Two fairs at the same time and place: next year’s Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will be held concurrently on all days, from 2 to 5 April. With a new sequence of days – from Tuesday to Friday – Musikmesse will strengthen its profile as the platform for the professional exchange of ideas and information between music-industry professionals. The two events will also move physically closer together.
For four days, visitors can discover the entire spectrum of products for the music and live-entertainment sector. “Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound are combining their strengths. With all days now concurrent, we are complying with a request often expressed in the sector”, says Michael Biwer, Group Show Director of the ‘Entertainment, Media & Creative Industries’ Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. “The concept for 2019 emphasises the strengths of the two trade fairs: professionalism, internationality and the synergistic effects between the industries represented.”
The Saturday as part of the fair is not being cut but is changing to a new format with a B2C focus, which will be marketed separately. To be called Musikmesse Plaza, the new event will take the form of a pop-up market with numerous musical events and direct exhibitor sales on 6 April. To this end, Messe Frankfurt is cooperating with several partners from the creative industry to guarantee a high power of attraction for musicians and music lovers. The Musikmesse Festival, which accompanies the trade fair for the music industry, is being extended by a day and will present musical highlights throughout Frankfurt from the Tuesday on.
Short walking distances, optimum flow of visitors
The layout of Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound is designed to achieve the best possible concentration of products groups and themes.
For the first time, the whole spectrum of audio products will be concentrated in a single exhibition hall. On an area of almost 30,000 square metres in Hall 8.0, visitors will find solutions revolving around public-address systems, permanent installations, studio and recording. Opened in September 2018, Hall 12 is the optimum setting for the presentation of lighting, stage equipment, entertainment technology and event safety and security systems. Hall 4 brings together associations of the music and event sector and is home to a joint business and networking area for both fairs. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors also have the opportunity to make presentations in the heart of the Exhibition Centre. Halls 3.0 and 3.1 spotlight the world of keyboard, percussion, plucked, string and wind instruments, as well as sheet music and equipment. Rounding off the hall layout is Forum.0 for full-range companies and the Congress Centre with the programme for musical instruction.
Business first!
With free admission on all days of the fair, free cloakroom service, guided tours and many other benefits, the ‘Insider’ VIP programme means qualified dealers receive first-class treatment. In 2019, the programme will be extended to include buyers from the entertainment-technology sector. Now also part of both fairs is the Matchmaking programme, which brings exhibitors together with visitors of particular relevance to them.
New next year will be a joint Hall for Business and Networking for both Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound (Hall 4.1), which will take the form of an elaborate lounge with a lecture stage and catering zones, all designed to encourage business discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.
The right platform for every brand
From start-ups to key players: Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound support companies of all sizes to ensure perfect presentations. Companies can not only book exhibition space in the halls and on the outdoor area but also be part of the complementary programme of events.
On the new ‘Circle Stages’, exhibitors present event highlights in the heart of the halls. The stages are the ideal setting for product demonstrations, workshops, lectures, receptions or performances by endorsers. The enclosed construction ensures reasonable noise protection. In the evenings, Messe Frankfurt will join forces with companies from the sector to hold extraordinary concerts of the Musikmesse Festival on the Circle Stages.
The Live Sound Arena is being relocated to outdoor area F10 in the immediate vicinity of Audio Hall 8.0. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors demonstrate PA and line-array systems under realistic conditions. Additionally, a Demo Room for indoor audio systems is in planning.
The organisers are also working closely together with companies from the sector for the Discover Music area for young people. Exhibitors are invited to donate instruments, give-aways or systems to this experiential world for musical explorers. By doing so, they can contribute to a successful project and make initial contacts between their brands and young music lovers.
Additionally, there will be several special areas where companies can present their products to specific special-interest groups of visitors. At Prolight + Sound there will be separate presentation areas focusing on event safety and security and digital signage. An area dedicated to instruments for left-handers is being planned for Musikmesse.
Fit for the future
Caught in a whirl of disruptive technologies, new standards and regulations, as well as increasing customer expectations, the sector is changing rapidly. Visitors to Musikmesseand Prolight + Sound have their finger on the pulse of the time and receive insights into tomorrow’s trends.
Following their successful première in 2018, ‘The Future of Music and Audio Technology’ seminars will be expanded and cover, inter alia, subjects that have a decisive impact on the global music industry, such as artificial intelligence, app integration and wearables for musicians. The programme is being organised by the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange (A3E).
The ‘Immersive Technology Forum’ is also being continued. Companies of the event and media-technology sector will provide insights into best practices relating to 3D and spatial audio, virtual and augmented reality, 360° projection and holography.
New in 2019 are the ‘CAVIS – Congress for Audio Visual Integrated Systems’ seminars. They will focus on the growth market of permanent installations and give Prolight + Sound exhibitors the chance to present relevant products and projects.
Musikmesse Plaza to rock the Saturday
Immediately after the two trade fairs have closed their doors, the 1st ‘Musikmesse Plaza’ will launch a totally new event concept aimed wholly at consumers. Located in the eastern section of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, this pop-up market covering a variety of themes and with direct sales by manufacturers and dealers will take place on Saturday, 6 April. By this means, Messe Frankfurt aims to raise the experiential factor to a new level and offer all exhibitors the chance to reach all specific target groups on all five days.
The main parts of Musikmesse Plaza include:
- The ‘Vintage Guitar Show’ in cooperation with No. 1 Guitar Centre Hamburg where everyone can sell, purchase and exchange guitars
- Special exhibitions on vintage drums, vintage concert audio and electric organs
- A record exchange open to both private and commercial participants
- Exhibition space for labels and other music-business companies
- The ‘Accessories + Lifestyle’ thematic world with a broad spectrum of products from instrument equipment, via fashion and merchandise articles, to books, posters and photographs
- Numerous events including workshops by top musicians, showcases by well-known artists and ‘meet-and-greets’
- A grand final concert in the ‘Festhalle Frankfurt’
The ‘Discover Music’ project for young people will be continued on the Saturday and thus also be part of Musikmesse Plaza.
Clear visitor targeting with a new brand structure
With the addition of the new Saturday concept, Messe Frankfurt will now pursue a three-pronged brand structure for its events in a musical context.
- Musikmesse, Europe’s biggest trade fair for the music industry, Tuesday to Friday, 2 to 5 April 2019
- Musikmesse Plaza, Pop-up Market – Gear. Vintage. Lifestyle, Saturday, 6 April 2019
- Musikmesse Festival, Culture and Concert Highlights throughout Frankfurt, Tuesday to Saturday, 2 to 6 April 2019
Prolight + Sound will also put even greater emphasis on the brand core as ‘The Global Entertainment Technology Show’.
Further information:
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
Messe Frankfurt is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,400 employees at 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around €669 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, visit: www.messefrankfurt.com
