The recent staging of EuroShop 2011, The Global Retail Trade Fair, in Düsseldorf, Germany, was the largest ever with 2,038 exhibitors (compared to 1,911 at the 2008 event). Over 50 nations showcased products, trends and concepts for retail and its partners on over 1.15 million square feet of net exhibit space to more than 106,000 visitors (compared to 104,766 in 2008).
“This year’s EuroShop was phenomenal. After the severe crisis in 2009, the scheduling of EuroShop in 2011 was truly a stroke of luck both for the exhibiting industry and for us as organizers,” said Hans Werner Reinhard, deputy managing director at Messe Düsseldorf. “All sectors of this industry are experiencing a dynamic upswing. The atmosphere in the halls was extremely positive.”
The exhibitors unanimously reported good to excellent contacts and business deals and expect busy post-show business. The companies primarily praised the high internationality of EuroShop 2011. Over 60 percent of the visitors were from more than 90 countries around the globe, with a noticeable increase in attendees from Italy, Brazil and the U.S. With 60 companies, the U.S. was also strongly represented on the exhibitor side, six of which exhibited within the successful U.S. Pavilion.
“Euroshop is like walking into the cool photos of a clever design magazine,” said Larry Kulchawik, past president of the Exhibit Designers and Producers Association (EDPA). “Inevitably, you will stumble upon a combination of materials, colors, and new products that jump out at you to create a place that you have never been before. This is a “eureka moment” of inspiration – soon to be copied by all. This is what we come here for! We also come to meet new people, new partners, and new friends. In-person networking is so much more fun and useful than social networking on the Internet.
The EDPA exhibit stood tall among the others to provide a quiet meeting place for networking and promoting the American service providers working globally.
“The EDPA exhibit was in the back of the hall, next to the International Federation of Exhibition and Event Services (IFES) booth, which offered an excellent environment for global discussions. The EDPA did a superb job of organizing the USA pavilion and the after-hour activities. In all, there were 60 representatives from the USA in attendance, either are part of the EDPA group or on their own.
Each day at the conference, an attending country hosted presentation and food samples. Presentations from Greece, UK, Mexico, Brazil, USA, and India offered insight to their markets. The French Touch offered foie gras served with a rare Merlot served in fine china.
“Where else can you go to a tradeshow and get a snack of fine goose liver?” said Kulchawik.
Several exhibits with unique designs and messages also caught the eye of attendees. Kulchawik pointed out two exhibitors, Holtmann Design and Profair Design.
“The Holtmann Design booth had chalk board exterior walls,” said Kulchawik. “A designer then drew design ideas in white chalk. The single focal point was a 16-foot by 18-inch long raw wood board that floated out from the wall without a leg. The tag line was Bend without breaking.
“The Profair Design booth was a simple white backwall had only three words: Face to Face,” said Kulchawik. “The front façade had a grid of black and white photos of unknown friendly faces. This exhibit took away all the bricks and mortar to direct the real meaning of tradeshows: in-person connections.”
EuroShop 2011 also consisted of four independent but connected exhibit segments EuroConcept, EuroSales, EuroCIS and EuroExpo and, for the first time, “sustainability” was a recurring theme across all areas. Visitors saw the greenest EuroShop ever – from energy-saving refrigeration cabinets and the use of sustainable materials for shop fitting and display mannequins, to regenerative energies and energy-saving technology for store lighting.
“The implementation of our motto ‘naturally innovative’ was met with enormous interest,” said Tiziana Raiteri, marketing and communication manager at the Italian refrigeration furniture and systems manufacturer Arneg. “Trade visitors were looking for detailed information on our latest environment-friendly products, services and technologies. We welcomed about 1,000 visitors at our stand on every day of the trade fair.”
The first ECOpark at EuroShop was also very popular. The lectures presented at its forum by Honeywell London on the successful refitting of Walmart stores in Asia with LED lighting systems were a special attraction.
In the EuroConcept area, lighting proved to be one of the fastest growing segments. Over 150 international lighting companies occupied one entire exhibit hall. Particularly important were the latest LED lighting solutions. Nicole Borngesser, Marketing Manager, Central Europe, at GE Lighting from Hungary, was satisfied with the results of the exhibit. “We are very happy with the way EuroShop went,” said Borngesser. “We doubtlessly registered most interest in the LED segment. LED is clearly the technology of the future.”
In the EuroSales segment, numerous highlights were presented by the manufacturers of premium display mannequins, including abstract, elegant mannequins in high-impact black and white for the prime segment as well as colorful kids’ mannequins and unusual, cartoon-like groups of mannequins.
The EuroExpo segment was proof of the sector’s high creativity and presented examples of outstanding stand construction.
“People come to EuroShop. It is the meeting place for the industry,” said Elfie Adler, CEO of the FAMAB Association for Direct Business Communications.
The next staging of EuroShop will be held from February 15 to 19, 2014 in Düsseldorf, Germany, while EuroCIS will be held as a stand-alone event from February 28 to March 1, 2012 in Düsseldorf.
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