Mr. Ohmacht, you took over the Trade and Industrial Fairs division in March, which was a challenging time. What are your main tasks now?

Due to the restrictions on freedom of movement in the wake of the coronavirus crisis, hundreds of trade fairs worldwide have been canceled or rescheduled. The Leipziger Messe event calendar is also affected. We would be ill-advised to hold out until the authorities give us the go-ahead to hold trade fairs. On the part of the organizers, it is important to create conditions under which trade and industrial fairs can take place again as quickly as possible. Trade fairs are brands. Well-positioned events with a high utility value for exhibitors and visitors - such as our Intec and Z trade fairs - will take off again after the crisis. We are using the current event-free period to define which measures we can use to sharpen the profile of our trade and industrial fairs.

You know the industry well, you were most recently Head of MarCom Industry at Schaeffler. What demands does the industry place on modern trade fairs?

Trade fairs must bring together supply and demand. They are important for the industry to meet customers and interested parties. It is not the sheer number of visitors that is decisive, but the "right people", i.e. the exhibitors' core target groups. These can vary depending on the trade fair objectives. Ultimately, a trade fair presence must pay off. Exhibiting companies are satisfied with an organizer if it not only offers a top infrastructure and perfect service on site, but also brings together the right contacts on the exhibitor and visitor side. In addition, an exhibition stand is always a reflection of the company. Companies want to present their new products or technologies in a modern environment. As one of the most forward-looking trade fair venues in Europe, Leipzig is ideally suited for this. Our exhibitors can use the latest IT and mobile communications infrastructure, for example to network production machines at the trade fair with their own production facilities worldwide.

How would you like to meet these requirements?

Attractive exhibitors attract attractive visitors - and vice versa. As an organizer, Leipziger Messe has its finger on the pulse of the times. Trend topics such as digitalization in manufacturing must be brought to life at trade fairs like Intec, as well as perennial topics such as supply chain management. We are in constant contact with service providers, associations, research and teaching in order to focus on exactly the right topics.

What priorities are you planning to set in your work?

The range of products and services at a trade fair is constantly changing. We are therefore delighted to welcome new companies that enrich the range with their solutions. However, this is not done by chance, but always close to the brand essence of the respective event. At Intec, for example, everything revolves around machine tools. Our task is to offer exhibitors and visitors an information and contact platform that covers the value chain for this special market of manufacturing and automation technology. So for us, there is no question of a polytechnic approach, but rather a focus on the core of the brand.

What role will digital offerings play in trade and industrial fairs in the future?

Today's visitors come to a trade fair very well informed. Digital formats before, during and after an event can serve to supplement the on-site meeting. If the pure exchange of information were the sole purpose of a trade fair, digital offerings would call the purpose of trade fairs into question. However, on-site meetings are the method of choice for getting to know people, holding conversations, building trust and maintaining contacts.

The trade fair year starts every two years with the double trade fair Intec and Z in spring. What focal points can exhibitors and visitors expect?

In 2021, Intec and Z are the most important industry gathering of the year for the metalworking and supplier industry in Germany. Although we find ourselves in challenging times, we are receiving positive signals from numerous partners and exhibitors. The range of products and services at the trade fair covers areas such as machine tools, precision tools, production automation and robotics, as well as industrial electronics, IT applications and special services such as surface treatment or prototyping for industry, and links these disciplines together. In times of technological change, we also address topics that are changing and redefining manufacturing. These include the special shows "Additive + Hybrid" and "Sensor Technology". The extensive range of products and services across all stages of production and the specialist program make Intec and Z an indispensable platform for dialogue between suppliers and users, especially in these times.

In your opinion, what significance does the Intec and Z trade fair alliance have for the industry?

Intec and Z have developed very well in recent years. They have thus underlined their strong positions among European industrial trade fairs. Intec is one of the leading trade fairs for metalworking in Europe. Both global market leaders and small and medium-sized companies use the international trade fair for machine tools, manufacturing and automation technology as a marketplace. The major German mechanical engineering centers of Baden-Württemberg, Bavaria, North Rhine-Westphalia and Saxony are prominently represented at Intec. Z, the international supplier fair for parts, components, modules and technologies, is one of the most important European trade fairs in its sector. It attracts experts from all German industrial regions and also has great appeal abroad. In addition to the Germany-wide and Europe-wide catchment area, the industries of Central Germany and Saxony are the main pillars of our trade fair network.

Is the Intec and Z trade fair duo well timed in the trade fair calendar?

Our trade fair double has long been firmly anchored in the European trade fair calendar with its dates at the beginning of odd-numbered years. However, we are currently living in an exceptional situation that is not only upsetting the trade fair calendar, but is already having an impact on all areas of the economy. And the full extent of this cannot yet be estimated. We are cautiously optimistic that economic processes and workflows will become predictable again in the course of this year. This will then also stimulate industrial production and its supply chains. In 2021, our established dates of Intec and Z are once again the right time to kick off the trade fair year for the metalworking industry and supplier sector in Europe. Companies make many investment decisions at the beginning of the year. Our trade fair duo is the ideal place to find out about the latest industry developments and to push ahead with investment planning. I am therefore convinced that Intec and Z are very well positioned in the trade fair calendar and that our two trade fairs are a must-attend event next year.

Last question: What do you personally find most exciting about trade fairs?

The encounter from person to person. At a good event, visitors and exhibitors are energized. Everything is concentrated. Everyone's attention span is extremely high. The density of valuable contacts is unbeatable, especially for management representatives on the exhibitor and visitor side. Brands are brought to life at trade fairs such as Intec and Z. Cool technology is given a face through a personal presentation. The corona crisis shows how much the business world, but also each individual, is suffering from contact restrictions. Everyone longs for social interaction - and not on the phone, via social media or via video or telephone conferences. People want to meet in person.