baby&junior: Kind + Jugend opens its doors today - and according to the registration status, many international companies are taking part this time. Are you satisfied and what were the biggest challenges during the preparations?

Jörg Schmale: We are indeed very satisfied with the exhibitor participation in 2023. Around 850 suppliers, twice as many as a year ago, will be exhibiting from 7 to 9 September, presenting an internationality, diversity and product quality as one would expect from Kind + Jugend. I am particularly proud that we were also able to win back many large and market-leading companies. These include, for example, Joie, Nuna and Graco, ABC Design, Britax Römer, Hartan, Hauck, Cam il mondo, Delta Children, Lässig, Nuby, Paidi, Peg Perego, Roba Baumann, Thule or Uppababy. Cybex will also be there again, albeit with a small presence.

In addition, there is a large number of other top brands that contribute to the attractiveness of the fair. However, Kind + Jugend is also an important business platform for a large number of small and medium-sized companies. Our international start-up area as well as the joint stands of the Young Innovative Companies from Germany, whose participation is financially supported by the Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Protection (BMWK), were already fully booked early on. This shows that the Kind + Jugend trade fair is not only an irreplaceable marketing tool and a relevant business platform for established companies, but also for emerging companies. We are very pleased about this and it also reflects the diversity of the industry.

Suppliers from all over Europe participate, but they also come from countries such as Turkey, India, Pakistan, South Korea, Taiwan, China, the USA, Israel and Thailand. In total, companies from 45 countries and from all continents are exhibiting. Even Australia is represented with eleven suppliers. Anyone who would like to find out more in advance: The exhibitor list can be found on our website. All this will be presented in compact form in Halls 10 and 11, clearly divided into the theme worlds of Kind + Jugend. There is no better source of inspiration and business platform for the buying trade. This is already confirmed by the ticket orders, demand is persistently high.

baby&junior: Some exhibitors and visitors voiced criticism last year about market leaders not being represented. How did you deal with this and has anything changed?

Jörg Schmale: In fact, only a few market leaders exhibited at the fair last year. This was rightly questioned. However, both exhibitors and visitors were particularly critical of the fact that some companies presented themselves outside the fairgrounds. We have had extensive discussions with all the companies. And as a result we can say that many market leaders will be represented at the Fair again. That makes us enormously happy.

baby&junior: What highlights can visitors expect at the fair and what is new or different this year?

Jörg Schmale: Our most important highlight is and remains the exhibitors with their product diversity. Their visit is the focus of the traders’ attention. Our event programme is designed to provide additional inspiration and specialist information. That is why everything on the Trend Forum stage will revolve around the topics of business performance and international industry trends.

In addition, the special area “Immersive Shopping”, which was presented for the first time last year, will be further expanded. Here, Koelnmesse is working together with ARkid from Fokus Kind Medien. The focus is on innovative technologies and features that can be used in both B2C and B2C channels for the attractive digital communication of product information and product configurations. The special show is intended to provide impulses and ideas for experience-oriented shopping, also in the digital sector. A highlight that we look forward to every year is the Innovation Award, which this year can once again really exploit its potential. And by the way, good news for all those who want to do without animal products: we have opened a vegan restaurant in Hall 11.2. We are thus taking into account the trend towards plant-based nutrition and can also make a contribution to the topic of CO2 reduction and thus, but not only, expand our gastronomic offer, which was also a point of criticism last year.

baby&junior: What is new about the Innovation Award: can you tell us?

Jörg Schmale: 120 applications for the Innovation Award were received this year. That shows how renowned and established this competition is in the industry. And also how important! Here, too, the applicants come from 45 countries, besides Germany, for example, also from Korea, Latvia, Thailand and the USA. Furthermore, all applicants have the chance to win a new additional award. For the first time we are cooperating with hebammen-testen.de. This year, midwives will select three products from all nominated products in the Kind + Jugend Innovation Award competition, which will then receive the additional award “Midwives’ Choice”.

baby&junior: It is now the third Kind + Jugend after the pandemic: How do you assess the importance of trade fairs after this time and are there things you are perhaps already planning for 2024?

Jörg Schmale: For 2024, we have resolved to continue working on activating national and international brands. We are very confident that we will be able to add more good names to the existing ones here in the coming year. The talks we are having with a view to 2024 are very positive. Our goal is and remains to offer the best of all possible business platforms for the international baby and toddler outfitting industry with Kind + Jugend. One of the most important pieces of information for the coming year is certainly that we will be changing the sequence of days at the fair. After the shortening to three days already introduced in 2021, the fair will be held from Tuesday to Thursday from 2024. It will thus say goodbye to the weekend, but will continue to take place at the beginning of September, from 03 to 05 September 2024. This is a further step towards meeting the needs of the trade.