BAU ONLINE: Interview with Dr. Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe München

BAU 2021 will take place as a purely online event from January 13 to 15, with live presentations from the exhibitors, one-on-one meetings with exhibitors and a varied conference program. Three questions to Reinhard Pfeiffer, Deputy CEO of Messe München.

The current situation is changing the trade fair business. What goals are you pursuing with BAU ONLINE?

It’s clear that there’s no replacement for an in-person trade fair. The coronavirus crisis has highlighted how valuable personal, face-to-face exchange is to all of us right now. Meanwhile professional exchange and the good connection to partners and customers are especially important in being able to master the economic challenges. That’s why we are offering the industry a contemporary alternative in the form of BAU ONLINE, so that the players can learn about the latest trends and drive business. The current responses confirm this need.

What topics will be discussed in the conference program?

The online format is also established by the key themes of BAU 2021. The coronavirus has given the digital transformation a push, but there is still much to do for connected collaboration and the networking of trade, digital planning and robotics. The coronavirus goes on, the challenge of climate change remains—and cities want to become increasingly climate neutral. The key words here are energy efficiency, recycling, renewable resources and resilience.

„Resources and Recycling” shows how building materials can be brought into the system’s cycle or reused. „Living of the Future” looks at an urban development that—now more than ever—watches out for the health of its inhabitants, just as it does for affordable housing. Of course focus will also be on the effects of the coronavirus in architecture and construction.

Will the coronavirus crisis change BAU in the long term?

BAU 2023 will once again take place as an international industry gathering in Munich. All of the notable exhibitors have already announced their participation. Many of the new digital formats will enhance the trade fair permanently, making the opportunities for information and B2B networking better than ever. But more than anything else we are looking forward to coming together in-person in one place again. In China we are currently seeing how important trade fairs are: The events of Messe München are once again taking place with high levels of participation there, albeit with a primarily national orientation. This shows without a doubt that economy, science and politics need trade fairs to drive trade and shape future projects.