FIBO announces revised dates for trade-only fitness and wellness show

The organisers of Germany's FIBO, international fitness and wellness trade show, have advised that the event will now be held as a trade-only show from 1st to 3rd October 2020.

FIBO Event Director, Silke Frank advises that “FIBO in October will not be the biggest but one of the most relevant events of the past years. To the tune of 350 exhibitors in total are expected at FIBO in October.”

Frank notes “FIBO marks a turning point and looks to the re-boot of business even though there is no question of normality yet. Many things have happened, Covid-19 has set the market in motion in an entirely new direction: destructively but also productively and dynamically as new products and marketing concepts have emerged.”

Frank adds that especially in a situation like this it is all the more important to have a trade show that provides impulses for re-orientation advising “the market has to start up afresh."

Back to Business: innovations and digital solutions in demand

Digital solutions are particularly in demand here – which is why many novelties and prototypes will be on display at FIBO in October. Frank notes “the developments currently underway are extremely exciting, nobody wants to lose out on this.” This theme will also be picked up on by FIBO with new digital formats. Under the heading “FIBO@home” it will transport live streams, webinars and product presentations right into people’s own four walls.

Greenlighted: Halls 6 to 9 of Cologne Exhibition Centre

The green light for opening up Halls 6 to 9 has now also been given by Koelnmesse. These have classically also been used for the B2B segment in spring. This means that FIBO will be able to leverage the “bel etage” at Cologne Exhibition Centre in October. Frank enthuses “an ideal solution that all business customers are already familiar with and one which also ensures spacious conditions that cater to the new safety aspects thanks to architectural and logistics infrastructure.”

Joint safety and hygiene concept will be submitted by June

The corresponding concepts are currently being developed by Koelnmesse and FIBO organiser Reed Exhibitions in cooperation with the North Rhine-Westphalian government and health authorities. They relate to the calculation of trade visitor footfall, the routing and signposting and the definition of binding hygiene standards, to name but a few aspects. Initial results are expected in June.

“To us the health of our customers, employees and service partners working at the premises, are the highest priority,” says Frank and continues “the decision taken by the North Rhine-Westphalian government to allow trade-only fairs again creates assured planning arising from a confidence in responsible measures and the guarantee of high safety and hygiene standards. We are aware of our responsibility here and will act accordingly.”

Over the past few months over 2,500 trade fairs worldwide have been called off or postponed including all the events for the fitness and health sectors.

The revised dates for FIBO 2020 of 1st to 3rd October come after FIBO's announcement in early March 2020 that its event, originally scheduled to run from 2nd to 5th April 2020, was to be rescheduled from 1st to 4th October 2020.

Reed Exhibitions in Australia today announced that it will not stage Fitness Show events during the remaining months of 2020, instead focusing on events in Sydney and Melbourne in 2021.

Click here for more information on FIBO 2020 in the Australasian Leisure Management industry Calendar.