More than one hundred thousand retailers, professionals, musicians and music lovers gathered in Frankfurt last week to enjoy the two big events of the year: Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound. The close of the event was marked by the concert by Oleta Adams and the hr-Bigband last Saturday night. These two international trade fairs showcased innovative products and made the world vibrate with the best music, turning the event into a spectacular occasion.
"This year, Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound are characterized by their new formats and themes. In times of so much digital change, we are paying special attention to content and target groups. Musikmesse continues to promote music-making. However, it also integrates topics such as music education and music therapy. We are increasingly a music fair rather than an instrument fair," explains Detlef Braun, Member of the Executive Board of Messe Frankfurt. "Also, we take our success very seriously, and that's why we will once again talk to our partners and exhibitors and seek their feedback for the 2018 fair."
Over the past few days, more than 100,000 visitors from 144 different countries—compared with 130 last year—came to the Frankfurt fairground, making this gathering even more international. A total of 1,922 exhibitors from 55 different countries presented their products at Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound: media, lighting, sound, stage technology, event equipment, musical instruments, electronic equipment, and hardware and software.
In addition, as in the 2016 edition, this year more than 20,000 music lovers attended the most eagerly awaited event of the year: the Musikmesse Festival, a very important part of the concept of these fairs, with concerts by more than 50 national and international musicians. Among them were the European Groove Orchestra, Till Brönner, Steve Stevens & Band and the Branford Marsalis Quartet with Kurt Elling. The presentation of the Frankfurt Music Prize to David Garrett, included for the first time as part of the festival, drew a lot of attention.
A fair packed with innovations and themes for every taste
Beyond hybrid instruments halfway between analog and digital, trends at Musikmesse included all kinds of new materials and production methods. What's more, the world's first violin made with a 3D printer was the talk of the fair.
In addition, the fair broadened its thematic scope to include topics such as music therapy and education. For example, in the InstruMental Room visitors could take part in interactive events on music and therapy, while in the Discover Music area they could explore the world of music.
More than 2,600 people took advantage of the Prolight + Sound conference program to stay up to date on the latest market developments, 40% more than the previous year. The next Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will take place on April 11–14 and April 10–13, 2018, respectively.
The industry welcomes the development of the event concept
This year, Musikmesse added new attractions and a supporting program of events such as concerts, workshops, talks and signing sessions, all to increase the added value it offers attendees. Alongside the festival, the fair offered more than 1,000 different events. The industry has responded positively to the organization: "The Society of Music Merchants (SOMM) welcomes the restructuring that began in 2016. Thanks to the new concept [of the fair], I'm sure we will achieve a lot. Change is in the air. Prolight + Sound is one of the most important platforms for the musical instrument markets and for business-to-business communication in the industry in Germany and throughout Europe," explains SOMM managing director Daniel Sebastian Knöll.
Other associations are also giving positive reviews of the music-focused days in Frankfurt: "We are very happy with Musikmesse. I met with several colleagues at the fair and we concluded that the number of people passing through their halls was incredible. We are part of the Business Academy and it's on the right track. In short, the industry is very satisfied with the changes made by Musikmesse," explains Arthur Knopp, president of the German Federation of Music Distributors (GDM). Gerhard A. Meinl, president of the German Federal Association of Musical Instrument Manufacturers (BDMH), is well aware of the importance of Musikmesse, which he describes as "a must for the music industry in Europe and Germany. We noticed the international character of the fair. This platform is very important for the market and we will continue to use it in the future."
Prolight + Sound shows the strength of the event technology industry
With growing demand for events and high expectations for new products, the event technology industry has been developing positively for some time. This optimism could certainly be felt at Prolight + Sound. Randell Greenlee, head of the political and international department of the German Entertainment Technology Association, sums it up like this: "after the 2016 restructuring and all the improvements that followed, the fair continues on the right track. Some of our members saw an increase in the number of international visitors to their booths this year. The fair is an established network for many organizations around the world."
Positive reception from exhibitors and attendees
The CEO of dB Technologies, Arne Deters, was delighted with the visitor profile at Prolight + Sound: "In Frankfurt we met all kinds of customers, from occasional users and hobbyists to leading production companies. In addition, the main buyers from the big distributors were also there. Prolight + Sound is undoubtedly the biggest event technology fair." The fair has grown to include not only lighting and sound, but also effects, networking and audiovisual technology. "The fair is perfect for our market. Customers are really well prepared; they come ready to buy," explains Sarah Cox, EMEA sales director at d3 Technologies.
Many exhibitors stressed the relevance of Musikmesse for their businesses and for the industry. In addition, 83% of visitors said they were very satisfied with all the discoveries they made at the fair. Martin Wiesenbauer, owner of Music World in Augsburg, explains that "the fair continues to have enormous drawing power. This year I got the impression that the organizers' efforts are starting to pay off."
The education and hands-on formats have been key to the success of the fair's restructuring, such as the Drum Camp, which featured famous drummers, and the Guitar Camp, which drew a large number of visitors. Sonor, for example, decided to exhibit at the fair again after five years thanks to these new-format "camps." Ibanez, for its part, presented new products at the Guitar Camp during the fair and was clearly won over by the new format.
