News of the week
steinexpo takes place from 14 to 17 April 2021 03.06.2020
After the German Federal Government and the Minister Presidents of the federal states banned such large-scale events in mid-April 2020 with reference to the infection dynamics of such events at least until 31 August 2020, the curtain also came down for steinexpo this year. This means that the trade fair originally planned from 26 to 29 August 2020 must be postponed. After numerous discussions, the new date has now been set: the 11th international demonstration trade fair for the raw materials and building materials industry will take place (formally subject to Corona) from 14 to 17 April 2021 at the well-known venue in the MHI stone quarry in Nieder-Ofleiden.
The saying goes that hope dies last. In fact, with regard to steinexpo 2020, it was alive well into April. After all, it is the responsibility of the individual federal states to decide on the specific regulations and to determine the size of events and which implementation criteria shall govern events with regard to the proclaimed prohibition. Then, however, the authorities in Hesse decided that the 11th steinexpo could not take place at the end of August 2020 as planned. This means that national and international trade visitors to the fair, as well as exhibitors from the product segments of construction machinery, mineral processing technology, auxiliary equipment and services, will have to be patient for a few more months before they can all come together again for this demo show.
Dr Friedhelm Rese, managing partner of the trade fair organiser Geoplan GmbH, explains: “It is with a heavy heart that steinexpo 2020 has to be postponed due to official stipulations. We decided on the new date for the 11th quarry demonstration trade fair in close coordination with the operators of the quarry and the respective authorities.”
The trade fair director adds: "Our team has already committed and prepared steinexpo 2020 together with the seasoned planning team, the operator of the stone quarry and the exhibitors with a lot of passion. I thank all those involved with all my heart! The postponement has quite an impact on us as a rather smaller trade fair organiser. Nevertheless, we all need to look ahead now. Together we will make the 11th steinexpo a successful platform for the raw materials and building materials industry from 14 to 17 April next year.”
Dr Rese is particularly pleased about the great understanding of the exhibitors who already registered: “The feedback from almost everyone is that this decision was the only sensible solution in view of the situation at the end of April 2020. All companies that are involved in the trade fair naturally hope that the success story will repeat itself. This is much easier to do in a calm, safe environment than in a stop-and-go phase.”
Good reasons to have the event in April 2021
With the postponement to April 2021, the 11th steinexpo will take place a whole year before the bauma that follows in April 2022 and virtually opens the upcoming trade fair year for the industry. This way, the organisers are also acting in the interests of the exhibitors, as the respective labour-intensive trade fair planning, preparations and personnel deployment are not going to waste.
Finally, from today's point of view and planning forecast, the spring date is of course also optimally matched to the mining situation, because, as is well known, steinexpo does not take place on "normal" fairgrounds, but in an actively operated basalt quarry. This fact is associated with special challenges for both sides. The organisers have to adapt the trade fair concept to the available terrain, while the quarry operator also keeps the requirements for the next trade fair in mind when planning the mining operations.
It is thanks to the mutual respect and trust of the partners involved that the redevelopment of the exhibition site for steinexpo 2021 will again be shouldered jointly with enthusiasm and without additional losses.
Coexistence and cooperation to lift the mood
The trade fair organiser also receives encouragement and expressions of support from the associations that are committed to the trade fair as its technical and conceptual sponsors, as well as from the media partners: “As difficult as the times are - it is now clearer than ever that we can be proud to work for such well-established and trusted industries within the mineral raw materials and building materials industry. My opinion is that the connection to reality is particularly strong here. You see beyond your own nose, speak a common language and act in solidarity in the best sense of the word. In the final analysis, to experience this so distinctly, despite all the difficulties that we would have liked to have avoided, is fantastic. I hope that we can appreciate this as a value and that we can internalise it beyond the Corona period,” summarises Dr Friedhelm Rese his current impressions.
