Three months earlier in future

They tried until the last in Cologne to escape the - in the eyes of many - inescapable and prevent the cancellation of Spoga+Gafa 2020. But at the start of July, the news arrived which many in the industry had expected after all -  namely together with news that many hadn't expected at all: Spoga+Gafa 2020 is cancelled, and in addition, the world's leading trade fair for the garden and lifestyle industry is moving to a date around three months earlier in the year.
In concrete terms, this means: the next Spoga+Gafa will take place from 30 May to 1 June 2021, the weekdays from Sunday to Tuesday remain unchanged. But this date is a one-off; in subsequent years the garden trade show is to be staged in the middle or at the end of June.
In September, on the date of the trade fair which has been traditional over decades, the event organisers spoke up once again with a letter to exhibitors and visitors. Koelnmesse, they emphasise, rates the postponement of Spoga+Gafa as a "complete success". This is demonstrated by the latest rebooking figures, according to the exhibition company.
Nine months in advance of the next Spoga+Gafa, regis­trations were already at pre-coronavirus levels with a booking level of 90 per cent and even above this in most halls. Not only have existing exhibitors expressed a wish in some cases for larger stands, but "a pleasing number" of applications have also been received from companies that have not attended in recent years.

In their communication, Catja Caspary, head of the fair management business unit, and Stefan Lohrberg, director of Spoga+Gafa, commented further regarding the new date: "The talks and scenarios of recent months and years have shown that June offers a significantly large overlap of the changing needs of suppliers and their target retail market. We have clearly seen that the new date has been well received." Both wholesalers and retailers perceived great opportunities here.
Koelnmesse acknowledged that for some partners it would not be easy in the first year to adapt their customary product cycle to the new show dates and have their products ready for presentation a good two months earlier. "The companies affected, however, have made clear in the dialogues concerning the basics of the desired rescheduling that they…