Europe's exhibition lottery - why are some camping shows being cancelled while others go ahead?

With more than 100,000 people through the doors and great sales and results reported by nearly all exhibitors, it seems as though the 2020 edition of Caravan Salon has proved you can run a successful exhibition during a global pandemic.

Organised by the Caravaning Industrie Verband (CIVD) at the Messe Düsseldorf in Germany, Caravan Salon is regarded as Europe’s most important trade show for the caravanning and camping industries – so the fact it went ahead at all this year was cause enough for celebration. Then consider that it was actually relatively successful thanks to attention to detail on hygiene and safety and meticulous planning by organisers, and it begs the question: why can’t more shows happen right now?

Visitors observe social distancing while queueing to enter Caravan Salon 2020.

While CIVD president Hermann Pfaff hailed the “good visitor numbers under the circumstances” and that “sales deals concluded were even higher than in the record year across the board”, exhibitors were also left pleasantly surprised.

Holger Schultz, managing director of German caravan and motorhome manufacturer Hobby, said: “After initial scepticism we are overall very happy to have presented our products at this year’s Caravan Salon.” Meanwhile Dr Holger Siebert, managing director of Eura Mobil and Trigano Deutschland added: “This Caravan Salon was special – we have held the first major trade fair in Germany in precarious times.”

 

STATS FROM CARAVAN SALON 2020

106,741 visitors

209 from Germany, 128 from 23 other countries

337 exhibitors

92% from Germany, 8% from 53 other countries

70,827sqm of exhibition space taken

Top ten visitor countries:
Netherlands 38%
Belgium 20%
Switzerland 7%
Luxembourg 5%
France 5%
Poland 5%
Austria 4%
UK 3%
Czech Republic 2%
Denmark 2%

 

However, look elsewhere in Europe and shows and events continue to be postponed or cancelled, sometimes thanks to intervention from national governments. The Suisse Caravan Salon, scheduled to take place in Bern, Switzerland in late October, was told in no uncertain terms that it must be postponed by the Swiss government – despite the fact it had similarly strict measures in place to Caravan Salon in Düsseldorf (only 7,000 visitors per day and social distancing measures etc). The decision came after the show had already been open for several days, adding to the frustration of exhibitors and organisers, who described the decision as “incomprehensible”.

Strict cleaning measures were implemented during Caravan Salon.

Meanwhile in the UK, organisers have decided to cancel the hugely popular Caravan, Camping and Motorhome show at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, scheduled to take place in February 2021. John Lally, the CEO of show organiser NCC Events said: “Whilst the trajectory of the COVID-19 virus is still very much unknown, it is clear that the restrictions – and their impact upon businesses – are likely to be in place for up to six months. We do not take this action lightly, but at this time, we feel that it is the only sensible option to safeguard show partners, exhibitors and our visitors from the financial exposure of a late show cancellation.”

Perhaps they saw what happened in Switzerland coming, and decided to avoid a potential late cancellation or an abandonment mid-show to help companies in the industry plan their years with more certainty. The most obvious answer to the seemingly random outcomes as to whether shows are allowed to take place or not could come from the figures. At the time of writing, the UK had recorded nearly 900,000 cases of COVID-19 and almost 90,000 deaths, whereas Germany had much lower figures of 450,000 cases and 10,000 deaths. So the logic follows that things seem a little more under control in Germany than the UK, so the show should be allowed to go ahead? That theory gets thrown out of the window when you examine Switzerland’s figures – 121,000 cases and 1,900 deaths. Why then did the Suisse Caravan Salon get shutdown mid-show? The strategies of different governments and how cautious they are seems to play a big part in this puzzle too.

Do you think it's safe to host exhibitions right now?

Naturally, shows should only take place if it is safe to do so, and Germany’s Caravan Salon seems to have proved that this is possible. However, it appears not every country sees it that way, and we can expect more disruption, cancellations and postponements in the coming months. The reasons driving those decisions might not be as straightforward as first imagined.

If you are able to attend a show as a visitor or exhibitor, then make the most of it. If not, then Camping Trade World is here to help you promote your products and broadcast your message to the camping, caravanning and motorhome industries. Contact us to find out more.

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