The Hannover Messe is back on the exhibition grounds after the cancellations caused by Corona. There is no such thing as a “party mood” yet, but enthusiasm for the technology is visible, according to the makers.
The Hannover Messe attracted significantly fewer visitors when it made its comeback than before the pandemic.
Around 75,000 people followed the world’s leading industrial show on site, and another 15,000 took part digitally, as trade fair boss Jochen Köckler said on the fourth and last day of the exhibition on Thursday. In the years before the pandemic, the fair had counted well over 200,000 visitors. Around 90,000 people took part in the purely digital edition a year ago.
Köckler explained that the number of participants met the expectations of the 2,500 exhibitors. The next edition in April 2023 with the partner country Indonesia should be bigger. The exhibition manager predicted that the exhibition area would increase from 90,000 to 140,000 square meters. Visitor numbers like in 2019 are not yet to be expected. “But that’s going in the direction of growth,” said Köckler.
Against the background of the war in Ukraine, this year’s fair was heavily influenced by concerns about energy security, rising costs and disrupted supply chains. Köckler said there was no euphoria or party mood. However, the belief in the technology was felt.
