German pavilions as a turbocharger for companies

Spots in German pavilions usually fill up quickly. Because the advantages of taking part in trade fairs abroad are self-evident: Sound advice from experts in the run-up to the event and excellent support at the exhibition stand itself. This leaves companies free to play to their core strengths – the haptic presentation of their product range and face-to-face communication on site.

But then came the slap in the face, right in the middle of preparations for the 2023 trade fair season: The Ministry of Economic Affairs announced that it is severely curtailing its International Trade Fair Programme (AMP) for the coming year, with funding for SMEs set to be cut by 17 percent from €43.7 to €36.4 million.

“Instead being slashed gratuitously, the International Trade Fair Programme, an essential and proven mechanism, needs to be strengthened,” urged Philip Harting, Chairman of AUMA - Association of the German Trade Fair Industry , the Association of the German Trade Fair Industry, in an initial response. For AUMA Managing Director Jörn Holtmeier, these cuts are “in stark contrast to the government’s stated objectives” and would also harm the SME segment and Germany’s appeal as a place to do business.

Measurable business success

Peter Koch knows the benefits of taking part in a German pavilion at international fairs. Koch is the managing director of Nextorch, which specialises in the development and manufacture of products to protect people and property, including headlamps, mobile outdoor searchlights, batons and multifunctional tactical belts: “Firstly, it creates equality of opportunity in the international marketplace, as our foreign competitors often benefit from massive subsidies from their home countries. Secondly, there is a measurable commercial success for us that can be attributed unequivocally to our participation.”

This year, the equipment supplier to the German Army, police and security authorities took part for the first time in the German Pavilion at SHOT Show in Las Vegas in the USA. Organised by NürnbergMesse Group , the pavilion was part of an event that welcomes more than 2,000 exhibitors and is thus one of the most important trade fairs of its kind for shooting, hunting and outdoor activities. Koch’s take:

“Any number of Excel spreadsheets and the most elaborate and costly videos, websites or catalogues are no match for personal contact and the opportunity to ‘grasp’ products in the truest sense of the word.”

The company’s CEO, Peter Koch, will naturally be fronting the stand again at the forthcoming round in January 2023. And at the IWA OutdoorClassics and Enforce Tac at Exhibition Centre Nuremberg, where Nextorch will also be exhibiting.

NürnbergMesse organises around 40 pavilions annually worldwide. The team led by Katrin Lederer , Executive Director International Pavilions, manages the contracts for organising the pavilions, which are awarded by the German Ministry of Economic Affairs but also by various states, including Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg. The team members provide expert support throughout the process, from the registration stage to the trade fair exhibit and beyond.

Taking part in overseas fairs benefits exhibitions in Nuremberg

Subsidised pavilions offer an ideal opportunity to tap into new export markets and nurture existing partnerships. NürnbergMesse exhibitors also use international fairs to study development trends and look out for innovations.

“And of course, that also pays dividends for our own fairs – IWA OutdoorClassics and Enforce Tac –,” says Georg Loichinger from the IWA OutdoorClassics team, who also provides support to the German Pavilion at the SHOT Show. “The exhibitors come to Nuremberg with fresh ideas and new contacts, which benefits the industry and us as well in our capacity as trade fair organisers. Organising a German pavilion makes sense on multiple counts: “We bring people together, not just in Nuremberg, build customer loyalty and serve as drivers on the international markets of our customers and exhibitors.”

Visitors to the SHOT Show are cordially invited to pay a visit to the German Pavilion.