As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc on the cigar industry, especially the key trade shows both nationally and internationally, Messe Dortmund GmbH announced back in May that they were canceling this years InterTabac trade show. The show was scheduled to be held in Dortmund, Germany Sept. 18-20, 2020.
This week, Messe Dortmund GmbH announced ITShub, an innovative new format for its trade show that will consist of both physical and virtual versions.
Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe GmbH, the parent company of organiser Messe Dortmund GmbH explains:
“Our event reflects the diversity of the tobacco industry and tobacco production, merging the advantages of a conventional trade fair and an online event. For this purpose, we have planned a physical presence zone with ‘presence spots’ taking the place of conventional trade fair stands. Here, one to four companies each have the opportunity to present their products and then move to separate communication islands for further discussions or product samples.
There’s also a stage area and a ‘video spot’ connecting the real world and the digital world. The stage program will be streamed unedited, as will the contents of the ‘video spot’, which companies and media partners can use for interviews and product presentations.”
If you are over 18 years of age, you can opt into and register for the digital version of the show from anywhere in the world and it is free of charge for the online version. The digital version is planned to have interactive tastings, virtual trade show floor tours, and access to special trade show related programming.
Sabine Loos further noted:
“When it comes to the live streaming of the on-stage program and individual product presentations – complete with simultaneous interpreting – we’ll be using tools to enable direct interaction. This will allow both virtual and physical visitors to ask questions after product presentations and following talks by experts from home and abroad.
We are also currently preparing offerings such as tobacco product samples that exhibitors and partner organizations will be able to send to verified users’ homes. This means that one of the signature aspects of InterTabac and InterSupply – smelling, tasting, and experiencing the various products – will be preserved even during the current pandemic.”
ITShub will be held Nov. 3-4, 2020 at the same site as InterTabac. For more information on InterTabac, visit intertabac.de/en/home.
