A+A Trade Fair Leads the Pack in Safety and Security Trade Forums

Mid-October Show in Germany Attracts 67,000 Trade Visitors, Topping 65,000 in 2015

WHAT’S THE LARGEST international trade forum for safety, security, and health at work? It’s A+A. That’s the buzzword for the A+A International Trade Fair and Congress, which this year was held Oct. 17-20 in Düsseldorf, Germany.

A+A isn’t an annual show — the next one isn’t until November 2019, again in Germany — but it’s a big one. The show numbers included these:

  • Approximately 67,000 trade visitors (up from 65,000 in 2015).
  • 1,961 exhibitors from 63 countries.
  • 70,733 net square meters (761,364 square feet) of exhibition space.
  • 86 percent of the attendees were decision-makers from industry, commerce, services, the trades, safety, and health.
  • Nationality of international visitors — 60 percent from Germany and a record 40 percent from abroad (from more than 100 nations).

In her all-call for prior to the trade show, A+A Director Birgit Horn had this to say: “Future-oriented companies are increasingly focusing their attention on people — and on people’s health and safety. Join us to shape the future of work at A+A 2017.” In fact, the slogan for the 2017 show was “People Matter.”

A lot was packed into four days of show time. Highlights included:

  • Elaborately staged special events, including simulated rescues.
  • A hall with exhibits and demonstrations focused on fire protection and emergency management.
  • Lectures and exhibits centered around theme park safety.
  • A special show: “Safe Rescues at All Highs and Lows.” Appropriate PPE (personal protection equipment) was one of the themes of this show.
  • A section devoted to workplace design and corporate health.
  • A breakout forum: The 35th International Congress for Occupational Safety and Occupational Medicine. The A+A Congress is the leading joint event for those concerned with occupational safety in Germany.
  • A presentation about the reorganization of work processes for the aging population and the new demands on the world of work from the younger generation.
  • Fashion shows. Yes, fashion shows with models wearing the latest — comfortable and even fashionable — in safety gear and garb.

Among the product exhibitors at A+A, main product categories were:

  • Personal protective equipment (PPE)
  • Health at work
  • High-risk prevention
  • Envionmental protection at work
  • Avoidance of damage to property and reduction in quality
  • Measurement technology for the avoidance of malfunction/accidents

New products add substantially to the excitement of almost any trade show. At A+A this year, product highlights included customized shoes for construction sites. “In times of digitization … safety shoes are produced for every kind of foot,” the trade show marketers reported.

Other new product displays included:

  • Smart skin sensors for measuring worker/rescuer vital parameters
  • Back-friendly exoskeletons
  • Smart fleet management
  • Data glasses
  • Modern protective clothing and personal protective equipment for firefighters (for the head, eye, body, hand, foot, and ear, and for breathing or rope protection)

For a complete review of the 2017 A+A trade show and a sneak peak into the 2019 show, visit on the Internet at https://www.aplusa-online.com.