Trade fair appearance in times of Corona.

How to find out if a trade fair appearance is worthwhile in times of Corona.

How am I supposed to know if the jump won't be at least fatal for me? That's the question I ask myself as the toes of my feet cling to the edge of the wobbly 3-meter board. I could just climb down the diving tower backwards and hope that no one sees it. My gaze goes to the edge of the pool. There stands my 7-year-old son, dripping wet, having just completed his first jump. "If you jump, I'll jump too," I had told him in educational shortsightedness to motivate him to jump. He looks at me expectantly and sticks his thumb up in the air. So climbing down is not an option. I close my eyes - and jump! Against all expectations, I survive. Intoxicated by my success, I jump again and again.
To jump or not to jump? It's a similar situation for many exhibitors who are struggling with whether to exhibit at the show in times of Corona. Some would prefer to climb off the jump tower invisibly. Do you know this?

Conversations we've had with exhibitors recently are marked by doubt and a sense of being torn. Your show is billed as a physical event and exhibitors are wondering if they should participate in times of Corona. Can a trade fair be successful where the number of visitors is regulated and sales talks have to take place behind masks? On the other hand, they really appreciate the value of face-to-face exchanges. Right now. The exhibitors stand at the edge of the 3-meter board and stare anxiously into the depths.

Practical test caravan salon

The Japanese exhibitor OZ Engineering Inc., whom we have been able to count among our customers since this caravan show, was determined to do the practical test. They rented a 15m² corner booth and presented their air conditioners on the booth we developed. The tension before the fair was admittedly great. Then the running time came and with it the fair visitors. Of course, due to the limitation of the number of visitors, there were fewer people on the fairgrounds than in pre-Corona times. But still: except for the first day of the fair, all tickets were sold out. And the organizers of the Düsseldorf fair had really mastered their job brilliantly. From queue-free check-in to the highly timed shuttle bus that took visitors back to their cars with the necessary individual distance, everything went like clockwork.

So, how did it go? These were our burning questions for OZ Engineering. "Just fine. We're super satisfied," enthuses A. Matsui, who was in charge of sales at the show. The results were impressive: There were twice as many visitors at the booth compared to last year. The quality of the discussions was excellent. Promising orders were attracting visitors.

The jump was worth it. Will they jump again?
You bet they will! For the next Caravan Salon, OZ Engineering even wants to enlarge the stand area.

Courage is at the beginning of action - luck at the end
Whether something works or not, you just always know when you do it! Maybe in times of Corona you shouldn't jump off the 10-man board right away. The starting block will do for testing.

"Our staff and I are very grateful for the wonderful exhibition. I look forward to working with you on the following Caravan Salon projects as well."

- Yukio Ozaki, Managing Direktor OZ Engineering Inc.

Text: Petra Hallmann