Messe Frankfurt shifts layout to foster social distancing. The global home textiles expo, which will take place Jan. 12-15, is putting in place measures recommended by the Robert Koch Institute and based on regulations laid down in the ‘Corona Contact and Operating Restrictions Regulation’ of the state of Hesse in early May.
Key features include:
Stand adjustments. All exhibitions stands must be constructed with clearly marked and controllable entrances and exits. Stands should also have a lower complexity of construction so that as many people as possible can continue to visit the stand at any one time. Exhibitors are also required to take distancing and hygiene rules into account when planning lectures and presentations at their stand.
Larger stands and wider aisles. All booths will cover at least 18 square meters to in order to maintain 1.5 meter distances between exhibitors and visitors. Some aisles between the stands will also be widened considerably. Five-meter wide boulevards enable people to walk past each other in both directions. Narrower aisles of three meters can be safely used as a one-way system.
Traceability of all participants. All Heimtextil exhibitors and visitors will have to complete a full registration including a self-declaration on their current state of health. To guarantee traceability of all participants, tickets will only be valid on specific days. Online tickets allow for fully electronic registration and contactless payment.
Comprehensive hygiene measures. Sanitiser dispensers will be available throughout the Messe Frankfurt fair grounds as well as at entrances and exits to the trade fair and at stands. Contact surfaces such as counters, tables, display cases, displays and exhibits will be regularly cleaned and disinfected between visitors. Higher frequency areas and surfaces within the grounds will be cleaned more often by service staff. The ventilation in the halls will also be optimized to the best possible level; the high-performance ventilation technology uses up to 100% outside air above the exhibition areas and the corridors of the halls guarantees high levels of fresh air supply.
Face masks. Whether and in what situation face masks will need to be worn depends on the current legal situation, but fair organizer Messe Frankfurt said it is not yet possible to predict what the requirement will be in January 2021.
Olaf Schmidt, VP of textiles & textile technologies at Messe Frankfurt mentioned Despite – and actually indeed because of the pandemic situation – they have received feedback that a large proportion of the international players in the sector are feeling very positive about Heimtextil at the start of the year. They have expressed a great desire to meet face to face, he added.
Another thing that they said was, the need to exchange information about new products and trend and market developments is there and also the wish to give business activities a boost after the restart. ‘We can feel the great confidence that our exhibitors have in us to offer the industry a safe trading platform with good prospects of success and we will do everything in our power to achieve this.’
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