parts2clean and SurfaceTechnlogy, which were scheduled for 27‒29 October, will not be held this year. The two fairs will return respectively in October 2021 and June 2022.
SurfaceTechnology Germany and parts2clean organizer Deutsche Messe announced that the two trade fairs, which were originally scheduled for June 2020, then postponed to 27-29 October in Stuttgart, will not take place this year.
The decision to cancel the two trade fairs was made in close coordination with the trade fair advisory boards and following conversations with companies and associations.
The main reasons that prompted this decision were the uncertainties caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the economic crisis which is affecting some companies, the limitations on international travel and the new regulations on trade fairs introduced by the Baden-Württemberg region, which would have affected the usual appearance of the event.
Organizers also conducted a visitor survey, according to which around 60% and 65% of the previous visitors of respectively SurfaceTechnology GERMANY and parts2clean have either excluded or questioned a visit under the current circumstances. Fear of a possible infection, and limited travel opportunities are the main reasons for visitor skepticism.
Details and information for exhibitors and visitors who had already purchased a ticket will soon be available on the trade fairs' websites.
"We fought hard for both trade fairs, but in the end there's no alternative to cancellation," says Olaf Daebler, Global Director SurfaceTechnology GERMANY and parts2clean in the team of Deutsche Messe AG. "Under the given circumstances, it would not have been possible to successfully stage the two trade fairs in Stuttgart in October. Companies need reliable planning, which called for a prompt decision. We will now invest all of our energy in restarting parts2clean in October 2021 and SurfaceTechnology GERMANY in June 2022. Once the current situation has been overcome, both events will be needed more than ever."
SurfaceTechnology Germany is now set to take place on 21-23 June 2022 in Stuttgart, while parts2clean is scheduled form 5-7 October 2021. Next year, the SurfaceTechnology AREA will also be part of HANNOVER MESSE in April 2021.
Statements on the cancellation of SurfaceTechnology GERMANY and Parts2Clean:
Christoph Matheis, Chief Executive Officer, Central Association for Surface Technology (ZVO):
"Deutsche Messe AG's decision to cancel Surface Technology GERMANY 2020 is the right one considering the present fragile corona situation with numerous requirements regarding hygiene, distance regulations and the bad economic conditions at the moment. Ultimately, the top priority for all of us is to take responsibility for the health and safety of exhibitors, visitors and employees. The need for personal interaction will return and will probably be greater than ever before. That is why we are pinning our hopes on a slowdown of the pandemic and an economic upturn in the second half of 2021 latest, so that we will then be able to organize a successful Surface Technology GERMANY 2022 with strength and optimism. The German Surface Technology Association and its numerous exhibitors will participate."
Dr. Thomas Schräder, Managing Director, Air-Handling Technology Association within the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association (VDMA):
"The cancellation of Surface Technology Germany 2020 is a pity, but in view of the current situation it is the right and responsible decision by Deutsche Messe AG to avert economic risks for all parties involved. The decision is thus a logical consequence of the postponement of almost all trade shows of relevance to the mechanical engineering industry in autumn 2020. For companies, the key issue in the coming months is to be able to survive the period until a sustained economic recovery. SurfaceTechnology GERMANY 2022 is expected to be held at a time of economic upswing and then return to its usual strong position as the marketplace for surface technology."
Arndt Striso, Technical Sales, Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG:
"Since its introduction in 2006, Surface Technology GERMANY has been a regular event in the exhibition calendar of Dr.-Ing. Max Schlötter GmbH & Co. KG. After the original date of the fair had been postponed, we also believed in the fact that Surface Technology GERMANY 2020 would be held in October. We did not expect that Deutsche Messe AG would have to cancel this year's fair, which is so important for the surface coating industry. However, we fully support the decision, as we believe that the trade fair could have taken place only under very limited conditions regarding hygiene and distance regulations. We also think that many companies and customers are currently occupied with existential problems and therefore do not find the time to attend trade fairs. The expected lower number of visitors would not really have justified the financial and material expenditure of this fair. This is another reason why we support the decision and are looking forward to a SurfaceTechnology GERMANY 2022 in Stuttgart in two years, which can then certainly be held under better conditions than this year."
Ulrike Kunz, Head of the Technical Centre, SurTec Deutschland GmbH:
"SurTec has been participating in the parts2clean trade fair from the very beginning. The trade fair was and is a very important event for us and our industry, due to the unique character of its offerings. I am not aware of any other trade fair that covers the field of industrial parts cleaning in such a complete way. I therefore find it extremely unfortunate that the event cannot take place this year due to the exceptional circumstances caused by Covid 19. However, the decision is quite understandable, because a trade fair thrives on direct dialogue, on people meeting in person, and this would not have been possible to a sufficient extent this year. We are now facing the future, and are already looking forward to next year's parts2clean. You can manage a lot via Internet and digitally, but a trade fair ‒ and this trade fair in particular ‒ will never be replace by this."
Professor Dr. Lothar Schulze, Chairman of the Industrial Parts Cleaning Association (FiT):
"It is a pity that parts2clean has to be cancelled this year. The FiT, with its service offerings covering advanced training, qualification and consulting, is very well prepared for trade fair enquiries from cleaning system operators. However, since the given general conditions do not allow convenient discussions on problem solving, the decision made is reasonable and acceptable. Therefore, we look forward to next year's parts2clean with great confidence. With our initiative 'QSREIN 4.0: Opportunities for Cleaning Technology' we will demonstrate the current innovative and customized process solutions for component cleaning in the future."
Florian Weber, Vice President Sales, Weber Ultrasonics AG:
"The effects of the corona pandemic are occupying us all more strongly and longer than expected. Unfortunately, it is not possible to offer visitors an exciting and successful trade fair experience as usual under the current official regulations. For exhibitors, planning and preparation under such uncertain conditions is almost impossible. We are very much aware of our responsibility towards our co-exhibitors, visitors and staff members, and will therefore concentrate on parts2clean 2021. We want to use time until then to develop a resilient trade fair concept and exciting new formats."