ITS Hub to Replace InterTabac Trade Show This Year in Dortmund
When Messe Dortmund GmbH postponed September’s InterTabac cigar and tobacco convention in Germany due to Coronavirus, it promised to develop a “new concept this autumn” to take its place. Their solution is a health-compliant event that Messe Dortmund has dubbed ITS Hub, a hybrid trade show that will be both physical and virtual. It’s scheduled for November 3 and 4 at the Dortmund Exhibition Centre, where InterTabac is normally held.
“[W]e 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—both fully compliant with statutory requirements, as partition walls, adequate space between individual spots and wide corridors ensure that distancing rules are complied with,” said Sabine Loos, managing director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe GmbH, the parent company of Messe Dortmund GmbH.
“Exhibitors need only bring their products and documentation with them, leaving us to take care of the rest and ensure all requirements for protecting against COVID-19 infection are met,” Loos added.
The virtual content for those who do not attend is slated to include interviews, product presentations and livestream discussions, allowing remote interaction and participation. All online content will be free.
Tobacco samples will also be sent to the homes of verified users, ensuring that the sampling aspect—critical to a cigar and tobacco show—is preserved.
Visitor entrance fee for qualified trade attendants is 22 euro (about $24.65) per person, and exhibitor registration is now open.
