ISH 2023 confronted with cancellations, e.g., Viega and Uponor cancelled participation

17.11.2022

KWD-globalpipe, 17.11.2022. After the digital edition in 2021, ISH 2023 is to be held live again, but with a supplementary digital platform. Nevertheless, some exhibitors have decided not to participate in the next edition of ISH.

Here are some of the reasons given by companies that do not wish to participate in ISH 2023:

“Uponor will be exploring new ways of addressing customers in the future in order to respond to changing customer needs. For this reason, the company has decided not to participate in ISH 2023,” Udo Strache, Director Marketing DACH & Benelux, informs us. “Driven by the COVID 19 pandemic and the current market situation, the way in which information is communicated and passed on has changed considerably. Trade fairs play a lesser role as a source of information for Uponor customers than they did a few years ago. As a result, Uponor is revising its marketing and communication mix for 2023, and is planning several touchpoints, both digital and physical, to engage customers with its innovations throughout the year

„The Viega management has decided to cancel its participation in the world’s leading trade fair ISH in March 2023. This cancellation is well-considered and aligned with key milestones in the coming year. The decision has been coordinated with the owners. With a view to its own customers, Viega will concentrate in 2023 on the Viega World seminar centre, which will be ceremoniously opened in January 2023. In Viega World, the Viega product world and the range of quality, service and solutions will be presented in a modern way with new formats and concepts geared to the customer,” says a spokeswoman for the company.

Zehnder, the indoor climate specialist, is sparing itself the ISH in 2023 and is instead focusing on addressing customers for its new “Center of Climate” and individual sales campaigns. The “Center of Climate”, realised with an investment volume of more than 20 million euros, is to be opened in 2023 at the German company location in Lahr. It is intended as a future communication centre for customers and employees, and as a centre for a healthy indoor climate for Zehnder Germany, but also for its European partner markets.

KEUCO, the full-range supplier of high-quality bathroom accessories, is now also cancelling its participation in ISH 2023. Instead, events and brand events are to flank the product launches of tomorrow. In the last two years, Keuco has already carried out the most intensive product launches in its history beyond the ISH launch rhythm.

Dornbracht, a leading specialist for superior designer fittings and accessories for bathrooms, spas, and kitchens from Iserlohn, has also announced that it will not be taking part in ISH 2023 with its Alape and Dornbracht brands. The reason given is the current challenges in the sanitary industry with declining frequency in bathroom exhibitions, limited capacities in the trade and a general reluctance to invest.

KWD-globalpipe, 17.11.2022. Stefan Seitz, Director ISH Brand Management ISH, about the relevance of the upcoming international industry meeting place, on the expectations of the trade fair, but also on the cancellations from the industry:

“In 2022, many related industries started again with trade fair presentations, showing how important and necessary personal exchange still is. ISH, the leading innovation show for Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and Water will be back in March 2023. Stefan Seitz, Director ISH Brand Management ISH, about the relevance of the upcoming international industry meeting place.

The last regular ISH took place in 2019. A lot has changed since then. This concerns both the dynamics of the industry and the trade fair as a marketing instrument. Corona, geopolitical developments and the partly gloomy economic forecasts in submarkets of the ISH have led to the participation decision being made at much shorter notice by both visitors and exhibitors. For this reason, the planning work is still in progress and new enquiries are coming in daily.

In parallel, it leads to individual exhibitors deciding at short notice to withdraw from their participation in ISH. Unfortunately, this is currently the case, but only in the Water sector and mostly with national manufacturers. The main reasons given by the companies are the declining willingness to invest in the sanitation market, higher energy prices and the general global political situation. Nevertheless, they all continue to emphasize the importance of the ISH as the leading trade fair for the sector and that the decisions were very difficult for them. This development is of course very regrettable.

Currently, 1,250 companies have already signed their contracts. This corresponds to 70% compared to 2019. In addition, there are 320 companies that currently have a placement proposal or will receive one in the next few days. Therefore, it is currently difficult to estimate the final number of exhibiting companies.

At the last ISH 2021, the industry came together purely digitally. That was a valuable experience, but it also showed that face-to-face meetings are indispensable. Messe Frankfurt has meanwhile tried out many different event formats. The learning from this is that digital offerings are a perfect complement to the physical event. That is why we are accompanying ISH 2023 in Frankfurt with a digital platform. Parallel to the industry meeting point in Frankfurt, we will provide the ISH Digital Extension. It will then be available for use for one week longer, until 24 March 2023. This means that everyone can make the most of their time at the fair and, for example, view missed programme items afterwards. Another advantage is the possibility to make targeted contact. Using AI-supported matchmaking, suitable business partners can be found and contacted at the fair or digitally. “

The ISH Contactor at www.ish.messefrankfurt.com/contactor provides a daily update on all exhibitors taking part.

Contact: Redaktion KWD-SHK, Dipl.-Ing. Jutta Hix – Chiefeditor, hix@kwd-online.de
ISH 2023, Messe Frankfurt, Germany, https://ish.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html