The InterTabac fair has presented a new replacement format for later this year, called the ITS Hub. InterTabac and InterSupply will take place in a compact and corona-compatible form on November 3rd and 4th, 2020.
Due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, the Messe Dortmund GmbH, organizer of the trade show, and the partner associations representing the tobacco industry, tobacco product wholesalers and retailers have worked out this new and innovative format for this year.
The ITS Hub combines the best of all worlds. On one side, it is a compact version of the two trade fairs, InterTabac and InterSupply, on the other side, it is a new mix of a face-to-face event paired with a virtual platform. Even in times of the COVID19 pandemic, this combination makes it possible to bring worldwide visitors, industry representatives, and companies together and offers a stage to talk about new topics, trends, and innovations.
Sabine Loos, Managing Director of the exhibition center operating company Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe GmbH, explained: “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”. Ms. Loos continued: “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.”
The central point of contact on the Internet is a digital platform on which visitors, aged 18 and over, will be able to register and follow the program happening on site, take a tour of the trade fair and participate in interactive tastings. Access to the online content will be free of charge. Steffen Kahnt, Managing Director of the German Federal Association of Tobacco Retailers (BTWE), said “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,” added Sabine Loos.
The combination of virtual and physical event will enable companies to take part without being tied to time or location, and reach a big audience without any staff requirement. Contents will remain on the web after the event and thus generate further coverage after the ITS Hub has drawn to a close.
The next regular edition of InterTabac and InterSupply is set from September 16th to 18th, 2021.