Digital today, presence trade fair again tomorrow: From 19 to 21 May, the PSI corporate network of the promotional products industry will gather exhibitors and visitors for its first digital industry meeting at the screens of companies in Europe. The next presence fair will take place from 11 to 13 January 2022 at the Düsseldorf exhibition centre.
Full of confidence and with new concepts, the makers of the largest trade fair for the promotional products industry in Europe are starting preparations for the event in Düsseldorf in January 2022. Although, or perhaps precisely because, Covid-19 paralysed the entire trade fair landscape for over a year, it will quickly flourish again if the general conditions are right. PSI in Düsseldorf is convinced of this, which is why all sails are set for the leading trade fair PSI 2022. PSI has made intensive use of the time without a trade fair: With all means of modern communication and the expansion of digital tools, PSI has not only kept the connection to the market and its participants alive, but improved it. The visible expression of these efforts will be the first PSI Digital from 19 to 21 May this year.
First PSI Digital in May
The highlights of the digital event include a total of 20 hours of programme consisting of lectures, panel discussions and practical forums. The topics range from sustainability, law and marketing to innovations, trends and practical how-tos. Olaf Hartmann, one of the pioneers of multisensory marketing in Germany, will give the keynote speech on "The power of haptic advertising in a digital world". From June, the digital event programme will be supplemented by "Digital Fridays" on every second Friday of the month, so that a total of eight digital events will bridge the time until the next face-to-face event.
viscom and PromoTex Expo become part of PSI
In 2022, the presence trade fair will also come up with conceptual innovations. In 2019, the "PromoTex Expo" and "viscom" sections were spun off and affiliated respectively. "Due to the Covid break, but also in principle, this has not proved to be in line with the market and suitable for the future. We have talked a lot with the market. A rethink has taken place. Today, reliability, stability but also creativity in implementation are more in demand than ever. That's what PSI has stood for for 60 years, otherwise you don't last more than half a century as a leading trade fair," says Petra Lassahn, the new head of the overall PSI structure, who has been operationally responsible for PSI Messe since 2018. The consequence of market discussions and analyses is that the trade fair areas of PromoTex and viscom will be integrated into PSI. Finishing and printing technologies of the promotional products industry, as well as textiles and merchandising, will thus be an integral part of the trade show in the future. Many visitors and exhibitors will be pleased about this.
New regulation for visits by industrial clients
In addition, the network will address the wishes of its members even more than before. In recent years, criticism had arisen because the joint platform of PSI, PromoTex and viscom gave visitors access to the fair that was previously only open to PSI members. The aim of extending access to include industrial customers was to give the promotional products themselves more recognition and attention with the world's largest and probably also most beautiful promotional products fair. However, this intention and the interests of the trade were increasingly difficult to reconcile. For this reason, there will be a return to the rule that industrial customers will only have access to the PSI show if they are invited by promotional products retailers or consultants. This will also be underpinned by effective control systems. "With this, too, we are clearly steering a course towards reliability and a stable future," says Barbara Leithner, COO at Reed Exhibitions Germany Austria and thus also responsible for the PSI Trade Show.
Presence trade fair PSI 2022
PSI 2022 will therefore focus even more strongly on the needs of exhibitors and visitors. The topic of internationality will also play a major role here. Although PSI has already held a top position in the trade fair sector in the past with a high proportion of exhibitors and visitors, the world after Covid-19 will present new challenges. Petra Lassahn promises: "Last year, effective and comprehensive concepts were developed in cooperation with associations and other trade fair companies. These will come into play for our German and international guests, provided special hygiene and admission concepts are still required in January 2021."
The team in Düsseldorf is looking forward to the trade fair in January 2022 with a great deal of confidence and joy. Everyone is looking forward to seeing long-standing customers, partners and friends again. Since its inception, PSI has become more than just a trade fair or a network of companies. It is "part of PSI and Reed genetics," says Petra Lassahn, who has been responsible for leading trade fairs at Reed for a total of 24 years.
www.psi-messe.com
