DMEXCO – A Stand Builders Perspective
DMEXCO (Digital Marketing Exposition and Conference) is one of our favourite events of the year, who doesn’t love a day in the vast Koelnmesse (venue) before heading into town for a well-deserved Kolsch (beer)?
DMEXCO is Europe’s flagship digital marketing and advertising event, held during Autumn every year in Koln (Cologne) Germany. It brings together over 1,000 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors for seminars, debates and expositions that focus on the future of the digital economy.
We have been fabricating exhibition stands at DMEXCO for over 4 years now and hope to continue doing so again in the future. Unfortunately, a physical DMEXCO has been cancelled this year due to Covid 19 and replaced with a virtual event DMEXCO @Home.
So, we may not be able to enjoy a pork knuckle and kolsh at Heumarkt this year, but instead we have decided to share some things we have learnt from building exhibition stands at DMEXCO. We hope this will be useful for event production companies, design agencies, creative agencies, or fabrication partners working at DMEXCO for the first time.
1. Koelnmesse is Massive
The venue is vast, so expect to walk a fair amount over the course of the event, especially if your stand is in hall 6 which seems to be furthest away from all of the entrance points.
2. Bring Snacks
If your starting your build early, and especially if it’s a weekend, be sure to bring food and drinks – there are not really any shops in easy walking distance (and driving around is a mission in itself) and the concession stands on site only really sell sausages (no joke) and often don’t open on weekends.
3. Parking is an Artform
Getting in and out of the venue can be a bit of a pain – if you can, the best way to do it is to park outside the North Entrance and walk in. But if you need to drop off lots of tools and equipment, getting in with a small van requires putting a 50-100 Euro cash deposit down for a pass that gives you access to the venue for a few hours. Be sure to get in and out otherwise we will lose your deposit.
4. Bauhaus is a Lifesaver
Despite planning for as many eventualities as possible, the unexpected can always happen. Maybe a client needs something new, or something you have made did not transport well. In times like these Bauhaus (the B&Q of Germany) has been our lifesaver.
5. Look Each Other
DMEXCO is a 24hr build so it’s one of the most active (chaotic) sites on the circuit – so it’s important to keep your site contained and tidy. Also, make sure you get outside every so often otherwise your ears will be ringing from the constant clatter of nail guns and roar of track saws.
6. Enjoy the City
Lastly, don’t miss out on the chance to get into the city when you can. Once we finish our builds, we love nothing more than digging into a Butchers Platter from Gilden im Zims with 6 different types of meat and sides, and then hitting Papa Joe’s Jazz Bar for some live music and cocktails.
