03.11.2020 / Frank Baier

Showcasing in a traffic training area

For several months no trade fairs could be held, not only in German-speaking countries. With the first small national events such as the Haptica in Bonn, however, the new start was a success.

If you are currently at a commercial fair, it makes you feel like you're back on the road again. I'm on my way to the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), which is an event building located directly on the river Rhine. This is where the promotional products fair Haptica, which is organized by the trade journal publisher WA Media is being held. 

After two postponements due to the corona pandemic, the time has come on a sunny and warm Tuesday in September. Surely nothing will go wrong, I think to myself, because I have an online ticket and have registered. However, my first and second attempts to get in fail because I get rejected by the security staff. Unfortunately, there's no way of getting into an exhibition area through a side entrance or exit. Not long after, I arrive at the entrance of the WCCB, am handed a bag with some merchandise and, above, all I get access.

Diverse creativity
Admittedly, this event is primarily a national trade fair because the audience is almost exclusively from Germany. If I were at an international trade fair, I would certainly get a particular sense of the effects of the corona pandemic. A total of 114 exhibitors are attempting (2019: 198) to impress over 750 visitors (2019: 1,840) with their products on site. The creativity, variety and communication strength of haptic advertising, in particular, are intended to appeal to those attending: promotional items made of plastic or natural materials, corporate wear, merchandise, giveaways in the form of jam or chocolate.

It is well-known that 3D promotional items and thus also printed products strengthen companies’ brand image. Various exhibitors prove this with their presence at Haptica: Brunnen & EilersEckenfelder, Geiger-Notes, Promonotes or Walter Medien with college pads, sticky notes, notebooks and calendars. 

In the meantime, customers appreciate the design and utility value of notebooks or book calendars and similar products: for example, the design with ribbon bookmark, elastic closure, pen holder, utensil pouch, the color scheme in original corporate design, the book cover with rounded book corners and title embossing. 

Products with plant-based ingredients
A clear recent trend in terms of environmental protection and sustainability is not only the use of uncoated or recycled paper, but also of plant-based components. Print media service providers such as Lediberg use special paper with press residue from apple juice production for individual calendar and notebook ranges.

Anyway, the event organizer's hygiene concept was a success and he's can now initiate the eighth edition of the Haptica trade fair . Wide aisles between the individual exhibition stands and a visually airy layout of the ground floor area bear witness to this. It goes without saying that a protective mask has to be worn, social distancing rules apply and hand sanitizer is available. 

All in all, the trade fair gave the impression of an exhibition in a traffic training area – i.e. clear traffic rules have to be observed. Ultimately, a clear one-way street principle applies at the event – you can't just walk on the respective aisles as you want. Several arrow markings and traffic symbols on the floor indicate the way in the prescribed direction. Actually, I'm even really happy about the traffic rules because, fortunately, there's no stopping or parking ban anywhere...



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Frank Baier
Editor-in-Chief «Bindereport»