Citing coronavirus concerns, Deutsche Messe announced March 4 that it will postpone Hannover Messe to July 13-17 in Hannover, Germany.
The world’s largest industrial trade show was scheduled to launch its 73nd annual show on April 20-24, but with more than 200,000 people expected to attend and containment of the coronavirus not yet assured, show officials made the decision to push back this year’s event.
Deutsche Messe officials said they could not fully implement the recommendations of the Hannover Regional Healthy Authority, which had suggested stringent safeguards, including banning attendees from risk areas from attending and using fever measuring stations at all entrances.
“Their implementation would impair the staging of the event to such an extent that the event would not fulfill its purpose or would do so only with considerable restrictions for exhibitors and visitors,” Deutsche Messe officials said in a press release.
Fair organizers said the later date might even have a role in jumpstarting the global economy, which has been roiled over concerns about the spread of the coronavirus, which infected 92,000 people worldwide and resulted in more than 3,000 deaths.
“With the July date, we offer our exhibitors the earliest possible time slot to present their innovations to a global audience and to initiate business,” said 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 great opportunities. Thus the world’s most important industrial trade fair can provide important impetus for the global economy at an early stage.”
The VDMA, which is the German Engineering Federation, also backed the postponement. “In regards to the current challenges caused by the coronavirus, postponing Hannover Messe until July is the best possible option,” said VDMA Chief Executive Thilo Brodtmann. “We assume that the situation will calm down in the coming months and that the mechanical engineering industry will then benefit from a reviving business situation.”