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Trade fairs bring business to life: More than just a new claim for AUMA
Steffen Schulze has been Head of Communications and Marketing at AUMA since September 2021.
© AUMA | Steffen Kugler
An article by Steffen Schulze, Head of Communications and Marketing at AUMA
AUMA - Association of the German Trade Fair Industry has kicked off the beginning of 2024 with a modern look: After 20 years of virtually unchanged appearance, the colours, shapes and fonts have been given a long overdue update. A wide range of bright colours convey the diversity and vibrancy of the trade fair industry. The new sans-serif typeface is reminiscent of the place and time in which AUMA was founded: Berlin around 1900. The logo has been carefully revised and is offering many positive interpretations now: it might symbolise a compass or a turnstile, a meeting point or a focal point of different perspectives. The key visual is a new addition to the branding. It has been inspired by the logo’s well-balanced modular grid and it may be applied to all possible surfaces.
There is no doubt about "Success through trade fairs" - AUMA’s claim since 2007. The pandemic has clearly shown that the economy would undoubtedly suffer without the presence of trade fairs. However, the time has come for a new narrative: In future, we will emphasise that "Trade fairs bring business to life". The great transformation of our time calls for showcasing innovations, offering platforms for discussion and precisely the meeting points that trade fairs are. Trade fairs set the pace for industries, they bring together people who are pulling in the same direction - and they create emotions that inspire.
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We are also implementing one of the lessons learned from the pandemic: The trade fair industry as a branch of the economy needs to be more visible. Moving forward, we will use the new tagline "The German trade fair industry" for industry campaigns, which will always leave room for AUMA members to use their own company logo. The first industry campaign of this kind premiered in May 2024 and demonstrated the effectiveness of this approach. We centred the 75th anniversary of the German constitution by emphasising its significance for Germany as a leading trade fair destination.
"Cosmopolitanism is our guarantee for success" will be our next industry campaign. The slogan encompasses a variety of themes concerning tolerance. With “World Stage Trade Fair” for example, we showcase partner-, guest- and honorary countries at trade fairs in Germany. It shows the commitment of a bunch of AUMA members to a better understanding between nations and cultures, which is becoming more and more important.
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© AUMA
However, there is more to come. The association will adopt a consistent "digital first" approach, ensuring that its communications will align with the evolving requirements of social media and the online world. Following the initial push to modernisation, we will dedicate time to advancing our trade fair industry newsletter AUMA Compact, our website auma.de, our social media channels and to marketing Germany as a trade fair destination.
We are aiming at representing the German trade fair industry as a strong, innovative and contemporary branch of business amid the vast associations’ landscape. We will become more audible, visible and perceptible. However, the up-dated design is only the obvious coat of paint. AUMA has undergone considerable changes over the last years. Hopefully, this fresh and new approach will not just be noticed today but in the future as well.
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