"Business needs trade fairs! The past few months have shown that. Industry longs for a platform to present innovations, expand networks, discuss economic policy challenges and acquire customers," says Dr. Jochen Köckler, CEO of Deutsche Messe AG. This is what Hannover Messe will offer again next year: "By linking the analog and digital worlds and offering a comprehensive hygiene concept, the world's leading trade fair for industry will become the central platform for innovation and orientation in the age of industrial transformation."

To this end, the trade fair offers all exhibitors the right package for them: from an analog stand to hybrid offerings to a purely virtual presence. Exhibitors can decide for themselves how they want to be represented at a trade fair during the coronavirus pandemic. "In discussions with our exhibitors, we often hear that it is virtually impossible to approach new customers without trade fairs. You need a specific date in the calendar where people can come together, innovations are bundled and orientation is offered," says Köckler.

For exhibitors and visitors who are unable to travel, there are new points of contact in the digital space: for example, Hannover Messe is setting up online streaming studios and working on hybrid offerings that combine the exhibition hall and virtual space.

As an economic policy platform, the trade fair facilitates a close exchange between business, science and politics and thus makes a significant contribution to industrial transformation - the key theme of the trade fair. In order to drive this process forward, decision-makers from business and politics will meet at the exhibition grounds or in one of the online conferences. Köckler comments: "The discourse between politics and business has never been more important than it is today. We will also develop suitable formats for this and bring together the best of the analog and digital worlds."