Europe's first trade fair for infection control prevention as a response to the crisis

From November 5th to 6th, 2020, Erfurt was the European center for infection control in Germany for two days. The trade fair impressed with unique know-how transfer, high-caliber speakers, and a lot of engineering craftsmanship and inventive spirit.

The initial concept of pro.vention anticipated around 60 potential exhibitors at the start of planning. The high demand from companies and the urgent development of the pandemic led to more than double the number of companies and institutions participating, with 125 exhibitors.

Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow welcomed all exhibitors and visitors on the first day of the fair with the words: "The fair is the answer to the crisis!" and pointed out how important such an event is given the current developments in infection numbers in Germany. The variety of products and services shown in Erfurt for containing the COVID-19 pandemic confirms his view. The trade fair was the ideal platform for exchanging information about the current pandemic situation and possible responses.

Whether with heat, filters, air systems, or UV light – with a lot of engineering craftsmanship and inventive spirit, solutions were presented at the Erfurt fair that can protect and save lives.

Very special highlights at the trade fair included:

- The conference with high-caliber speakers and lectures on surface protection, disinfection, textile finishing, protective masks, pandemic protection from 3D printers, and air filtration
- a panel discussion with Thuringia's Prime Minister Bodo Ramelow, AOK board member Rainer Striebel, and fair managing director Michael Kynast
- Hygiene made tangible: 20 hygiene towers in the fully booked exhibition hall and health gates at the main entrance, as well as sanitation systems with access monitoring
- Exhibitor forum with numerous presentations on products for everyday use

Main topics of the trade fair, besides disinfection, included mask production, air purification using filter systems, COVID-19 testing systems, as well as software and technology for conducting events, conferences, and meetings. These measures aim, among other things, to reduce the risk of infection and transmission in everyday life.

A significant approach of the trade fair was to either clean the indoor air of viruses using existing ventilation technology or to deploy new devices for this purpose. Several exhibitors of pro.vention dedicated themselves to this topic. pro.vention itself used the presented options to enable visitors and exhibitors to attend the fair safely.

"The concept of pro.vention has been 100 percent successful," confirms project manager Carolin Beier. "Because 14 days after pro.vention, no COVID-19 cases had been reported to the health department. We could demonstrate with all our measures, especially the hygiene towers set up in the hall and the entrance gate, that the systems work. Every exhibitor was able to show through a practical example how we can handle the pandemic in the future!"

The next pro.vention will take place in June 2021 in Erfurt.

Exhibitor testimonials

VDMA, Astrid Thieme-Medinger, Press and Public Relations Officer
"For our members and us at VDMA, participating in pro.vention was quickly decided — a trade fair that takes place not despite COVID-19 but because of it. Air and climate technology is one of the key industries in the current pandemic. The joint specialist conference and our joint booth at the fair provide an important overview of the importance of modern indoor air technology in infection control. Our systems and devices ensure a healthy indoor climate as a fundamental prerequisite for well-being and performance. The hygiene measures of pro.vention — which are well-developed and implemented — offer an optimal framework to highlight the relevance of our industry."

BINZ Ambulance and Environmental Technology GmbH, Cathrin Wilhelm, Managing Director
"Unusual times require unusual measures. In this regard, the decision to carry out pro.vention was brave and forward-looking. For BINZ: Where better to present the prototype of our ambulance with UV-C disinfection? We were very pleased about the interest from Thuringia's Prime Minister and impressed by how consistently the hygiene concept was followed."

Helios Ventilators, Steffen Rahner, Regional Sales Manager Middle
"The past weeks have shown that in the fight against the spread of viruses in enclosed spaces, continuous and sufficient ventilation is crucial. Solutions that can be implemented quickly and with minimal planning and installation effort are needed. pro.vention was a good platform for us to engage in dialogue with visitors and demonstrate how the various Helios systems can help bring a bit of normality back into everyday life. Under the motto 'Feel as safe on the go as at home,' we aim not only to give people a sense of security in public spaces but also to show new ways of solutions so that, for example, schools, shops, and restaurants do not become hotspots for infection."

HAGEN HEALTHCARE UG, Dirk Kieslich
"With the theme of the fair, we were able to introduce a very new, innovative product that fits perfectly into the current Corona time. We gained interesting and potential customers at pro.vention and also met interesting companies with a similar product portfolio."

MetraLabs, Sabrina Greul-Nothnagel, Sales Manager
"The concept of pro.vention convinced us as exhibitors to attend the trade fair despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The core idea of the fair was actively to ensure that more trade fairs can take place again in the future. The multitude of ideas and innovations presented here to actively combat the COVID-19 pandemic thrilled us. From our perspective, the hygiene measures at pro.vention were very well implemented. Whether disinfectant stands or cleaning teams, which always ensured clean and disinfected surfaces, pro.vention showed that protecting health is the top priority. All exhibitors and visitors also adhered to the mask requirement, contributing to a safe event."