Friedrichshafen affirms decision for late July expo dates

The OutDoor trade show in Friedrichshafen has confirmed it will stick to its decision to move its summer show to late July 2003.

“If we want to be an international trade fair, then we must choose a time for the show when all the new outdoor trends are ready,” an unnamed speaker for the show’s international working committee said in an official statement.

The show will be July 24-27, 2003, dates that an advisory committee initially voted for during a meeting the day before the August 2002 show began.

Show directors have said the reasons are varied for the change from its traditional mid-August dates to July, which are now a month later than ispo’s newly declared summer show. They include: the fact that the show is where the trade finds out about trends and information, rather than places order; by late July, attendees will have an idea of how summer business has gone and a clearer picture of what they are interested in ordering; these dates take international and not just German needs into consideration; and suppliers can still influence production if needed based on trade reaction at the show. In addition, the statement said that the July dates didn’t conflict with other shows, nor with typical vacations for Southern Europeans.