Fair “Bauen und Wohnen” canceled again
Coronavirus
The international trade fair “Bauen und Wohnen” planned for February has been canceled again. Official requirements currently prohibit the holding of trade and public fairs. This entails major financial losses for the Salzburg exhibition center.
The annual financial statements of Messe Salzburg are still in progress, says Managing Director Alexander Kribus. However, a similar result to 2020 is expected for 2021. That corresponds to seven million euros and means a minus of around 40 percent in the comparison period before the pandemic, according to Kribus.
The trade fair takes six months to plan
Even in the 22nd month of the pandemic, planning for the trade fair still poses extreme challenges. There is still no planning security for either the trade fair organizers or exhibitors. In the events industry, a planning horizon of six months is needed to be able to carry out events and apply for them, explains the trade fair manager.
Trade fair organizers hope for new CoV rules
On the one hand, ministries and authorities are understood given the short-term nature, which is why there are several people in one place in wholesale. “The analogy of a trade fair is certainly also given to retail. We see ourselves as a temporary trading platform. And we are also able to at least meet the demands of the trade. I think that we can also implement additional security measures,” says Alexander Kribus with conviction. As an example, he cites the 2G control at the entrance to the trade fair.
The trade fair operators are waiting for the new CoV rules. “We very much hope that the responsible ministries and also GECKO will enable us to hold trade and public fairs again in the next amendments,” added Kribus. Alternative solutions are currently being used to stay afloat. For example, the career information fair took place virtually this week. According to the trade fair manager, however, this cannot replace a presence at events.