◊ By Pure & Eco India

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In 2022, BIOFACH and VIVANESS will take place as a ‘summer edition’ from 26 – 29 July. After close consultation with stakeholders from the sector, the decision was made to postpone the combined trade fair and accompanying BIOFACH and VIVANESS Congress this year on a one-off basis. Danila Brunner, Director Exhibitions BIOFACH and VIVANESS at NürnbergMesse, explains what that means, what opportunities it offers, and what exhibitors, and visitors can look forward to at this one-time summer edition. 

BIOFACH and VIVANESS have been postponed to July 2022. How did this decision come about? 

Due to the pandemic, we reached out to our customers in December and offered to postpone the trade fair to a later date in 2022. To decide upon an alternative date, we weighed up a range of factors in consultation with our customers and of course also considered the constraints of the trade fair calendar. After assessing the results of our exhibitor poll (votes received by 12. January 2022), we were able to make a decision, which was then communicated to our customers on 14. January 2022. We then informed the press accordingly.

Why did you opt to hold a poll on this issue? 

Although our experience from the 2021 autumn trade fair showed that on-site events can be held safely and successfully based on the hygiene and access concept we developed in conjunction with the Bavarian government, towards the end of the year there was growing uncertainty among our exhibitors due to the way the pandemic was evolving. This was a challenging predicament for all trade fair participants, as planning certainty and reliable frameworks are crucial to a successful event. Voting ensured that all exhibitors could be involved in the decision. 

How would you describe the attitude within the sector about the decision? 

Naturally, in the kind of situation we are in now, there are lots of different opinions, and our exhibitors also have vastly different requirements. However, throughout the voting period and in conversations with our customers, the mood was dominated by the yearning for this special platform to take place on site and with plenty of space and time for personal encounters! As passionate trade fair organisers, this is precisely our feeling too. We are grateful for commitment to BIOFACH and VIVANESS that has been demonstrated. 

How would you sum up the feedback from exhibitors on the various scheduling options?

From the number of personal conversations that we had we identified a lot of varied reasons for or against the postponement, depending on a company’s individual perspective. Those that were initially wary about the July date were influenced by market-specific reasons like harvest times, the seasonal availability of certain products, and to some extent, holiday periods. Those in favour of postponing were mainly concerned about the uncertainties associated with the pandemic. 

How are you now going to handle exhibitors who were against the postponement? 

We will personally contact them and will try to emphasise all the opportunities and potential offered by the summer edition of BIOFACH and VIVANESS 2022. We are confident that the new schedule, while not ‘normal’, will be able to convince even those who voted in our poll to keep the February date. Ultimately, there is one thing we have all had to learn over the last two years: the term ‘normal’ has been completely redefined, so that we have had to work together flexibly and need to continue to do so. 

What are your expectations of the new July 2022 date? 

The chief expectation is the one we share with the entire sector: to have a face-to-face reunion of the organic food and natural and organic cosmetics community in Nuremberg as a live, multi-sensory, on-site event with all the facets that make BIOFACH and VIVANESS so special. 
But more specifically, we hope above all that the new dates will provide even more planning certainty. And the new date also makes us more positive about being able to welcome as many people as possible in person.

Can you give us an idea of what to expect at the summer edition of BIOFACH and VIVANESS 2022? 

We are confident that the July 2022 edition will map the entire supply chain on the exhibition floors and will offer an unparalleled range of rigorously organic food and personal care products, both on site and in the digital add-ons. Naturally, we also want to take advantage of the opportunities offered by holding an event during the summer months, although these are still at the planning stage. 

Are people going to be able to experience organic food and natural and organic cosmetics with all their senses?

Absolutely. You need to be able to feel, smell and taste organic food and natural and organic cosmetic products. Regardless of the date of the event, our hygiene and access concept provides a framework to ensure that trade fairs held at the Nuremberg exhibition venue are both safe and successful. The hygiene plan for BIOFACH and VIVANESS is based on the Bavarian government’s Infection Control Measures Regulation and Framework Hygiene Concept for Trade Fairs and Exhibitions. Since September 2021, this hygiene model has already proven highly effective and was successfully implemented and adopted at all events held on the grounds of NürnbergMesse. 
Visitors can expect to taste food and beverages and try out cosmetics based on the kinds of rules that we are all familiar with meanwhile from the food service and retail sectors.

What kept you motivated in the last few weeks until the decision was made to postpone the fair to July? 

Naturally, the need to find the best possible solution for our customers, in an overall situation characterised by a wide range of opinions and sentiments. But also, the fervent desire to soon be able to organise trade fairs with the necessary planning lead time again, in the interests of all participants.
Moreover, I was also very pleased by the close consultation and frank exchanges with our exhibitors and the trust that they placed in us. 

Personally, what are you looking forward to the most? 

Undoubtedly the personal reunion with the sector, the chance encounters, the surprises, and the moments of inspiration that only an on-site trade fair can offer. This is why we all love trade fairs and what makes them special, quite apart from the purely material and economic function that they undoubtedly perform for the companies involved. 

Save the date: BIOFACH and VIVANESS 2022 from 26 – 29 July!