Back to the roots

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Ulrich Rothgerber

Rino Woyczyk, Drees & Sommer SE, Vice President of VIP3000 e.V.

Norbert Gürk, Piepenbrock Services

Margarete Witt-Mäckel, PPS Penny Cleaning Technology

Janine Gröger, Gröger & Obst

Klaus Pelikan, Niotronic

Frank Linke and Jürgen Steinhilper, Nicotra – Gebhardt

"The move back to Karlsruhe has paid off for us," concludes Ulrich Rothgerber from the trade fair organizer Inspire – Event Management. "Already in advance, there were more registrations from industry visitors for the 2018 lounges than in Stuttgart last time. The feedback was mostly very positive." Karlsruhe scores with short distances, uncomplicated parking options, and a relaxed atmosphere.

The organizers counted approximately 7,500 visitors. Around 200 exhibitors presented their products and services from February 6 to 8 across over 12,000 square meters. Six lecture rooms evenly distributed along the hall's length provided orientation options during the booth search. A large dining area on one side, opposite the area of the new Innovation Lab with World Café and Science Café, as well as six action stages, the Darkzone, the areas Hygienic-Design, Pharma/GDP, "Meet the Expert," and "Education and Training" framed the exhibitors' booths. Arranged in a diamond shape in various styles and sizes, they formed islands with twelve bars and relaxation zones, offering additional space for customer conversations.
Over 300 lectures, activities, and product shows were scheduled, covering topics such as water systems, monitoring, Nachwuchskräfte acquisition, and energy efficiency. As in every year, the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA, the VIP3000 – Association of Interest Group Pharmaceutical Construction, and ISPE – International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering participated and discussed current trends. One product presented by the IPA that attracted great attention on the action stage from exhibitors and visitors was the Mobile Cleanroom CAPE® (Clean And Protective Environment). Developed as a micro-satellite in cooperation with the space and technology company OHB System AG, it aims to protect sensitive hardware in a high-grade cleanroom during maintenance or modification. The mobile, quickly installable, autonomous system allows users to house hardware on an area of about four by four meters for a certain period. It is also intended for use in the pharmaceutical, optics, food, medical, and semiconductor industries.

Other highlights for the lounge participants in 2018 included new event formats such as "Meet the Expert," which enabled direct exchange with experts – both in one-on-one conversations and larger discussion rounds – as well as the Innovation Lab, where exhibitors and visitors could connect and discuss specific topics in Science and World Café formats. "With this, we want to bring even more communication into the fair, provide information and solutions more quickly," says Rothgerber. The Darkzone was also actively used again. The daily 15-minute guided tours between 11:00 and 15:35 were fully booked.

To conclude on a social note, the first two evenings featured convivial gatherings, which many attendees used to network informally and exchange ideas.

"The lounges gained in all areas with the move," Rothgerber is confident. And Reinraum online also reports a positive balance: Publisher Reinhold Schuster and his colleague were pleased with good conversations, gained new customers, and established business contacts.

Next for the industry and the organizers, Inspire, are the Lounges on Tour: on September 25 and 26 in Vienna and on October 9 and 10 in Berlin. Places are still available.

Rino Woyczyk, Drees & Sommer SE, Vice President of VIP3000 e.V.:
"We have been participating for many years, and we see it as positive that the lounges are returning to Karlsruhe. The transportation connections here are advantageous; our Swiss customers come to Karlsruhe rather than Stuttgart. Overall, I think the concept is right: The quality of the lectures is very good, and networking is working wonderfully again. The only suggestion: the booth markings could be improved – the non-orthogonal layout of the hall without booth numbers causes some difficulty for visitors in orientation and locating stands."

Norbert Gürk, Piepenbrock Dienstleistungen:
"We find the atmosphere in Karlsruhe very positive. Karlsruhe suits our lounge character better than Stuttgart.
The journey for our staff is easier, the walking distances within the fair are shorter, and the process is more straightforward.
For me, three factors are especially important at the lounges: firstly, customer contacts and networking; secondly, training opportunities. We take turns at our booth to attend the lectures. Visitors' frequency should be accurately assessed: there are no hunters and gatherers here, the lounges are for professional audiences. However, I do have a small criticism: the catering should be improved quantitatively."

Margarete Witt-Mäckel, PPS Pfennig Reinigungstechnik:
"Both locations have their advantages: Stuttgart scores with proximity to the airport and generally very good transport links. In Karlsruhe, parking is more pleasant, the fair is smaller and more manageable, which I like very much. I also appreciate the spacious arrangement of the exhibition stands and lecture rooms with small, quiet islands in between, where one can sit down for conversations with customers. For us, the lounges are an important place to meet with customers and project partners and to present our new developments. Unfortunately, few new topics were offered in the lecture program this year for my field (cleanroom cleaning, cleanroom suitability, hygiene, and cleanliness), but there was lively professional exchange at our booth and around the Darkzone. The catering could still be improved; it was insufficient. But we enjoyed the evening gatherings, where we could make some contacts and have good conversations."

Janine Gröger, Gröger & Obst:
"This is our first time participating. Unfortunately, we had only a few visitors and potential customers at our booth. The days were very different regarding conversations and results for us. Maybe it's also because the date isn't ideal: some federal states are still on winter break, and it's also Carnival. Personally, I find the overall layout somewhat confusing."

Klaus Pelikan, Niotronic:
"We participate in two to three fairs each year. We are a bit disappointed with the lounges this time. Last year, we had more visitors. We do not use the lecture offerings but presented something ourselves on an action stage. Overall, I think the trade fair days could be more condensed: I would prefer if the evening events started earlier, and being present at the booth until 4 p.m. would be sufficient."

Frank Linke and Jürgen Steinhilper, Nicotra – Gebhardt:
"We participate every year; the trade fair visits pay off for us. We notice that we are perceived more prominently and thus gain good and fruitful contacts. In fact, we managed to establish about ten percent more contacts this year than last. We exchange information about innovations and try to benefit as much as possible from the lectures. Next year, we will again participate with our own lectures. We see the diversity of the program very positively; it's a knowledge exchange. We also appreciate the lounge character, the nice, cozy atmosphere. But the catering could be improved. Additionally, the organizers should consider the school calendar when planning dates!"

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"There is still a lot of potential for improvement"
Interview with Harald Martin, founder of the lounges, responsible for the concept of the fair and the coordination of the technical lectures

Mr. Martin, why the move back from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe?
It was the exhibitors' wish to return to the hometown of the lounges. We gladly fulfilled this wish.

Were there any new features compared to Stuttgart?
Primarily, we included the "Innovation Areas" and the "Meet the Expert" forum. Within the Innovation Areas, new topics and trends were presented in a special setting. The "Meet the Expert" forum gave visitors the opportunity to discuss with experts on various topics and to exchange ideas more intensively. Both new areas were very well received and will be further expanded for 2019.

What trends are there?
Specific trends are very hard to pinpoint, as the lounges are too diverse. There were many innovations, including approaches to topics and their presentation. Companies want to stand out from their competitors and try to do so through interesting actions. That's exactly what the lounges are also about.

What were your highlights?
I would prefer not to single out anyone. But I do want to mention that companies increasingly understand how to present themselves innovatively and appealingly. It's very gratifying for an organizer to see that a concept is being lived and that there is interest in further developing it together.

Is there anything that still needs improvement?
No, we don't want to change anything. The success of the lounges and the satisfaction of the exhibitors show that we are on the right track.

What is your overall assessment of the 2018 lounges?
It was very successful – there was a lot of praise from all sides, and we already have many registrations for 2019. However, there is still a lot of potential for improvement, which we will pursue together with partners and exhibitors.

What does that mean?
Primarily, it is about optimizing processes and utilizing the various possibilities of the lounge concept, whether in program design, marketing activities, or scheduling in advance of the event to inform visitors early. Naturally, the communication platform x4com will play a very significant role here, which will present many new interesting content in the summer.

Next up are the Lounges on Tour. Is there already a preview of what will be the focus in Vienna and Berlin?
Currently, the last booths are being allocated; both events are nearly fully booked. By mid-March, we will develop the program together with the event advisory board and exhibitors, tailored precisely to the expected visitors at each location.

What visions do you have for the future of the lounges?
We always have visions, but we only talk about them when they are concrete. Stay surprised, it will be exciting!