Industry readies for Musikmesse

The industry’s largest international trade show opens the doors to arguably its most important ever show on Thursday, offering a new-look format, the reaction to which will determine the future viability of the event.

A total of 2,043 exhibitors from 60 countries have signed up to  Musikmesse (7th to 10th April) and Prolight + Sound (5th to 8th April).

“We continue to rely on the synergistic effects of our strong trade-fair duo, Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound. Nevertheless, the markets and market participants are calling for a different rhythm in this age of digitalisation. And we are taking account of this time change by relaunching Musikmesse,” said Detlef Braun, Member of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt.

“Despite the fact that some companies want to see the new concept in operation before committing themselves, we are delighted to welcome more exhibitors than expected at this stage. Prolight + Sound is expanding continuously with the sector. To take account of this positive development, we will provide more room for further expansion. Within the dynamic process of strategically realigning both fairs, we can thus draw a positive interim conclusion.” 

With 940 exhibitors on 85,000 square metres of exhibition space (gross) (2015: 920 exhibitors ) the area covered by Prolight + Sound has increased by 16 per cent compared to 2015. 

At Musikmesse, 1,103 exhibitors will take up 82,000 square metres of exhibition space, down from the previous year with 1,310 exhibitors taking 82,100 square metres.

Together with the umbrella organisation of the musical instrument and music equipment sector, SOMM, Musikmesse is launching the new Business Academy, at which experts from the industry will speak about subjects such as web shop optimisation, customer retention through social media and legal requirements in the online trade. Trade visitors will be able to see examples of how to present musical instruments effectively at the Future Shop exhibition. Additionally, retailers and proprietors will have the chance to discover how to make shopping a positive experience for their customers while small shop keepers can benefit from the advantages offered by e-commerce. For the first time, Musikmesse will have a special exhibition hall reserved for trade visitors – the Business meets Business Hall (11.1).

The major change is that for the first time this year, the fair is open on all four days not only to the trade but also to consumers. New concepts such as the Drum Camp will offer exclusive performances by world-famous drummers, such as Mike Terrana, Karl Brazil and Mikkey Dee on their original drum sets, as well as advice for beginners and experts. 

At the Club Forum, top producers will explain how a song can be made into a hit using the right technical facilities. Visitors to the Classic & Future Forum can see a programme of events revolving around classical music. Moreover, the Musikmesse Street Food Session on the outdoor exhibition area offers culinary reflections on musical themes. Prominent musicians are involved in preparing the programme or will be appearing on the Musikmesse stages. They include electro-musician Schiller, pop rocker Jupiter Jones, Ärzte bassist Rod Gonzalez, current Bon Jovi guitarist Phil X and singer-songwriter Konstantin Wecker, who will be presented with the Pianist of the Year Award during the fair. 

Musikmesse is also increasing its commitment to helping young musicians. Over the years, the established Music4Kidz participatory exhibition has given over 100,000 children insights into making music. This year, it offers a new range of musical instruments, interactive sound sculptures and creative sound experiments.  The European Final of the world’s biggest band contest, Emergenza, will be held for the first time at Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. At SchoolJam, young talents compete for the title of ‘Germany’s best school band’. Additionally, there will be a special stage for ambitious newcomer bands on the outdoor exhibition area.

The new Musikmesse Festival takes the various genres to venues throughout the city with over 50 concerts in around 30 clubs, bars and concert halls. The headliners include jazz legend Al Jarreau with the hr-Bigband, pop-poet Laith Al-Deen, the BigCityBeats Birthday with star DJs Axwell Λ Ingrosso, Munich’s Eisbrecher rock band and the internationally successful electro-duo Tube & Berger. There will also be creative musical activities in public areas and a platform concert by Von Brücken at the city’s Taunusanlage station.