Given the sheer size of the economic crisis, the impact on the trade fair industry could have been far worse. Compared with the machinery sector, you could almost say we were enjoying stability”, was the provisional conclusion of Hans-Joachim Boekstegers on the German trade fair year 2009. According to the chairman of the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry (Auma), Berlin, it was the most difficult year since the end of the new economy boom in 2002. All the indicators are pointing downwards again for the first time since 2004.
 
According to provisional, in some cases estimated, results, the exhibitor figures have declined by 3 to 4 % compared with the same prior events. Within this, German exhibitors contributed towards stability with a drop of only 2 %. As a consequence of relatively clearly shrunken world trade, appearances from abroad have declined by about 5 %. Hired space declined by about 5 %, a little more than the exhibitor figures. The reason for this is obvious: Exhibiting companies are saving money; sectors with problems such as automotive suppliers are cancelling or reducing their square metrages.
 
The drop in visitor figures is on average 8 to 9 % in Germany. Boekstegers explained the causes by the clear reductions in individual public trade fairs, such as IAA in the automotive sector, and by tightened travel restrictions. However, a look at individual trade fairs shows a broad spectrum of developments, depending on the sector-specific cycles and the position of individual trade fairs in international competition. There are fairs that achieved two-figure growth even in 2009. Trade fairs in Germany are not all in decline.
 
In total, at the 135 national trade fairs in 2009, on which the association bases its figures, Auma expects 154,000 exhibitors, 5.7 million m{+2} of hired space and 8.9 million visitors. In any case, the association does not expect the trade fair indicators on average to return to positive figures in 2010.
 
The economic crisis makes it plain that there is no longer a single trade fair cycle. Organisers with a wide range of sectors in their programme fared best. A mixed programme minimises the risk.
 
“Foreign trade is temporarily unable to function as a growth engine for the trade fair industry”, he says. In view of the extensive decline in international participants, the central task of the organisers must be to assure the often global importance of their trade fairs by additional canvassing efforts.
 
Worldwide developments in 2009 have shown that the leading trade fairs, many of which are held in Germany, are relatively stable. “The most important sector fairs are surviving.” Numerous second or third rate foreign fairs, on the other hand, are in trouble. Boekstegers: “Many German fairs therefore have an opportunity to emerge from the crisis stronger.” ch