EXHIBITION PREVIEW DIGITAL MOVE
METAV reloaded
METAV will now take place as a digital event in March and the organiser, the German Machine Tool Builders’
Association, says the format will become a permanent fi xture in the future as part of a hybrid METAV.
The German Machine Tool Builders’
Association (VDW) ( www.is.gd/qFenO6 )
has reloaded and reinvented industry
event METAV as METAV digital – which will
now take place in a new online format due to
the Covid-19 pandemic.
At a press conference that was originally
intended to pave the way for the METAV
2020 reloaded fair next March, it was
announced that the event will be held
from 23 to 26 March 2021.
Speaking at the online event in
December, Wilfried Schäfer,
executive director of VDW,
explains: “If anything good has
come out of this dif cult time, it is
the stimulation of creativity.”
He adds: “Out of concern for our
“If anything good
has come out of this
dif cult time, it is the
exhibitors, who need certainty for their
stimulation of
creativity”
planning, and bearing in mind the health of
all those involved, we made the decision
last week to cancel METAV 2020 reloaded
as a face-to-face get-together and to replace
it with a purely digital event.
“Given the stubbornly high infection
gures issued by the Robert Koch Institute,
and the fact that Messe Düsseldorf has
cancelled all events in the rst quarter of
2021, this was the only sensible option.”
METAV digital set to become a permanent
xture as part of a hybrid METAV in the
years’ ahead, as Schäfer believes the VDW
feels METAV digital offers a number of great
opportunities – especially given the current
market requirements and the situation of
many companies, who now have to plan
their marketing budgets carefully to ensure
they obtain the maximum bene t.
He adds: “Hybrid trade fairs are the
future. METAV digital will continue as a
complement to the face-to-face event in the
future.” The hybrid concept is to be adopted
from METAV 2022, which is scheduled to
run from 8 to 12 March 2022 in
conjunction with Messe
Düsseldorf.
THREE-PRONGED
CONCEPT
METAV digital is one
part of the VDW’s threepronged
concept towards
virtual events and in March
it will include a virtual
exhibition, intelligent matchmaking
and the web sessions. The others are the
monthly web sessions that have been taking
place since June of this year and also the
preview.
In the virtual exhibition, exhibitors can
design their own three-dimensional digital
trade fair stand. They can choose the size
and variant of their stand, devise their own
layout and ll it with their own digital
content.
Intelligent matchmaking has been
developed online for the precise matching of
exhibitors and visitors. Personal pro les are
used as the basis for matching interests,
establishing contacts, arranging
appointments and then allowing the
exchange of business cards.
The third element, the web sessions,
gives exhibitors the opportunity to reach
their global audience live and online. In
20-minute talks they present their product
innovations and interesting examples of
applications, backed up by multimedia
content. A discussion platform also gives the
chance for presenters to interact with the
global audience.
TAKING CENTRE STAGE
During the preview in December, 40
companies who are exhibiting at METAV
digital, were given the opportunity to take
centre stage and present their company and
product offerings, as a senior decisionmaker
from each gave 90 second
presentation via an online video.
These included by Nico Hanke, chief
executive of cer of Roemheld ( www.is.gd/
HE0bRm ) who gave a presentation focused
on communicative clamping elements for
modern productive operations and explained
how the rm’s products can bene t.
Others speaking were Philipp Dahlhaus,
head of product management of Paul Horn
GmbH – UK subsidiary is Horn Cutting Tools
( www.is.gd/DwrCXp ) – who talked about the
bevel gear teeth and how economical it is in
the small series, in relation to his company’s
products.
Larissa Herberger, business development
and strategic of Agema Germany, also gave
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