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I f we are completely honest, trade fairs have been in crisis already prior to the
COVID pandemic because, in general, exhibitors were missing, visitor numbers
were decreasing, forms of presentation and fair concepts had been seen too many
times. The pandemic kick-started the digitization of trade fairs but also showed that
on-site fairs are precarious. This made the question arise whether, after the decline,
there was now to follow the complete collapse or are we heading towards a new de-
finition of the trade fair? Over the past months, all those involved have successfully
demonstrated how agilely the sector can deal with disruption: There were experi-
ments with hybrid concepts, virtual space was conquered and new ways of brand
communication were proved. The result: From now on, trade fairs have many faces
and innumerable possibilities of connecting people and brands.

Hybrid – the combination of analogue and digital

In future as well, on-site trade fairs will of course be part of marketing. However, the Foto: Dirk Weiblen. Photography, CN-Shanghai
stands will turn from passive presentation- to active communication places and the Bildunterschrift serif • englisch serif
connection to the digital space will be an indispensable part. This is because “the
combination of analogue and digital offers attractive options for expanding the real
as well as the virtual space and creating immersive experiences”, as Tobias Geisler
states, the co-founder of Vave. Online, we will increasingly focus on the rational, on Alles nur geliehen bei Alberto Caiola für Van Collection. • Only borrowed: Alberto Caiola for Van Collection
site on the emotional.Besides digital additions there will be new formats expanding
the on-site fair location: “New formats define a different kind of luxury: new en-
counters, new relationships, new experiences. Whenever one changes the process, Auf Joytopia können User mit ihren Avataren ... • On Joytopia, users as their avatars …
there are different results. For this, courage and mutual respect are needed”, is how
the Munich Blackspace agency describes its approach. Instead of designing a stand
for Genesis cars at IAA, it invited to the Blackhouse: “What is grander than inviting
someone into one’s home? Into an atmosphere characterized by appreciation and
openness.” The renaissance of the roadshow is already in full swing as well: If the
clientele does not come to the trade fair, the trade fair goes to the clientele – “Mega-
trends on wheels, designed for site-specific talks, community experiences as well as
various formats for inspiration and edutainment – online, offline and in-between”,
as the D’Art Design Group expresses it. Modular thinking and building will generally
influence the design of on-site fair stands: It will become more and more important
to have solutions suitable for various situations (also short-term). Module and sy-
stem constructions that, after being used for several years, are recycled and will thus
gain attention once more. After all, they support the goal of the global event sector
to become climate-neutral by 2050. “Zero waste, maximum effect! We deliberately
break new ground for a more sustainable stand design”, the designer Alberto Caiola
also proclaims: “For a long time already, there has been the necessity to create in-
centives for reuse instead of single use.” For reasons of sustainability, in future as
well it will make sense to reduce physical participations in trade fairs and to reach
out to non-visitors with hybrid or purely digital trade-fair formats. And here the me-
taverse as web 4.0 is already waiting in the wings as a new kind of brand commu-
nication. As to design, the essential advantage is to conceptualize fictive three-di-
mensional worlds that are individually branded and that people can discover as ava- ... in die gamifizierte Welt von BMW eintauchen. • ... can immerse themselves in the gamified world of BMW.
tars. Christian Mio Loclair, co-founder of Journee and Waltz Binaire, puts it in a nuts-
hell: “We believe that there is added value in this technology. Perhaps the buzzword
will be somewhat obsolete in six months. But we are convinced of the idea of giving
people a space in the internet that they can design interactively and exploratively
and that is accessible on every device.” This potential should be exploited in the co-
ming years …

Worthwhile – for the future

It is plain to see: trade fairs will not die, they are changing! In future as well, they will
(have to) adapt to new circumstances. For the designers, it will be essential to again
focus increasingly on the qualities of space – no matter whether it is physical or digi-
tal space. Space should be designed in such a way that it serves communication,
makes encounters and experiences possible, produces immersion and provide added
contentual value. Which also means, however, that communication strategies will Bilder : Journee / Waltz Binaire, Berlin
have to be established beforehand, above all if, unlike until now, not only products
but rather positions and visions will be in the focus. The objective will be to connect
people with brands on multilayered levels in order to jointly design our future.

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