Due to the recent development of Covid-19 infection figures worldwide and the resulting renewed tightening of travel restrictions, Mesago Messe Frankfurt GmbH has decided to hold the 2020 “Formnext” purely virtual under the name “Formnext Connect”.

Until now, “Formnext” 2020 was planned as a hybrid trade fair, i.e. with a physical part at the Frankfurt exhibition grounds and a digital supplement. This planning was based on the Corona Contact and Operating Restrictions Ordinance valid in the state of Hesse and a health and hygiene concept agreed with the City of Frankfurt am Main, the State of Hesse and Messe Frankfurt.

“The currently rising numbers of Covid-19 infections in Germany, Europe and around the world are leading to increasing uncertainty among exhibitors and visitors. Together with the renewed tightening of official and company travel restrictions, the otherwise highly international “Formnext” will no longer be allowed to be held in the accustomed quality,” says Petra Haarburger, President of Mesago Messe Frankfurt.

“We have been planning the ‘Formnext’ 2020 for months now, consistently and with the full support of our exhibitor advisory board, with the highest level of protection and safety for the health of our exhibitors and visitors. In doing so, we have approached the entire layout of the trade fair from scratch in the halls with all entrances, stands, paths and completely new stand packages, spacing and communication areas in accordance with the health and hygiene concept agreed with the authorities. Our disappointment at the end of the summer is all the greater now that we have to recognize that the course of the pandemic is destroying our efforts to make personal encounters possible again,” explains Sascha F. Wenzler, Vice President Formnext, Mesago Messe Frankfurt.

In the course of the crisis, the additive manufacturing industry has clearly demonstrated the potential that lies in flexible, diversified and decentralized production. AM will undoubtedly be one of the leading technologies that will show the way out of the recession. It will play a major role in the development of new products, the design of resilient supply chains and the development of sustainable business models.

“An exchange between technology providers and users is absolutely necessary for this and we are now putting all our energy into the creation of a virtual ‘Formnext’, the ‘Formnext Connect’,” Wenzler continued. “It will be the central virtual platform for business and knowledge exchange for the global AM community by the end of the year. The exhibitor advisory board unanimously welcomes and supports this decision.

Formnext Connect” will start as a virtual event from 10.11.2020 and offer a wide range of digital services. These include exhibitor presentations in showrooms (products, information, videos, chat function, lead generation / lead tracking), intelligent matchmaking with all participants supported by AI, live streaming and on-demand transmissions of the supporting program and webinars as well as the scheduling/scheduling of online meetings with exhibitors. Further information will follow shortly.