The online-only event will take place for 10 days in November.
The uncertainties of these past few months and the concern that a second wave of the COVID-19 virus could take place in autumn, combined with the preference of the exhibitors, has led to the following decision: the organizer MFV Expositions, part of the international Comexposium group, will hold an online-only version of the FEX in 2020, from November 5 to 15. However, live chats and a conference program during the first two days of the FEX.online will make the event as lively as possible.
“We understand the mood and concerns of the franchise systems,” says Tom Portesy, president and CEO of MFV. “We organize expos worldwide and make individual decisions for each country, whether as a physical, online trade show or as a hybrid event based on local needs.
“Many systems want to win new partners, but at the same time face unexpected challenges. Our aim is to provide the exhibitors with the best possible support. We have also learned in the past few weeks that some companies have canceled their participation in all physical events this year due to health concerns for their employees.
“We understand the concern of some of our exhibitors that under these circumstances we cannot offer the same, physical exhibition experience due to the restrictions, or that potential visitors prefer an online option. We would like to thank Messe Frankfurt for being very flexible and cooperative. The physical FEX will therefore take place next year from November 4 to 6, 2021.”
The online expo is a signal to the franchise industry that MFV remains on-hand as a partner, even in difficult times, and does everything possible to support the systems in their search for franchisees.
The online edition was already tested last June, and is now being further expanded based on MFV’s experience with virtual shows. Franz-Josef Ebel, the FEX program manager, will continue to be responsible for the conference tracks and ensure the presentation of all facets of franchising.
The online expo platform offers exhibitors CI-designed stands, the possibility to provide documents, pictures, films, presentations, and a chat tool that can be used to text, make phone calls, and make video calls.
“We know that online expos are the beginning of a new development in B2B communication, and are still pioneering achievements,” says Carina Felzmann, show and marketing director. “But all users, trade fair organizers, exhibitors, and visitors are constantly learning new things. During the lockdown, many franchise systems have discovered the advantages of online communication and how to gain results. Face-to-face will of course always be the premium form of communication, but we are now challenged to break new ground in order to prepare ourselves for the future of partner acquisition in franchising.”
