Hannover Messe 2020 has been moved back to the week of 13 to 17 July in response to global developments related to the Coronavirus.
Organiser, Deutsche Messe, made the decision in close cooperation with the Hannover Region Health Authority, the Messe Exhibitors' Council and the partner associations VDMA (German Engineering Federation) and ZVEI (German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers' Association).
The Hannover Region Health Authority had strongly recommended that Deutsche Messe follow the advice of the Robert Koch Institute, which includes comprehensive measures to safeguard health when hosting major events. For instance, fever measuring stations at all entrances and not allowing people from risk areas or those who have had contact with people from risk areas to enter the exhibition centre. This would have entailed a comprehensive evaluation of all trade fair participants – from exhibitors and visitors to service providers, exhibit builders and catering companies.
Deutsche Messe is unable to implement the proposed measures. In addition, their implementation would impair the staging of the event to such an extent that the event would not fulfil its purpose or would do so only with considerable restrictions for exhibitors and visitors.
Since the health of exhibitors, visitors, employees, and the public is the top priority for Deutsche Messe, the decision was made in consultation with Hannover Messe’s exhibitor advisory councils to switch to the July date.
“With the July date, we offer our exhibitors the earliest possible time slot to present their innovations to a global audience and to initiate business,” says Dr. Jochen Köckler, Chairman of the Board of Management of Deutsche Messe AG. “In view of the global economic challenges triggered by the Coronavirus in the first half of the year, the new date offers great opportunities. Thus the world's most important industrial trade fair can provide important impetus for the global economy at an early stage.”