Wieland Hofmeister: We have found an extremely appealing location for our visitors and exhibitors. The RAI convention centre is just a few subway stations from the central station, and if you take the train from the international airport, it’s also just about 15 minutes. Amsterdam is a cosmopolitan city with an exciting night life and an endlessly fascinating history. Going there isn’t just worth it for eroFame; you should also make plans to explore the canals, the sights, and the clubs.
The cherry on top is that Amsterdam celebrates its 750-year anniversary in 2025, meaning there will be lots of special activities all over town. On the business side, the main reason to attend eroFame is still that this is where the who-is-who of the industry meet, and this October will not be any different.
Kim Grundstedt: In terms of reachability, our visitors won’t see too big a difference compared to the previous location, Hanover. For many trade members, the journey to eroFame will be shorter now - even for lots of visitors from Germany, say, if you’re making the trip from the Ruhr region.
We look at eroFame as an internation trade convention set in the northern part of Europe. If you’ve travelled to the show via train or plane before, there won’t be major changes in terms of travel times or travel planning. eroFame has grown steadily throughout the years and we are confident that we can draw the same level of interest we’ve had at previous events.
And as has already been mentioned, Amsterdam is always worth a trip! We already know of many visitors who are planning to stay the weekend following eroFame to do some sightseeing in this fascinating city.
By and large, moving eroFame from Hanover to Amsterdam has been met with positive feedback. Is this enthusiastic response also reflected in the number of stands that have already booked for the upcoming show?
Kim Grundstedt: As of the time of this writing, roughly three thousand square metres of the show floor are already taken up, booked by roughly 75 exhibitors. In light of these numbers, eroFame is definitely still well-deserving of its moniker as the biggest European trade convention for our industry.
If you are part of this industry, eroFame in Amsterdam is the place to be, and that is true for both exhibitors and trade visitors.
The European trade show landscape has changed, and now there is competition for eroFame. Has this had a noticeable effect on the show? Is eroFame still the event that no one can afford to miss out on?
Wieland Hofmeister: Let's not forget that eroFame has always had competition. Just think of the Venus show in Berlin. This is not a new situation for us, and we always strive to make our show better and more appealing.
Apart from the great quality of our exhibitors, we also have a good angle on marketing, I think. We know how to reach trade members and create awareness about eroFame and everything to do with it while also emphasising the quality of the show.
On that note, I’d like to point out our homepage, www.eroFame.eu, our informative newsletter, and our social media channels on Instagram and Facebook, which we use to get the latest info out to all industry members on a regular basis. Moreover, we have a great reputation throughout the industry; over the years, eroFame has established itself as a brand, and we will not lose sight of that as we move ahead.
Maybe having an additional show that takes place in spring in the southern part of Europe makes sense. It’s obviously more convenient for trade members from that region. But I am not sure if this is going to be profitable for our industry in the long run. Obviously, this is just my personal opinion. At the end of the day, the decision is up to the participants.
A few years ago, we asked the exhibitors of eroFame if they would be interested in having an additional spring event in southern Europe. Back then, the response to this idea was fairly negative and most people argued that one trade show taking place in fall - in time for the biggest sales period of the year - was absolutely enough. But then again, opinions may change.
Naturally, I hope that all companies choosing to exhibit at a trade show achieve strong sales, no matter where they are or which show they attend. After all, that is what we need to stabilize our industry.
Wieland Hofmeister: The success of a trade show is always measured by the number of visitors and the resulting sales for the exhibitors. So far, eroFame has been doing very well on both counts. So, what we are constantly working on is making sure eroFame remains an appealing event for the trade members - and for the exhibitors as well, naturally.
This year, we have added an additional stage for lectures, with a programme tailored to the needs of the trade members. If there are suggestions for topics, we’d love to hear them, and I encourage everybody to check out these lectures.
There have been heated debates about the growing presence of Chinese companies at trade shows for a number of years now? What stance does eroFame take on this topic?
Kim Grundstedt: There are big, renowned companies from Western industrialised nations that are closely connected to Chinese producers. This is the case in many industries, and ours is no exception. Those among them that will be at this year’s eroFame have already had a presence at European trade shows for years.
And eroFame won’t be the only event they participate in this year, either. They are committed to a reasonable pricing policy and the same level of quality and responsibility that other exhibitors are dedicated to as well, therefore we gladly welcome them at eroFame.
But we have also made a clear decision: Going forward, eroFame will not accept exhibitors that are clearly identifiable as Chinese companies. We do this in the interest of our other exhibitors as we want to avoid market distortions due to a skewed perception of price in relation to quality.
We only want to present the best and safest products to our visitors. Having learned from past experiences, we know that we aren’t doing anybody any favours if we risk having products that violate existing copyrights or unsafe low-quality products that are maybe not CE certified. For this reason, and this reason alone, we have decided to categorically turn down such exhibitors.
One of the advantages of your previous location in Hanover was that you were able to rent fair halls at very favourable conditions. Amsterdam is probably a bit more pricey. Will exhibitors have to reach deeper into their pockets now?
Wieland Hofmeister: There is no way around the fact that prices in a cosmopolitan city are higher than they are in a city like Hanover. However, these are tough times where everybody feels the financial strain, so we decided to send a positive signal and not raise the prices for our stands. This is our way of saying thank you to our exhibitors who have stuck with eroFame for many years! Hotel prices in Amsterdam are generally on the moderate side; you can get a nice room in the vicinity of the convention centre from 125 euros per person. Our 4-star partner hotel, the nhow RAI Amsterdam, is right across from the convention centre, so you can easily reach eroFame on foot.
As eroFame left Hanover for Amsterdam, you also bade farewell to the popular eroFame Oktoberfest. Will there still be a party at the event? If so, what can the visitors expect?
Kim Grundstedt: Of course, the members of the industry will still get an opportunity to celebrate this year! On eroFame Thursday, we will have a roaring party at Beach Club, right across from fair hall 8, near one of the canals. Apart from the presentation of the EAN/eLine Awards, we also have several other surprises lined up for our guests, so expect the unexpected. Everybody is invited!
Nowadays, many companies focus on social media, email campaigns, and online networks to reach their customers and business partners. How do in-person meetings at a trade show compare to these digital communication tools?
Wieland Hofmeister: We feel that staying in touch online is not at all comparable to a face-to-face meeting. I am not trying to badmouth modern communication tools – we are obviously using them ourselves, and they have undeniable advantages. But there is nothing like real conversation and emotion in an environment where you can meet lots of people in the flesh.
In my opinion, there is no substitute for in-person conversations, and I feel that many people share that opinion. The visitor numbers of eroFame certainly seem to prove this theory.
Given the challenges our market is facing, are you confident about the future of the trade show format?
Wieland Hofmeister: Having numerous companies, all in one place, with the opportunity to talk to them and have their products presented to you in-person - that concept will continue to be a big deal in the future.
But the market will decide how many of these events there are. Does our industry need several annual trade shows in Europe?
That’s the big question, and in time, the participants will provide the answer.
