"As organizers, it is our job to offer the best possible conditions for successful trade fair participation and a platform for professional exchange. The entire industry has been longing for these personal encounters for almost two years now. In consultation with the SPS exhibitor advisory board, we have therefore decided to hold the event under 3G plus conditions," explains Sylke Schulz-Metzner, Vice President SPS at Mesago. This means that access to the exhibition grounds will only be permitted under the following conditions

• full vaccination protection or
• demonstrably recovered within the last 6 months or
• negative PCR test (not older than 48 hours).

This also means for everyday life at the trade fair:

• Exhibitors and visitors can refrain from wearing mouth and nose protection.
• The obligation to maintain a minimum distance from other people no longer applies.
• The maximum number of people is no longer applicable.

Appropriate control points to ensure compliance with the 3G plus rules will be provided on the NürnbergMesse site. Increased cleaning measures, disinfectant dispensers and regular air exchange in the halls will continue to contribute to the safety of everyone involved. "Intensive consultation and technical discussions as well as an exchange at eye level are the core elements of SPS and what automation specialists have been missing in recent years. With 3G plus, we can fulfill these needs and almost restore a bit of normality," explains Schulz-Metzner.

Hybrid lecture program

The trade fair forum in Hall 3, which is jointly organized by the ZVEI and VDMA associations, offers numerous contributions, including the panel discussion 'Value creation from machine data 4.0 - win-win through partnership', which deals with the fair and individually self-determined use of machine data, and the panel discussion 'DC system concept for sustainable factories'. This will focus on innovative technologies that promote the achievement of international climate targets. The current shortage of raw materials will also be addressed in the trade fair lecture program and the audience is invited to exchange ideas with speakers and discussion participants.

Trade visitors can also take part in presentations as part of the 'SPS on air' digital event platform. Christian Baudis, digital entrepreneur, futurist and former head of Google Germany, will kick things off on the first day of the trade fair with his keynote speech 'How digital technologies are changing production'. On Wednesday, the program will focus on 'Use cases for AI'. In this context, Dr. Henning Beck, neuroscientist, biochemist and German Science Slam Champion, will address the topic 'Brain vs. AI - Smart automation for the world of tomorrow'.

Registration for the trade fair

Interested parties can now register for this year's automation highlight. The hybrid event ticket gives you access to both the trade fair in Nuremberg and the accompanying digital platform 'SPS on air'.

In addition, a purely digital ticket is also available, which gives interested parties who cannot attend in person in Nuremberg access to the SPS and the innovations in automation.

Tickets for SPS 2021 are available at sps-messe.de/entrittskarten. Regular updates about the trade fair and the hybrid offering will be published on the event website sps-messe.de. Interested parties can obtain comprehensive information about visiting the event here.