largest exhibition centres in Milan – and the French put their faith in centralisation. The world meets in Paris. No other city offers so many events in one place, claimed Marc Granier, CEO Paris-Nord. France does not suffer from overcapacity problems, neither does Spain which, like Switzerland, prefers regional coverage to lead fairs. But they all share one goal: growth. Together, but as rivals if need be. Competition among the individual countries is intensifying. “They all want to grow, they’re all investing – it’s certainly not a walkover,” Granier summarised. “Moving forward, we’ll have to go all out and reinvent exhibitions!” With economic growth in Europe averaging only 2 to 3 %, not everyone can be a winner. It is going to take imagination and willingness to change. The needs of customers, exhibitors and visitors, change over the years. And these have to be met. In pursuit of this aim, Diederichs said Nuremberg planned to focus more heavily on visitors as a target group. He said EMECA was an opportunity to work together on new concepts for a successful future for all concerned. Improved services, infrastructure and exhibition concepts will be profitable to all – venue owners, organisers, exhibitors and visitors alike.