A trade fair appearance is expensive, requires some preparation, and trade fair days can be long and exhausting — we want to know from Klaus Dittrich, CEO of Messe München, why and how a trade fair appearance can still be useful for startups.
Mr. Dittrich, many startups have little to no time allocated for public relations, not to mention the time-consuming work involved in trade fairs. Why do you think a trade fair presence is still worthwhile for startups?
Every trade fair reflects an entire industry. This means that for a specific period of time, an industry is condensed into X halls so that exhibitors and visitors can exchange ideas, expand their networks, get to know new products, competitors, and, of course, potential customers. The exchange with potential customers and partners is particularly relevant for startups. Trade fairs offer founders a unique opportunity to position and establish themselves in the market. Of course, we mustn't forget that trade fairs today can also offer a welcome change from everyday life through new event and experience formats. The fun you can have during and after a day at the trade fair often makes you forget all the stress.
Exhibitors and visitors want to get to know startups
Many of Munich's trade fairs – from electronica to ISPO – have their own startup programs. Why has the startup topic become so interesting for trade fairs?
Trade fairs are an appointment with the future. They have always been the platform for innovations. New products are often presented to a large audience for the first time here, regardless of whether the fair is for consumer goods or capital goods. It is in the nature of startups to generate innovations and, in doing so, not infrequently revolutionize entire industries. Therefore, it is not only natural but absolutely necessary that we as a trade fair promote the participation of startups in our events. As already mentioned, trade fairs should reflect an entire industry, and that includes startups. And of course, our exhibitors and visitors also demand that we give them the opportunity to get to know young, innovative, and up-and-coming companies. That's why we are constantly expanding our offerings for startups. We are now in a position to offer young companies a suitable trade fair presence across a wide variety of industries.
Which trade fairs do you find particularly exciting for startups? And why?
For the reasons already mentioned, any trade fair is fundamentally exciting for startups. The prerequisite, of course, is that the trade fair itself brings together the leading companies in a given industry. I can at least say that about all of our trade fairs. However, there are certainly differences in the maturity of the startup programs at our trade fairs as well. This is due to the fact that trade fairs like ISPO Munich began developing their programs 30 years ago. As a result, many successful startups have emerged from these events, including GoPro, which experienced its international breakthrough in 2005 thanks to its participation in ISPO Brandnew.
Money invested more than wisely with the right preparation
What costs should a startup expect for a trade fair appearance? Is financial support available? And what exactly is Messe München doing to enable startups to participate in trade fairs?
There's no question that trade fair appearances are expensive, and large companies are happy to spend millions of euros on them. However, our packages for startups offer cost-effective participation options tailored to young companies. These range from a solo presence in a space specifically for startups to shared stands (e.g., funded by the BMWi) to free stands made possible by sponsors. Founders can find more information about the packages and other helpful tips on our website under "Startup Boost" or in the "Startup Boost" brochure. In general, however, it's safe to say that a good trade fair presence for startups can be realized for just a few thousand euros. Our success stories show that with the right preparation, this money is more than well invested.
What does a good trade fair appearance look like for you?
A good trade fair appearance always begins with careful preparation – Messe München also offers valuable services for this, such as the “Trade Fair Success Initiative” from our subsidiary Meplan, which trains young companies for the perfect trade fair appearance. Founders should think about what they specifically want to achieve at the trade fair and back up these goals with quantifiable KPIs in order to define appropriate measures and resources. In concrete terms, this could be, for example, a new, strategic investor or a certain number of new business contacts in the respective industry. As a rule, a good trade fair appearance should arouse visitors' curiosity about the company's product or services. If I can manage to stand out from other exhibitors through a creative presentation of the product or the presentation of an innovation, then the trade fair appearance is sure to be a success.
Make new contacts, get to know the industry and have fun
Finally, can you give us three points that, from an exhibitor’s point of view, make a trade fair a successful one?
For exhibitors, attending a trade fair is always primarily about advancing their company. Therefore, an important aspect is establishing new contacts, whether these are potential customers for products and services, potential partnerships, or simply interesting people to exchange ideas with, for example, about developing new business models.
Secondly, I need to be able to take something away from the trade fair and learn something new about the industry I am in – in particular, where it is headed in the future, what new technologies, products and methods are available and who the main competitors are.
And last but not least, as an exhibitor, the trade fair must always be enjoyable and fun for me – that is also part of a successful trade fair.
