Physical events have managed a very strong comeback this year and the recovery is expected to continue in coming months underpinned by demand from visitors and exhibitors, Raj Manek, managing director, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India told Indian Printer and Publisher during Media Expo Mumbai 2022.
“Offline events are back strongly both in India and globally. Apart from China, which is under lockdown at present, every other region in the world is showing buoyancy when it comes to physical events. This year the market demand has been strong. There is pent-up demand, both on the visitor and exhibitor side, to get back to normal. We organized multiple expos in Mumbai along with Media Expo and the response to all of them has been rocking,” says Raj Manek, managing director, Messe Frankfurt Trade Fairs India.
Manek says that studies done by the industry and Messe Frankfurt show that a very large majority of companies want physical events back. “One thing we learned from the Covid is that virtual events cannot take the place of physical events. Yes, virtual events definitely add some value, but nothing beats face-to-face interaction as physical events give you the touch and feel experience,” he says.
Messe Frankfurt at Media Expo Mumbai 2022
The Media Expo Mumbai 2022 was a very attended event, and Manek talks about two major takeaways. He says that there has been a proliferation of digital signage printing and there are a large number of new companies entering the market.
“There is a huge increase in the participation of companies involved in digital signage printing in the 2022 edition of Media Expo Mumbai compared to the previous edition. This shows that innovation is very strong in the industry. Also, I see a lot of new companies this year compared to the previous Media Expo. These new companies are trying to localize their manufacturing. This means entrepreneurs see a lot of opportunity in the industry,” Manek says.
Messe Frankfurt sees growth in the signage industry
Manek believes despite the disruptions caused due to Covid, the Indian signage industry is poised to grow at a robust pace in the years to come.
“Indian signage industry has a bright future as it is linked to the growth in the Indian economy, which is recovering fast. A wide spectrum of industries is growing very fast in India and this should boost not only the signage industry but the over media and print industry. I see 10 to 15 years years of real and strong growth in the industry,” he says.
Manek adds that Messe Frankfurt will also continue to invest in the Indian market. “India is our top market and we will continue to invest here. Covid hit our operations very hard and our immediate aim is to bring the business back on level footing,” he concludes.
