An interview with Anna Caldera, director of La casa in order, with Donald Wich, CEO Messe Frankfurt Italy.
Sector trade fairs have always been a privileged opportunity to consolidate commercial exchanges, discover new trends and broaden knowledge in one’s professional field. However, in the post-Covid era and with the growing dominance of digital, a question arises: are we facing the end of in-person demonstrations? We ask Donald Wich, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Italia for more than 25 years and an international reference figure in the exhibition sector.
Messe Frankurt | photo © Jacquemin | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
“It’s a prophecy we’ve been hearing for years – he explains – even long before Covid. Anyway, the answer is no. The end of the fairs has not yet been decreed. Digital, during the pandemic, allowed us to continue organizing trade fairs virtually but did nothing other than confirm the uniqueness and validity of personal contact”
The in-person fair therefore confirms itself as the most effective tool for creating networking between companies and retail. A virtuous circle that involves the entire supply chain: from the producer who displays his products, to the retailer who discovers them, thus making them accessible to the final consumer (shops, showrooms but also hotels and other public spaces). Confirming this excellent state of health, for Messe Frankfurt 2024 – at a corporate level – will be a record year with a turnover forecast of (by default) around 780 million euros. Naturalmente la digitalizzazione ha prodotto parecchi cambiamenti nelle modalità organizzative e, anche Messe Frankfurt in qualità di promotori fieristici, si è adattata di conseguenza.
“Our offer – continues Donald – is clearly subject to transformations, so returning to the digital chapter, all these experiences that we have accumulated during the critical phase are helping us a lot; in the sense that we are gradually integrating elements of digitalisation into our offer“.
Anna Caldera and Donald Wich, CEO of Messe Frankfurt Italia.
Can we give an example?
“Sure. In the field of marketing, managing to hit the right targets, both from the point of view of visitors and exhibitors in such a way as to encourage the best matchmaking for our customers. A service that has been available for some time and that we are increasingly refining“.
In fact, one of the reasons why you exhibit or visit a fair, in addition to discovering the latest news and trends, is to create business by facilitating supply and demand as much as possible, both physical and virtual.
“Exactly – underlines Donald Wich – In addition to the physical presence at the fair, we also create digital moments, before, after and during the fair itself, in which our customers can get to know each other and exchange information and prepare the physical meeting. Meeting which will be followed by a follow up which will lead to the conclusion of the negotiation. In practice, this happens by registering on the Messe Frankfurt platform, searching for the company or brand of interest and making an appointment, physical or virtual. By doing so, it is possible to collect a considerable amount of information which will increasingly refine the service“.
Heimtextil | photo © Pietro Sutera | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
Let’s move on to another topic, distribution of participating countries?
“Italy is our flagship. Our fairs are, by definition, super internationalised, and Heimtextil is perhaps the most international of all, because the percentage of German exhibitors now seems to me to be less than 20%. All the others have slightly lower values, however the participation of international exhibitors is on average well above 50%, the same goes for visitors”
Speaking of visitors, we have seen returns from Asian countries.
“Chinese especially – Wich specifies – We are witnessing growth in both purchases and exhibition offerings. So much so that they leave the pavilions dedicated to the Chinese collectives and ask to enter the product pavilions instead”
Environment | photo © Jean Liebchen | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
We have analyzed various aspects involving brands and buyers, now let’s talk about the final consumer. In your opinion, have the demands and needs of consumers changed?
“ The consumer is becoming increasingly difficult, in the sense that from a purchasing point of view, we are now talking about multi-channel; therefore, traditional channels are losing share rapidly to digital channels, online and so on. In particular, the Chinese ones where there is an exponential growth in transactions and with an offer aimed precisely at the new generation, with very targeted messages. Other channels: the wholesaler, for example, is becoming an obsolete figure that no longer has any reason to exist, at least in certain product sectors”.
Last but not least AI. What is your role in all this?
“We do not perceive it as a threat but a great opportunity, because it will always allow us to better analyze our potential customers, profile them, create targeted and customized packages to make their visit, both virtual and physical, increasingly efficient. Among other things for the fair, which we organize in Italy, the SPS – SPS Italia is the fair for intelligent, digital and sustainable industry, recognized as a point of reference for the Italian manufacturing sector: the annual event to learn about new trends and discuss the most challenging issues of industrial automation. The fair returns to Parma from 13 to 15 May 2025 – we have a chatbot that answers, on our behalf, all the questions that arrive via telephone, email or messages.
It’s a technology based on ChatGPT, we trained it for some time and then put it online. Among other things, it constantly evolves thanks to interaction with users. It’s a great help, especially for those general questions: where to place the fire extinguisher, trade fair opening hours, safety measures and so on”
Christmasworld | photo © Pietro Sutera | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
While waiting to see each other again in Frankfurt for the first fair that will interest La casa in order readers, here are the dates of the events for 2025.
Ambiente | 7-11 February 2025). Global point of reference for the consumer goods sector. It presents innovations in the sectors of Dining (tableware and kitchen items), Living (furnishings and home decorations) and Giving (gift ideas). It is a key event to discover future trends in design and lifestyle.
Christmasworld | 7-11 February 2025. International fair dedicated to festive and seasonal decorations, with particular attention to Christmas products. It offers a wide range of decorative items, lighting and accessories for retailers and wholesalers.
Heimtextil | 14-17 January 2025. The largest fair in the world for home and contract fabrics. It brings together professionals from the textile sector to present the latest trends in sustainable furniture and design.
The first appointment is therefore with Heimtextil: this year will see the partnership with the designer Patricia Urquiola – creative force of Studio Urquiola – and her immersive interior design installation “Among-us”, focused on ready-to-use fabrics (with strong emphasis on hospitality and design); without forgetting the prestigious collaboration with Alcova by Valentina Ciuffi and Joseph Grima, curators of Heimtextil Trends 25/26.
Heimtextil | photo © Pietro Sutera | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
On the cover, City Entrance Messe Frankurt | photo © Jacquemin | Messe Frankfurt GmbH
