The ISH trade show returns to Frankfurt in mid-March, a must-attend event for bathroom, building, energy, air-conditioning and renewable energies industries. If you are planning to attend, don't miss our interview with the director of ISH Brand Management, Stefan Seitz, who talk us about all the novelties and trends that have to come.
ISH Frankfurt combines different product segments with water, installation technology and energy. What kind of services will we find in each segment?
The ISH Water section focusses on sustainable sanitation solutions and innovative bathroom design under this year’s top themes, ‘Bathrooms for People’ and ‘Technology for People’, which thematise various aspects such as design, health, wellness and comfort, as well as resource conservation and drinking-water hygiene. In this section, exhibitors present sustainable, design-oriented bathroom solutions, especially the latest design developments and modern, environmentally-friendly technology appropriate to the needs of today’s consumers.
In the ISH Energy and Aircontec section, everything revolves around energy efficiency and comfort in buildings. The decisive trends are in the field of efficient, future-oriented technologies and intelligent building-services technology. Visitors come to ISH to discover the complete spectrum of innovative building-automation systems.
What do you think that makes ISH different from other similar shows?
In principle, ISH is unrivalled in terms of concept. The basis for this leading position is, without doubt, the idea of linking the two sections, ISH Water and ISH Energy, which is unparalleled worldwide. From sustainable sanitation solutions, via innovative bathroom design and energy-efficient heating technologies in combination with renewable energies, to environmentally-friendly refrigeration and ventilation technology, the range of products and services at ISH covers all aspects of future-oriented building solutions in terms of both breadth and depth.
Thus, it is ‘the’ decisive platform when it comes to innovations and trends for future-oriented buildings. For this, ISH offers what is certainly the most extensive and wide-ranging spectrum of products to be found anywhere in the world. Hence, visitors can be sure of finding all national and international top brands at the same time and place in Frankfurt whereby ISH plays a leading global role because it is by far the most international meeting place for the sector worldwide – 65 percent of exhibitors and 40 percent of visitors come from abroad. And the trend continues upwards.
This year, Turkey will be the partner country. How does this collaboration contribute to the event?
The decision to invite Turkey to be the ISH Partner Country 2017 was taken unanimously by the organiser, Messe Frankfurt, and the conceptual partners of the trade fair at the end of June 2015. With this decision, we took account of the growing participation of Turkey in ISH on both the exhibitor and visitor sides. Five percent of Turkish exports come from the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning sector. Moreover, Turkey is the world’s fifth-biggest exporter of ceramic sanitary products.
The international desire to achieve climate targets and the strategic significance of energy autarky are only two of the reasons for a strong market. Moreover, Turkey is the third-biggest exhibitor nation after Germany and Italy. 140 Turkish exhibitors, an increase of 35 percent compared to the last fair, have registered for 2017.
What other novelties will we find on the show floor?
The motto of ISH 2017 is ‘Water. Energy. Life.’, which shows clearly where the focus of the world’s biggest trade fair for the association of water and energy is and, in particular, what the keystones of the fair are. With this broad spectrum of future-oriented building-services technologies, the biennial event offers solutions for current political and economic issues.
Additionally, we have expanded our popular complementary programme of events to include some more attractions such as the new ‘Bathroom Workshop – We present the future’ special show, which illustrates vividly and practically the future of the bathroom installation trade and the advantages of prefabrication for the bathroom process. On each day of the fair, a complete bathroom will be built from pre-fabricated installation systems, including cladding with tiles, and surface-mounted products installed.
One of the main topics of the show is the sustainability and renewable energies. Can you give us a brief view about the coming trends on that way?
As already mentioned, the decisive trends in the ISH Energy and Aircontec section are efficient, future-oriented technologies and intelligent building-services technology. Basically, the idea is to take account of the increasing interaction of heating and renewable electricity. However, digital heating and the associated integration of IT in innovative heating technologies are also an important subject – all bundled together under the top theme of ‘The energy revolution with a bright future – we have the solutions’.
In the Aircontec section, the focal points include modern home-ventilation systems and the related subjects of energy efficiency and comfort in dwellings, as well as central and decentral solutions for new and existing buildings. Additionally, their attention will also be paid to technical challenges for environmentally friendly air-conditioning and ventilation systems.
In the ISH Water section, the sanitation industry already takes account of trends, such as female shift, health, silver society and sustainability, with its innovative products for tomorrow’s bathroom. Digital technologies are increasingly finding their way into the bathroom and, therefore, into the product portfolios of ISH exhibitors.
Moreover, we have been told and seen for ourselves that the factors considered essential for a comfortable bathroom are no longer size and glamour. Instead, the emphasis today is an attractive and usable facilities for everyone, no matter whether they are young, old or physically impaired. The sanitation industry offers a variety of solutions that permit the bathroom to be used safely, ergonomically and comfortably in all phases of life. Accordingly, visitors can look forward to more important impulses for these developments at ISH in Frankfurt am Main.
ISH attracts many international exhibitors, can you give some tips for those attending for the first time?
The ISH is very much demand on the exhibitor side because it is the foremost trade show for the sector. Accordingly, exhibitors present themselves in the best light and invest large sums in their exhibition stands and visitor communication activities.
Registrations for ISH are made 18 months in advance. To draw attention to their presentations at the fair, exhibitors can choose from a variety of advertising and marketing services at the Exhibition Centre.
Additionally, we provide a promotional package with numerous free services, including admission-ticket vouchers for inviting customers to the fair.
On our website, exhibitors will find information to help them prepare for the fair, such as guidelines on technology, transport, etc. Also, we have a worldwide sales-partner network with representatives who can advise and help exhibitors. Therefore, we recommend that our international exhibitors enter into and maintain a lively dialogue with our Sales Partners.
What is the visitor's profile? Can anyone attend or is just for professionals?
ISH is the top event for decision makers from the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning trade, the industry, the wholesale trade, the service sector (planners, engineers, architects) and the real-estate and residential sector whereby the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning trade make up the biggest group of visitors.
Thus, the fair is primarily aimed at trade visitors. However, we also open it to private visitors on the last day (18 March).
Lastly, can you give us some participation results from the last edition?
At ISH 2015, 2,465 manufacturers presented their latest products and services on approximately 260,000 square metres of exhibition space.
Around 198,000 visitors made their way to Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre to find out about the innumerable technical innovations and the latest trends. At the same time, ISH extended its lead as the world’s foremost international meeting place for the sector with 61 percent of exhibitors and 39 percent of visitors coming from outside Germany.
