As early as autumn, the hospitality industry, caterers, stand builders and taxi companies had hoped that the book fair would revive business for them too.

But the book show is much smaller than hoped, and there are still plenty of rooms on the hotel booking portals.

With rates of significantly less than 100 euros per night in four-star hotels, trade fair prices are still a long way off.

Patricia Andreae

Editor in the Rhein-Main-Zeitung.

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For the new year, however, everything should get better, at least a little: "The trade fairs in spring take place in the same way, on our exhibition grounds in Frankfurt, but still with noticeable skid marks due to the pandemic, we are nevertheless confident," says Messe CEO Detlef Braun.

He emphasizes: “The popularity, also from the international side, is great.” This is crucial, because trade fairs only make sense if exhibitors and buyers can also travel from overseas.

"We are optimistic that, as is currently the case, business travelers from almost all countries can travel to Germany without quarantine," says Braun, but immediately restricts, "the situation is still volatile and the effects of the pandemic will continue in 2022 can still be felt. "

It shouldn't be completely analogous

The Frankfurt trade fair year will begin with Heimtextil from January 11th to 14th, for which around 1,600 companies from 50 nations have registered so far, according to Braun.

However, it should not be completely analogous here either.

"We will have videos on demand for many program items and tours of the trade fair via audio guide, as well as with Nextrade, the B2B marketplace for home & living that digitally brings the industry together." get.

Just a few days later, from January 17 to 21, the second edition of the Frankfurt Fashion Week after the purely digital premiere in July will be live and hybrid on the exhibition grounds and in restaurants, hotels, the club scene, museums and retail in the city for Life worries. "The fashion industry is celebrating its rebirth after Corona in Frankfurt, trade, brands and representatives of the industry can hardly wait to see each other again in person," said Braun. "The response is incredibly high, and we already know that in January we will come up with exhibition halls full of inspiration, innovation, emotion and storytelling," said co-organizer Anita Tillmann from the Premium Group. A festival platform called AAAREA with interdisciplinary offers is intended to complement the program.

At the end of January, Christmasworld, Paperworld and Creativeworld are on the trade fair agenda.

And in February comes the Ambiente.

"It is and will remain the world's largest consumer goods fair, before Corona, during Corona and after the pandemic," emphasizes Braun.

With 101,000 trade visitors from 158 countries most recently in 2020, it was still a crowd puller at the beginning of the pandemic.

We want to build on that.

"In the coming spring, well-known exhibitors such as Alessi, Berndes, Kare or Smeg will again be found on a well-filled exhibition center," announced the exhibition director.