A total of 21,641 participants from 152 nations took part in this key trade fair for laboratory technology, analysis and biotechnology from October 19 to 23.
For the first time it was entirely virtual. 268 exhibitors from 24 countries presented more than 700 products. The event boasted 200 exhibitor webinars and 119 scientific presentations at the Analytica conference.
Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of Messe München, said: “Many customers in all areas of our trade fair business say that the acquisition of new customers is limited via virtual platforms. Nevertheless, many Analytica customers emphasised that it was proper and important to hold Analytica virtual in times of corona. The result consolidates Analytica’s position as the world’s leading trade fair. At the upcoming presence fair in June 2022, we will use the knowledge we have now gained, and expand our range of offerings digitally.”
Global reach
The 24-hour accessibility of the digital platform for easier global access proved worthwhile: Analytica 2020 had the highest international share in its history. 50% of visitors did not come from Germany. The top user countries were (Switzerland, USA, United Kingdom, Austria and India. The event had a strong influx of participants from Asia during the morning hours of Central European Time, while in the evening and night hours many US visitors frequented the platform. On average, 5,000 participants attended the virtual Analytica on each of the five days of the event – at peak times even more than 7,000.
For optimum ease, the booths of the 268 international exhibitors were grouped into six virtual exhibition halls. These were dedicated to the areas of Premieres, Analysis & Measurement Technology, Laboratory Technology, Biotech & Bioanalytics, Diagnostics & Medicine, and Start-ups. The restriction to a maximum of four products presented per booth ensured that only highlights and innovations were shown. Visitors could contact exhibitors directly via text, audio or video chat.
Positive exhibitors
“We as Merck found the Premiere Hall gave our innovations high visibility. We are pleased that the virtual platform offered webinars to share knowledge and skills. They were highly attended and had an international reach. We are definitively looking forward to get back together at Analytica 2022 and give hands-on demonstrations at the Live Labs,” said Dr Véronique Batifort, Head of European Conferences and Exhibitions Research & Applied, Merck Life Science.
Ruben Lonneville, Global Marketing Manager, Customer Engagement at Thermo Fisher Scientific, added: “Analytica virtual was a good opportunity to connect with our customers. The ability to present new product innovations in a virtual way and respond to customer questions in real time has been a valuable part of the virtual show. Analytica will continue to be an important platform for us in the future to connect and collaborate with our valued scientists. While we all hope that a return to an in-person show will be possible in 2022, we strongly believe, that the future of Analytica should evolve to a combined live and virtual experience.”
The next Analytica will take place from June 21 to 24, 2022, Messe München.