Next month’s Hannover Messe industrial technology show has been postponed until July. The new dates are July 13 to 17.
 
This follows some big name show cancellations due to coronavirus fears. These included Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and the Geneva Motor Show. Embedded World in Nuremberg did go ahead last week despite around 200 exhibitors pulling out, including some of the biggest names in the industry.
 
Deutsche Messe made the decision to postpone Hannover Messe in close cooperation with the Hannover Region Health Authority, the Hannover Messe Exhibitors’ Council and the partner associations VDMA (German Engineering Federation) and ZVEI (German Electrical & Electronic Manufacturers’ Association).
 
“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 Jochen Köckler, chairman of Deutsche Messe. “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 Hannover Region Health Authority had strongly recommended that Deutsche Messe follow the advice of the Robert Koch Institute, which includes comprehensive measures to safeguard health when hosting major events, for instance fever measuring stations at all entrances and not allowing people from risk areas or those who have had contact with people from risk areas to enter the exhibition centre.
 
This would have entailed a comprehensive evaluation of all trade fair participants, from exhibitors and visitors to service providers, exhibit builders and catering companies. Deutsche Messe said it was unable to implement the proposed measures. In addition, their implementation would impair the staging of the event to such an extent that the event would not fulfil its purpose or would do so only with considerable restrictions for exhibitors and visitors.
 
Since the health of exhibitors, visitors, employees and the public is the top priority for Deutsche Messe, the decision was made in consultation with Hannover Messe’s exhibitor advisory councils to switch to the July date.
 
 “The VDMA supports the decision of Deutsche Messe,” said VDMA chief executive Thilo Brodtmann. “In regards to the current challenges caused by the coronavirus, postponing Hannover Messe until July is the best possible option. 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.”
 
Wolfgang Weber, chairman of the ZVEI management board, added: “Today’s decision by Deutsche Messe to postpone Hannover Messe comes at the right time. As an internationally important industrial trade show, its USP is the gathering of people from all over the world. This can only happen if there are no health risks. Furthermore, it is important for the electrical industry to present its products for Industry 4.0, electrification and greater energy efficiency to the public this summer.”
 
• Microsoft cancelled its IoT in Action event in Melbourne on March 5 after a number of customers and partners withdrew due to coronavirus fears.