Guten Tag, Muenchen!: A look ahead to EAS 2008-Munich

Blog contributed by Emily Popovich, Exhibition Sales and Services Executive

Here at IAAPA it is never too soon to begin planning ahead for our future shows. Before EAS-Nice had even come to a successful end two weeks ago, my colleague Pete Barto and I had the opportunity to visit Munich for a one-day site tour of its convention center in preparation for the second EAS show this year. EAS 2008-Munich will be Sept. 30-Oct. 2, and although it’s still two full seasons away, our Exhibit Sales team has already assigned more than 100 exhibitors to the trade show floor in hopes of filling at least two halls worth of amusement goodness at the huge Messe Muenchen Trade Fair Centre.

After arriving at the airport in Munich, Pete and I took an autobahn-style cab ride for 30 frightening minutes before arriving at the Messe Muenchen center, where we were greeted by the director of exhibitions. What immediately struck us was the enormity of the convention center itself, as well as its surrounding outdoor area. Messe Muenchen is comprised of 16 halls, each of which is larger than an American football field. The surrounding outdoor land holds more than 360,000 square meters of potential exhibit space—approximately 45 times more space than the entire trade show floor at EAS-Nice! Here’s a look at part of this outdoor area and the large front lobby:

After exploring the grounds, Pete and I made it through the lobby area to check out the two exhibit halls that EAS will be taking over. We were pleasantly surprised by the brightness and airiness of the halls, and we were especially delighted to see there are no columns whatsoever on the floor—this will make things much easier for us, and, more importantly, for our exhibitors!

Adjoining the two halls we’ll be using are indoor atriums, as well as an outdoor courtyard area that can either be left as-is be transformed into a beer garden for special events. According to our guide, the weather in Munich in October is usually mild and pleasant… so we’re keeping our fingers crossed for warmth and sun in hopes that EAS attendees and exhibitors will be able to take full advantage of this beer garden proposal!

Wrapping up our brief site tour was a visit to some of the meeting rooms and areas that will hold many of the events at EAS 2008. Once again we were impressed by the excellent condition of these rooms (all are clean, bright, and spacious), as well as their close proximity to the show floor (some rooms have windows that actually overlook the halls). The EAS staff should have no problem finding ample and adequate space to host its meetings, education sessions, and press conferences. Our last stop was a large room dedicated solely to the press, complete with a full bar and lobby area adjacent to the tables you see below:


Brief as it was, that about wraps up our whirlwind site tour of Messe Muenchen. Pete and I were there for only a couple of hours before jetting back to Nice to finish up the first EAS 2008 show, which I must add was a fantastic success. With one down and one to go, it’s time again to plan ahead … and with Oktoberfest and IAAPA’s Summer Meeting happening in conjunction with EAS this fall, there’s sure to be a lot of action going on to keep everyone busy. We hope to see you in Munich. Until then … auf wiedersehen!

For more information on exhibiting at EAS 2008-Munich, please contact Emily Popovich at epopovich@iaapa.org, or you can view the most up-to-date floor plan and download your contract at http://www.euroas.com/.