Trade show news

ispo shows that trade shows still work

The 2009 ispo Winter Show held in Munich in February demonstrated that numbers are not the only important factors to determine a trade show’s success. A strike by Munich’s Transportation Authority (MVG) was probably the reason why the visitor number was slightly down: the 69th ispo Winter show attracted 60 000 visitors from over 100 countries — 2008 saw 64 000 visitors from 113 countries. Close to 60% of all visitors came from abroad and 83% of exhibiting brands were foreign. The 1 950 exhibitors from 50 countries were also down from the 2 206 exhibitors from 47 countries in 2008 — probably due to the economic recession.

Despite the drop in numbers, the show had plenty to offer. Apart from the new products and trends on the stands, the various workshops, seminars and shows once again demonstrated how important this kind of international exposure is for SA retailers and suppliers who are so far from international developments. The subject of sustainability (see Sustainability: What brands are doing to make the world a better place) was as intense as ever. This year’s ispo Winter featured a new award (the Eco Responsibily Award) for products incorporating sustainability. Other topics discussed included the future of retailing (see The year ahead: 2 International views on retail), new product safety legislation (see The year ahead: 3 Ways to trade better), new product classification system (see box below) and sourcing from Asia (next issue).