Will it take place, will it not? The question of whether boot Düsseldorf 2022 will really open at the end of January is currently discussed by many people – no only in boating industry. In addition to potential visitors, whose numbers run into the hundreds of thousands, the exhibitors of the world’s largest indoor boat show also asked for clarity. After all, the number of Corona infections in Germany have been rising for weeks and extremely in the last days before the second winter of the Covid19 pandemic started.
The clarity is now here: Two weeks after the kick-off press conference in Düsseldorf, the trade fair team with show director Petros Michelidakis points out again: Next year’s boot is coming. In a press release published today (Thursday) afternoon, the show organizers explain how the show, scheduled for January 22-30, 2022, will run – and what the rules are.
The most important change is the introduction of the 2G rule when entering the fairgrounds. „Only vaccinated or recovered visitors will be allowed to enter the boot halls at show time. The 2G status of all visitors will be checked at the entrances to the fairgrounds“, the press statement says. Thus the fair sticks to the Corona protection regulation of the country North Rhine-Westphalia, which were updated yesterday, on 24 November.
Duty for Masks, except at the stand
That’s not all: on the premises, all boat show visitors must wear face masks, except in the outdoor area. Anyone who is a visitor at a booth and is having a conversation there, as spokeswoman Tanja Vellen explains, is allowed to take off the mask. Children up to 15 years of age are not affected by the 2G measures.
Messe Düsseldorf CEO Wolfram Diener sees no reason for concern, despite the cancellations of Christmas markets, Shrove Monday parades and other international trade fairs: „We are very well prepared and can consistently implement all the requirements thanks to our PROTaction concept at the trade fair center.“ The hygiene and infection control standards for all events at the Düsseldorf exhibition center cover everything from booth-building to distance rules.
2G rules do not apply to exhibitors
As a matter of fact, 2G only applies to boat show visitors. Anyone working at boot Düsseldorf, whether as an exhibitor or as a trade fair employee, does not necessarily have to have Covid19 vaccination protection. Here, too, the trade fair management follows the official regulation and leaves it for people without 2G proof with the obligation to a quick test.
For exhibitors, 3G applies if they are at the boat show exclusively for professional reasons. A rapid antigen test, if less than 24 hours old, allows non-vaccinated exhibitors access to the fair.
The show organizer recommends exhibitors though not to use this possibility: „However, we appeal to you and your stand personnel to also participate in boot vaccinated or recovered. A high vaccination rate offers the greatest possible safety and plays an essential role in quickly returning to pre-Covid 19 conditions.“
Full program
What will not happen at boot Düsseldorf in 2022 is the exhibitor ball and evening stand parties. What is possible, however, are events at the booths during opening hours, provided the distance is maintained.
In the run-up to boot Düsseldorf 2022, there had been a lot of speculation regarding the number of exhibitors, the number of boats on display and the presence of international exhibitors. In this regard, there was encouraging news to be heard from the boat show headquarters on the Rhine: „All the well-known manufacturers of luxury yachts, motor yachts and sailing yachts are on board. The diving sector has returned almost completely to boot, despite the crisis of the last year and a half.“
