Hannover Messe 2020 dates changed due to coronavirus
March 4, 2020
Hannover Messe 2020, one of Europe’s leading trade fairs for industrial technology originally set to run from April 20–24, 2020, has been postponed until July 13–17, due to coronavirus (Covid-19). Deutsche Messe AG, the event organiser, stated that the decision to postpone the Hannover Messe was made in close consultation with the Hanover Region Health Office, the event’s exhibitor board and its partner associations, VDMA (Association of German Machine and Plant Manufacturers) and ZVEI (Central Association of the Electrical Engineering and Electronics Industry).
The Hanover Region Health Office is said to have strongly recommended that Deutsche Messe AG follow the advice of the Robert Koch Institute. This includes comprehensive measures to ensure health when organising major events, such as temperature measurement stations at all entrances, as well as the implementation of measures not to allow participants from risk areas and to refuse access to participants who have had contact with people from risk areas. To follow this advice would result in an extensive review of all trade fair participants – from exhibitors and visitors to service providers, stand builders and catering companies.
These measures cannot be implemented by Deutsche Messe. In addition, their implementation would result in execution of the event being impaired to such an extent that its intended purpose could not be fulfilled for the exhibitors or the visitors, or could only be achieved with considerable restrictions, the organisers stated.
Therefore, as the health of the exhibitors, visitors, employees and the population is a top priority for Deutsche Messe, the decision has been made in coordination with the exhibitor advisory boards at Hannover Messe to postpone the event until July.
“With the appointment in July, we are offering our exhibitors the earliest possible time to present their innovations to a global audience and to initiate business,” explained Dr Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG. “In view of the global economic challenges triggered by the coronavirus in the first half of the year, the new date offers considerable opportunities. This is how the world’s most important industrial fair can provide important impulses for the global economy as early as July. Hannover Messe is and remains the figurehead of German industry. “
“The VDMA supports the decision of Deutsche Messe AG. In view of the current difficulties caused by the corona virus, we believe that postponing Hannover Messe to July is the right thing to do,” commented Thilo Brodtmann, VDMA CEO. “We assume that the situation will calm down in the coming months and that mechanical engineering will then benefit from an upturn in the business situation.”
“Today’s decision of Deutsche Messe AG to postpone Hannover Messe is correct in terms of content and comes at the right time,” added Wolfgang Weber, CEO of ZVEI. “As an internationally important industrial fair, it lives in a special way from meeting people from all over the world. This can only be done if there are no health risks. It is important for the electronics industry to present their products for Industry 4.0, electrification and greater energy efficiency to the public this summer. “
