“After more than twelve very challenging months for the entire exhibition industry, the current development of Formnext is an extremely positive sign,” commented Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext, Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. “Although we do not yet expect an exhibition of the magnitude of 2019, we’er looking forward to a successful Formnext in which real-life personal encounters and face-to-face interaction are once again at the forefront.”
The current trend is also being driven by the increasing pace of vaccination campaigns in many countries, including the United States, Great Britain, and Israel in particular. It is also likely that Central Europe will have vaccinated a large proportion of the population by the end of summer at the latest. At the same time, the highly innovative AM industry in particular is very keen for its annual Formnext industry meeting to go ahead in Frankfurt. “We are seeing a great many new developments along the entire process chain with young and established companies alike looking for partners, customers, and, in some cases, investors. This is an area in which Formnext is extremely important,” explains Rainer Lotz, President EMEA, Renishaw and chairman of the Formnext exhibitor advisory board. “At the same time, the pandemic has prompted a rethinking of existing supply chains in some cases. Businesses preparing for a restructuring can find suitable partners at Formnext and meet them here in person.”
Business and innovations
Formnext is extremely important for individual industries such as mechanical engineering. “The AM system manufacturers do important business here,” says Dr. Markus Heering, Managing Director of the Working Group Additive Manufacturing of the VDMA. “However, a great many traditional mechanical engineering companies also find useful solutions for the efficient development of their existing products, giving them an advantage in international competition.”
Exhibitors already registered include almost all major players in the industry as well as a wide range of innovative SMEs – including many new exhibitors from different countries. The provisional list of exhibitors can be found on the event website.
Drawing 56 percent of its attendees from outside of Germany, Formnext is building on the extremely high international presence of exhibitors from previous years. The international exhibition has also developed into an indispensable platform for the United States, one of the leading countries in the field of additive manufacturing, as confirmed by John Fay, Commercial Counselor, U.S. Commercial Service, U.S. Embassy Berlin: “The United States has a healthy, growing and globally active additive manufacturing industry with a good mix of start-ups, highly active SMEs and larger players. The U.S. Commercial Service appreciates the great relationship we have with Mesago show management and Formnext has proven to be an ideal venue for expanding transatlantic and international AM business relationships for U.S. firms. We look forward to an in-person Formnext this year and it is heartening to see many U.S. AM companies have already signed up as exhibitors. We hope to see more join them!”
Flexibility, health, and safety
The health and safety of all participants is another important focus of the Formnext team. In order to organize a safe and successful Formnext, the pandemic situation is being monitored closely to allow for the concept to be modified if necessary. After all, “personal encounters are a central part of our core business, and trade fairs are an indispensable driving force for the international economy, especially after times of crisis,” says Uwe Behm, Managing Director of Messe Frankfurt. “As the host of the Formnext exhibition in Frankfurt, we are implementing a thorough hygiene and protection concept to provide a safe setting for face-to-face meetings between you and your partners.”
Formnext’s revised concept also includes greater flexibility in respect of the cancellation conditions, customized terms and conditions, and the hybrid dimension that draws on experience from Formnext Connect 2020. Formnext 2021 will be complemented by the Digital Days at the end of November.
Event dates of Formnext:
- Formnext: 16 - 19 November 2021, Frankfurt, Germany
- Formnext Digital Days: 30 November - 1 December 2021, Online
Related global events on innovative industrial manufacturing:
- Rosmould: 15 - 17 June 2021, Moscow, Russia
- Formnext + PM South China: 9 - 11 September 2021, Shenzhen, China
- Formnext Forum Tokyo: 28 - 29 September 2021, Tokyo, Japan
- Asiamold: 3 - 5 March 2022, Guangzhou, China
Background information on Formnext
Formnext is the leading trade fair for Additive Manufacturing and the next generation of intelligent manufacturing solutions. It focuses on the efficient realization of parts and products, from their design to serial production. Formnext shows the future of innovative manufacturing. Formnext is organized by Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH. (formnext.com)
About Mesago Messe Frankfurt
Mesago, founded in 1982 and located in Stuttgart, specializes in exhibitions and conferences on various topics of technology. The company belongs to the Messe Frankfurt Group. Mesago operates internationally and is not tied to a specific venue. With 160 members of staff Mesago organizes events for the benefit of more than 3,300 exhibitors and over 110,000 trade visitors, conference delegates and speakers from all over the world. Numerous trade associations, publishing houses, scientific institutes and universities work with Mesago closely as advisers, co-organizers and partners. (mesago.com)
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Messe Frankfurt Group employs around 2,500* people in a total of 30 subsidiaries. The company generated annual sales of approximately €250* million in 2020 after having recorded sales of €738 million the previous year. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com
* preliminary figures 2020
Background information on TCT (Content Partner)
Established in 1992, TCT Group’s mission is to accelerate design-to-manufacturing innovation. Through global trade shows, conferences, magazines, websites and digital products TCT delivers business-critical insights on the technologies that help manufacturers make better products, more quickly and cost-effectively. Through the TCT Awards TCT celebrates the most innovative products and applications across the design-to-manufacturing process chain. The TCT Group is owned by Rapid News Publications Ltd, part of Rapid News Group. (thetctgroup.com)
Background information on the Working Group Additive Manufacturing (Honorary Sponsor)
Within the Working Group Additive Manufacturing, about 150 companies and research institutes collaborate under the direction of the German industry federation VDMA. Here, plant engineers; component and material suppliers; industrial companies that work with metals and plastics; service providers in software, manufacturing, and processing; and numerous researchers all work toward the same goal: the industrialization of additive manufacturing techniques. (am.vdma.org)