IPM Essen can count on full government support despite testing times

ESSEN, Germany: Germany’s leading horticultural media outlet Taspo reports that the country’s federal government provides up to €12,500 to small and medium sized (SMEs) registered in Germany for participation  in international trade events including the forthcoming IPM Essen show in Essen (25-28 January 2022).

Germany sees a rise in Covid cases with outgoing  Chancellor Angela Merkel describing the current pandemic situation  in the country as ‘dramatic’. The fourth wave is hitting the country at full force with the public health institute Robert Koch reporting  a daily rise of 45,753 Covid-19 cases and 388 deaths yesterday. Elsewhere in Europe, new restrictions are coming into place as Covid-19 cases surge again. The Netherlands, for example, is currently under a partial, three-week lockdown with bars, restaurants and non essential retail and services ordered to close at 5pm.

Last week, the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the constantly changing safety regulations and travel restrictions prompted Syngenta, Florensis and PanAmerican Seed to pull out from the 2022 IPM Essen show. Four UK companies followed suit. At the same time, Messe Berlin has moved Grüne Woche, the world’s largest consumer and trade fair for food, agriculture and horticulture to 2023 and announced 5-7 April  2022 as the new dates for its trade for the fresh fruit and vegetable business Fruitlogistica.

And all this happened before Messe Essen had a new worry on its mind: the omicron variant of Covid-19.

Within the ornamental horticultural industry, the question which is on everybody’s lips is whether IPM Essen will go ahead as planned. At the Trade Show Aalsmeer someone close to the organisation confirmed on 3 November that during a IPM Essen meeting a few days earlier the message was ‘to go forward’. A message that IPM Essen repeated on Friday 26 November when FCI asked the organisaters about the scheduling of the upcoming event. IPM is adamant the show will go ahead on its planned dates.

Yesterday’s announcement that small and medium sized (SMEs) enterprises registered in Germany are entitled to a subsidy covering up to 40 per cent of costs to participate in IPM Essen is proof that the IPM Essen can count on the full support of the German government and inspires trust that the world’s premier horticultural trade show will not cancel,

The financial backing comes under the ; Messeprogramm innovative KMU (trade show programme innovative SMEs), funding programme designed to promote, enhance and facilitate the participation of innovatie SMEs in trade shows.

To be eligible for KMU, companies must be registered in Germany. Small enterprises must have fewer than 50 employees and a maximum of €10 million in annual turnover. Medium sized companies must have between 100-249 employees and a maximum of €50 million in annual to be offered funding. For both small and medium sized enterprises there is  a single ruling: products and services the companies provide must be innovative or have improved the sector’s overall economic performance.  The eligible expenses for IPM Essen include booth rental and booth construction which will be covered by up to 40 percent or up to a total of €12,500.

Start up companies exhibiting in a collective stand at the 2022 IPM Essen show are also entitled to grants falling under the funding programme for Young Entrepreneurs.