Lounges 2017 – Organizers give a positive bilan

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Networking

Action

Action

Darkroom

The organizers of the darkroom

Cleanroom online with TESLA X

Breakdance battle between CWS-boco and Reinraum Online

Afterwork

Ulrich Rothgerber, Inspire

Stefan Haupt, Clear & Clean

Valentina Resar, Diana Electronic-Systems

Christoph Hock, InfraSolutions

Stefan Erens, Testo Industrial Services

Stefan Hoch, Vaisala

Manfred Seifert, Zeta Biopharma

For the fourth time, the lounges took place in Stuttgart. This year, the date was already set at the beginning of the year, from January 31 to February 2, 2017. Changes were also made to the concept. Exhibitors and visitors alike expressed their satisfaction with high-quality technical presentations, a relaxed atmosphere, and numerous catering stands where food and drinks were available at all times. The organizers are planning further innovations for the future: with a smaller exhibitor team, they aim to get closer to the customers and open up additional cities for the fair. And next year, the organizers will return even more to their roots – the lounges will again be held in Karlsruhe.

The balance sheet is impressive: 8,000 visitors attended the lounges in 2017, about 500 more than the previous year. Around 240 companies presented themselves with their own booths or joint stands. For example, VIP 3000 – Association of Interest Community for Pharmaceutical Construction, as well as ISPE – International Society for Pharmaceutical Engineering. For now, two years, the lounges have focused on cleanroom technology and pharmaceutical process engineering. Additionally, there is the industry meeting for the food industry – Hygienic Design EXPO. "There are overlaps in these areas among visitors and exhibitors," says Ulrich Rothgerber from the organizer Inspire – Event Management. "It fits quite well together. Still, it's nice that both areas have their own framework. Therefore, we also stick to the idea that they present themselves visually differently and have their own lecture rooms." In the future, they also want to work more closely with the CEC – Cleaning Excellence Center based in Leonberg.

Overall, the organizers want to focus again more on the strengths of the lounges. The shift of the fair date to the beginning of the year is well thought out: "The budgets are still available, and entrepreneurs can still plan," says Rothgerber. "Furthermore, there is ample time gap to other major events and trade fairs in the industry. This way, exhibitors are not stressed if they want to be represented elsewhere." The fact that the lounges will again be held in Karlsruhe in 2018 aligns with tradition. "The expectations for Stuttgart were high. People hoped for more internationality, more exhibitors, and more visitors," says Rothgerber. But that did not materialize to the extent they had envisioned. "Additionally, the lounges thrive on their family-like, manageable, and relatively quiet atmosphere compared to other fairs. We tried various approaches in Stuttgart, but overall it was simply not optimal. We learned from it." This was already evident at this year's lounges, which gained in atmosphere, appealing design, and content compared to the past three years.

There were, for example, changes in the lecture concept: In addition to technical contributions, there were also talks on practical examples, such as implemented customer projects. "We tried to make the level of the presentations so that more decision-makers would attend the fair," says Rothgerber. "80 percent of visitors orient themselves based on the lecture program. Therefore, we encouraged exhibitors to present projects, meaning planning, implementation, and control, and to address problems so that others can learn from them." While introductory topics are still offered, they have now also reached the target group of middle and upper management. Overall, the lectures were well received. Visitors and exhibitors alike expressed satisfaction. About 70 lectures were held in the six designated rooms. Additionally, product shows took place at the booths, on activity areas, and in the "Darkzone" (see below). "The Darkzone is a great thing. We, as organizers, have to thank the companies for taking the initiative," says Rothgerber.

Furthermore, the trade fair design in the hall was optimized by offering some additional stand variants. Besides the usual lounge stands with illuminated walls, there were open stands, so-called marketplaces, with a small counter, graphic wall, and larger floor space, allowing exhibitors to showcase larger projects and products. Also, striking, trapezoid-shaped walls, on which several exhibitors could present themselves simultaneously, structured the space layout. Overall, the design, surfaces, and colors have changed and are intended to influence the trade fair appearance in a new way in the future.

And regarding catering, a lot has changed this year: there was no fixed time window during which hungry visitors had to be served, but instead, they could visit one of the 17 bars at any time, offering items such as white sausages, Asian cuisine, schnitzel sandwiches, rice dishes, and cakes.

Other innovations planned for 2017 had to be postponed: so far, universities could not be convinced to participate. "But we remain committed to the topic," says Rothgerber. "There is a lot of potential. We are happy about every student we can interest in the industry."

The organizers certainly do not want to rest on their laurels when it comes to developing the lounges further. Already in autumn, a new initiative will start: on October 17 and 18, the "Lounges on Tour" or "Cleanroom Experience Expo" will take place in Frankfurt, aiming to reach the markets of customers and target groups even more directly. The event, first held in 2017, will possibly be organized every two years in alternating years with the lounges if successful. The plan is to visit various locations in the cleanroom industry with a smaller group of exhibitors, "around 80 companies," says Rothgerber. Cities like Vienna, Basel, and Berlin are planned. There, at attractive locations such as factory halls or hotels, invited guests will be introduced to the participating companies, products, and services through lectures and exhibitor booths. The trial run for "Lounges on Tour" will take place at the Frankfurt Fraport Forum at the end of 2017. So far, 44 companies are participating as exhibitors.

Highlight: Darkzone

The highlight of the 2017 lounges was the Darkzone. Thetex, PPS Pfennig, and CCI von Kahlden created, in a cooperative project, an interactive and exciting stage for visualizing, avoiding, and removing contamination. In a tour of nine stations, accompanied by technical presentations, the highly interesting and complex topic of effective contamination control was vividly and engagingly demonstrated.

The 15-minute tour covered nine different aspects of contamination control. Sources of danger and strategies to avoid cross-contamination were part of the tour, as well as the cleanability of different surfaces and materials, the influence of surface texture on cleaning efficiency, particle emissions from various textiles, measuring and visualizing cleaning results and surface structures, handling compressed air and necessary suction mechanisms at the cleanroom workstation, the optimal wiping technique, and the absolute and relative absorption capacity of cloths.

At each station, test contamination was applied to test surfaces or equipment. Structures or contamination on surfaces were made visible using white or UV light with special illumination or with the help of pure water vapor. Particularly at stations where fluorescent test contamination was made visible with UV light, visitors could clearly see that almost everywhere there are contaminants, but also that improper handling and/or materials can create new, additional contaminations. Another insight was that both making the contamination visible and removing it often require very individual solutions.

A central message from Thetex, PPS, and CCI was that, despite the complexity, controlling your cleanroom environments does not have to be lost as long as you are aware of the potential hazards and critically question data sheets and certificates of testing.

Over 500 visitors attended the guided tours of the fully booked Darkzone. The feedback from operators and visitors was consistently very positive! The logical question afterward was whether "something like this" will happen again next time?

Opinions: Exhibitors in conversation with cleanroom online

Stefan Haupt, Clear & Clean Werk für Reintechnik GmbH, Technical Director:
"Our company has been represented as an exhibitor at the lounges from the very beginning. The fair is an important platform for the industry. However, this year, it could have gone a bit better for us. Merely because the date was set in winter, some customers from the Regensburg or Dresden areas couldn't come due to road conditions. We would prefer the fair to take place in spring or summer. Otherwise, there have been improvements compared to previous years: the space layout is much more pleasant, although the booths and food trucks could still be distributed a bit better. The catering is significantly better, and I especially liked the Dark Zone concept – it's a great thing. Regarding the lectures related to our field and which we attended, I didn't notice major changes. The message is clear that no advertising should take place, yet a lot of advertising is still being done."

Valentina Resar, Head of Marketing and Sales, Diana Electronic-Systeme GmbH:
"This is our first time participating. We haven't had trade fair appearances before. But I personally have experienced many fairs, and I am very satisfied with the organization and the quality of contacts. Our company has been on the market with its LED lighting since 2001, mainly in the machinery segment so far. Now, we want to focus on the pharmaceutical industry, so this fair is very meaningful for us. We find the open lounge atmosphere very positive; people are relaxed and very interested. In these three days, we have already made over 60 new contacts. However, we find the start at 8:15 a.m. a bit too early, as visitors usually arrive after 9 a.m. Additionally, we would have appreciated a brief opening announcement. Overall, for us, the fair is already a success."

Christoph Hock, Project Manager InfraSolution AG:
"The lounges are well known to our corporate group. We have always attended as visitors in recent years. As exhibitors, this is our first time here. Our goal was to generate interest in our product RobotScanFlex and to see how it is received by potential customers. We achieved that. We were busy around the clock, answered questions, and spoke with interested parties. Most importantly, we gained new customers and received a lot of positive feedback."

From the trade fair's perspective, it might be worth considering reducing the opening hours to 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., since only a few visitors were present during the first hour from 8:15 a.m. and between 5 and 6 p.m. Otherwise, the fair was very well attended. Overall, we found the atmosphere very pleasant, and I can easily imagine participating again next year."

Stefan Erens, Testo Industrial Services GmbH, Authorized Signatory, Head of GMP/GxP Services Sales Department:
"Our company has been involved since 2009, and we appreciate the lounges because of their special atmosphere. The lounges are not a traditional exhibition fair but a networking event. It’s mainly about making contacts. And that’s what we did: we mainly deepened our existing contacts, gained new customers, and met new contacts at customer companies. The atmosphere was much better than last year. We liked the slightly different lecture concept, with significantly more high-quality presentations. I also think it’s very good that representatives from the responsible authorities, who ultimately set the direction for our industry and are decision-makers, are now integrated into the program. Plus, the food arrangements this year were excellent. The food trucks, where you can get different dishes and drinks all day, are ideal for exhibitors and visitors alike. Our conclusion for the fair: many things were better than last year; some areas, like marketing and communication, could still be improved. Our personal conclusion: next year, we want to be more actively involved with lectures and action stages. I highly support the move to Karlsruhe. The atmosphere there is more relaxed, the lounge character is more present, and the location is better for our key customers."

Stefan Hoch, Vaisala GmbH, Sales Manager CEN, Controlled Environment Life Science:
"This time, we are quite satisfied, and I get the impression that this reflects the general mood. The quality of conversations has increased, the space layout is more appealing, and there is lively exchange regarding innovations on the market. We have strengthened existing contacts and expanded our network. Holding the fair at the beginning of the year, and thus at the start of the fiscal year, is great. It allows us to get an idea of what the industry has to offer for the year. I also like the new concept of project-related lectures. However, the communication before the fair, such as changes from previous years, could be improved. For example, many people didn’t realize that this year's lounges are in a different hall than in previous years, and the supplier parking lot is elsewhere. I personally only found out by chance. Some customers parked at the other end of the fair and had to walk quite a long way back. Greater transparency or more advertising and information would be important here. We have already registered for next year in Karlsruhe. I personally only know Stuttgart as a location and am curious. We will first look at the new "Lounges on Tour" project with interest. Whether we participate depends on the company."

Manfred Seifert, Zeta Biopharma GmbH, Head of Sales Western Europe/VIP 3000, Association of Interest Community for Pharmaceutical Construction:
"Last year, there was a lot of advertising on the stages, which I found very disturbing. We don’t want to hold a market shouting event here, but rather exchange serious information, technical contributions, and expert opinions. This year, it was much better. There was less advertising, and technical topics as well as panel discussions were in the foreground. That’s the right way. I still wonder whether the current concept will work for the individual paying exhibitors in the future, because they want to acquire customers in addition to technical contributions and expert exchange. Unfortunately, there was no success in gaining new contacts from the pharma and biotech sectors at our booth and on the action stage. This may be because the lounges were more heavily visited this year by companies from the medical technology and health sectors. My VIP colleagues from the cleanroom sector, however, were able to record some promising new contacts. Overall, the 24 lectures in the VIP lecture cabins were very well attended, and the ten short actions on our action stage were also very popular – as was our newly designed VIP action stage. The fact is, the lounges are not a typical trade fair in the traditional sense. The goal is networking; the focus is on lectures, technical contributions, and communication with experts. That means exhibitors need to be active themselves, whether on presentation stages or at their booths. They should organize panel discussions and possibly even hold small lectures or technical contributions at their stands – without disturbing other exhibitors. I also believe that two days of lounges – instead of three – would suffice. The organizer should also try to attract more plant engineers and operators from the pharma and biotech sectors to the fair. As the VIP 3000 association, we have already made many suggestions for improvements beforehand. Some have been implemented, but it’s not yet optimal. Now, we will gather new suggestions from our 53 members for the organizer. We hope these will be well received and implemented."

VIP3000 – with a large joint stand: Fresh air for the industry

Rino Woyczyk, Partner at Drees & Sommer AG and Vice President of VIP3000
"As in previous years, the lounges proved to be an important and established industry meeting point. With the new date at the beginning of the year, it also serves as a kind of kick-off event for the industry – initiating topics, setting priorities for 2017, and of course building and deepening contacts. For us, what makes the lounges so special is also the atmosphere: instead of the hustle and bustle of other fairs, we encountered a pleasant environment where we could have many high-quality conversations with partners and potential customers.
We also made increased use of the new lecture opportunities: besides the classic topics and challenges in cleanroom construction, we also explored innovation fields such as digitalization. At Drees & Sommer, we are committed to advancing new approaches and ways of thinking. In a way, we are providing fresh air for the industry. This paid off – many interested visitors approached us at the fair to learn about our services."

"We are not only interested in presenting ourselves as a company but also in promoting exchange within the industry as a whole. Only through this can cross-cutting innovations be stimulated. Through the joint appearance of VIP3000, we were able to provide technical impulses and network further. The action stage was also a complete success: it informs and simultaneously helps to lighten the mood. The response was very positive."