Areal Böhler in Düsseldorf hosted a special order event on 18-20 April 2021. Approximately 350 brands took part in the event, which lasted for three days and was held in three halls, and had the opportunity to exhibit their own collections.
“Of course the cautious mood has meant that visitor numbers and the overall response weren’t as robust as they would have been at a regular event,” reports Ulrike Kähler. “But it was still important to us as industry partners to show continuity and offer additional solutions, especially in times of crisis.”
An Event Under The Pandemic
In Ulrike Kähler’s opinion, it’s a pity that, due to the COVID pandemic and the associated lockdowns, many people have found it difficult to look optimistically ahead to the future and leave their individual safety zones. But plenty of leading German retailers – and also smaller ones – were still represented at the special edition and used the opportunity to place orders, network and bring themselves up to speed on the latest collections.
Kähler went on to confirm that meetings in person and face-to-face interaction are essential if some semblance of normality is to be maintained at order events. And now more than ever, it is important that industry partners briefly come together in order to prevent the market from fragmenting completely.
“Vaccinations will have picked up pace by the summer and this will ease the overall situation a lot. In the upcoming summer months, there will be much more of a buzz than we are seeing at present due to the lockdown restrictions,” concludes Ulrike Kähler.
