Frankfurt’s three simultaneous labor strikes (Lufthansa, closure of airports, and Deutsch Bahn Train) did harm Light + Building, but it was still a successful show, and almost all exhibitors were thrilled with the Sunday thru Wednesday crowd.
Because of the strikes, some did not attend the show at all, others left early, and some stayed an extra day. The show started big but ended on a whimper.
Instead of discussing new products and technology, the buzz Wednesday night was mainly about about getting home. Thursday was reminiscent of a Covid day, minus the masks. Friday is always a slow day, as was expected. The real miss occurred on Thursday. Thursday night, show management explained to me that in spite of the slowness, attendance was higher on that day than they were forecasting given the strikes. One exhibitor in Hall 8 – INGY – explained that Thursday was their busiest day.
So if you think about it, the show exceeded or met expectations on five of its six days. As for your humble editor, in spite of the strikes, Light + Building 2024 was the best post-Covid show I have attended.