It was almost 70 years ago that the foundation was laid for what is now the Messe Düsseldorf trade fair company. Much has changed since then – both in the trade fair industry and in communication. It’s hard to imagine that there weren’t always emails, or that not all that long ago, servers were the size of large desks. Among the many ways that the digital revolution has transformed our way of life, information is exchanged more quickly than ever before, and mobile communication has become an absolutely integral part of our everyday existence.
Changes such as these are of course not always easy. Nonetheless, I find them to be exciting and enriching. I cherish the possibility of mobile conversations with friends who are on the other side of the globe. I don’t buy the theory that strangers spoke to each other more frequently on the bus before the era of the smartphone. And, although my career as Social Media Officer for Messe Düsseldorf does underscore my affinity for online activity, I still prefer to meet with friends and acquaintances in person for a conversation rather than on Facebook. In my estimation, digital communication is not meant to replace face-to-face conversations, but instead to complement them in a meaningful manner.
It’s no different with this blog. The intention – to meaningfully augment our communication and to build a bridge between exhibition hall, human being and opinion – is the primary focus here. In this blog we will not be publishing official statements from Messe Düsseldorf. Instead, the editorial team, staff members, and guests will be blogging about impressions, occurrences and experiences related to trade fairs. All participating authors are open to dialogue and are happy to receive constructive comments.
The views expressed here are those of the respective authors and do not reflect the views of the company.
As drupa – the first Messe Düsseldorf project with its own website – went live in 1995, the Internet was pretty much virgin territory for most of us. Today, 14 years later, it is a self-evident part of our everyday work, and corporate blogs are also no longer a rarity. One thing, however, has not changed in all those trade fair years: “In Düsseldorf, ‘Love a fair’ is far more than just a campaign slogan, and we are delighted that exhibitors and visitors can maintain a personal connection with us via the Messe Düsseldorf blog – also when no fairs are running,” exclaims Messe Düsseldorf President & CEO, Werner M. Dornscheidt.
