IVM and Koelnmesse cancel INTERMOT 2020Koelnmesse, the international exhibition centre at Cologne, Germany (that organises the biennial INTERMOT expo for the German motorcycle trade association/IVM), has announced that it has had to cancel this year's planned INTERMOT expo in October.
Koelnmesse stated that it "took this decision not least in the interest of the health of exhibitors and visitors. In contrast to trade fairs with a B2B orientation, major events such as INTERMOT draw tens of thousands of private visitors on all days of the trade fair; the hall space is limited and the time available is short.
"Spatial proximity and the shared experience of the trade fair form an integral part of the character of this event. At this point in time, the specifications currently in effect that have been issued by the Robert Koch Institute (RKI - the German government health institute), policy-makers and the public authorities cannot be met at major events. This is compounded by uncertainties on the part of numerous customers and the complicated travel situation".
The next INTERMOT will be 5-9 October 2022 in Cologne. "We regret that the overall situation leaves us no other choice".
Like all exhibition organisers throughout the world, Koelnmesse is aware that 2020 is clearly going to prove to be a watershed year in terms of how consumer and B2B trade fairs and exhibitions are operated.
5-9 October 2022
They went on to say that in future, such events "will incorporate more hybrid elements – to supplement the on-site experience with added digital reach. All stakeholders involved now have enough time to prepare accordingly for the next INTERMOT in Cologne, and to make it, once again, the meeting place of the international motorcycle community.
"We have hosted digital formats, in planning, that will present vehicle manufacturers' world premières for the 2021 season, together with innovations and industry news from the parts, accessories and apparel segments. There are also plans for a B2B talk format that will discuss 'opportunities after the coronavirus crisis'.
"All of the digital INTERMOT events are scheduled for the end of 2020 and will be broadcast as news streams to the global motorcycle community".
The news follows the decision by the MCIA, the motorcycle industry trade association in the UK, to cancel the 'Motorcycle Live' event at Birmingham in the UK in November - a popular show that regularly attracts some 100,000 motorcycle fans and acts as a debut opportunity for motorcycle manufacturers to showcase their upcoming new models.
As at the time of the INTERMOT announcement there had already been widespread expectation that ANCMA, the trade association in Italy, would announce cancellation of EICMA (November 2020), with the next show planned for November 2021.
There had been some industry debate that EICMA might stage a one or two-day dealer/vendor only expo (for European trade visitors only), but market reaction to the idea has not been universally positive.
