Two fairs at the same time and place: next year’s Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound will be held concurrently on all days, from 2 to 5 April. With a new sequence of days – from Tuesday to Friday – Musikmesse will strengthen its profile as the platform for the professional exchange of ideas and information between music-industry professionals.
The two events will also move physically closer together. For four days, visitors can discover the entire spectrum of products for the music and live-entertainment sector.

“Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound are combining their strengths. With all days now concurrent, we are complying with a request often expressed in the sector”, says Michael Biwer, Group Show Director of the ‘Entertainment, Media & Creative Industries’ Business Unit of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH. “The concept for 2019 emphasises the strengths of the two trade fairs: professionalism, internationality and the synergistic effects between the industries represented.”
The Saturday as part of the fair is not being cut but is changing to a new format with a B2C focus, which will be marketed separately. To be called Musikmesse Plaza, the new event will take the form of a pop-up market with numerous musical events and direct exhibitor sales on 6 April.
To this end, Messe Frankfurt is cooperating with several partners from the creative industry to guarantee a high power of attraction for musicians and music lovers. The Musikmesse Festival, which accompanies the trade fair for the music industry, is being extended by a day and will present musical highlights throughout Frankfurt from the Tuesday on.

Short walking distances, optimum flow of visitors

The layout of Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound is designed to achieve the best possible concentration of products groups and themes. For the first time, the whole spectrum of audio products will be concentrated in a single exhibition hall.

On an area of almost 30,000 square metres in Hall 8.0, visitors will find solutions revolving around public-address systems, permanent installations, studio and recording.
Opened in September 2018, Hall 12 is the optimum setting for the presentation of lighting, stage equipment, entertainment technology and event safety and security systems.
Hall 4 brings together associations of the music and event sector and is home to a joint business and networking area for both fairs. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors also have the opportunity to make presentations in the heart of the Exhibition Centre.

Halls 3.0 and 3.1 spotlight the world of keyboard, percussion, plucked, string and wind instruments, as well as sheet music and equipment.

Rounding off the hall layout is Forum.0 for full-range companies and the Congress Centre with the programme for musical instruction.

Business first!

With free admission on all days of the fair, free cloakroom service, guided tours and many other benefits, the ‘Insider’ VIP programme means qualified dealers receive first-class treatment. In 2019, the programme will be extended to include buyers from the entertainment-technology sector. Now also part of both fairs is the Matchmaking programme, which brings exhibitors together with visitors of particular relevance to them.

New next year will be a joint Hall 4.1 for Business and Networking for both Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound, which will take the form of an elaborate lounge with a lecture stage and catering zones, all designed to encourage business discussions in a relaxed atmosphere.

The right platform for every brand

From start-ups to key players: Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound support companies of all sizes to ensure perfect presentations. Companies can not only book exhibition space in the halls and on the outdoor area but also be part of the complementary programme of events.

On the new ‘Circle Stages’, exhibitors present event highlights in the heart of the halls. The stages are the ideal setting for product demonstrations, workshops, lectures, receptions or performances by endorsers. The enclosed construction ensures reasonable noise protection. In the evenings, Messe Frankfurt will join forces with companies from the sector to hold extraordinary concerts of the Musikmesse Festival on the Circle Stages.

The Live Sound Arena is being relocated to outdoor area F10 in the immediate vicinity of Audio Hall 8.0. There, Prolight + Sound exhibitors demonstrate PA and line-array systems under realistic conditions. Additionally, a Demo Room for indoor audio systems is in planning.

The organisers are also working closely together with companies from the sector for the Discover Music area for young people. Exhibitors are invited to donate instruments, give-aways or systems to this experiential world for musical explorers. By doing so, they can contribute to a successful project and make initial contacts between their brands and young music lovers.
Additionally, there will be several special areas where companies can present their products to specific special-interest groups of visitors. At Prolight + Sound there will be separate presentation areas focusing on event safety and security and digital signage. An area dedicated to instruments for left-handers is being planned for Musikmesse.

Fit for the future

Caught in a whirl of disruptive technologies, new standards and regulations, as well as increasing customer expectations, the sector is changing rapidly. Visitors to Musikmesse and Prolight + Sound have their finger on the pulse of the time and receive insights into tomorrow’s trends.
Following their successful première in 2018, ‘The Future of Music and Audio Technology’ seminars will be expanded and cover, inter alia, subjects that have a decisive impact on the global music industry, such as artificial intelligence, app integration and wearables for musicians. The programme is being organised by the Advanced Audio + Applications Exchange (A3E).
The ‘Immersive Technology Forum’ is also being continued. Companies of the event and media-technology sector will provide insights into best practices relating to 3D and spatial audio, virtual and augmented reality, 360° projection and holography.
New in 2019 are the ‘CAVIS – Congress for Audio Visual Integrated Systems’ seminars. They will focus on the growth market of permanent installations and give Prolight + Sound exhibitors the chance to present relevant products and projects.

Musikmesse Plaza to rock the Saturday

Immediately after the two trade fairs have closed their doors, the 1st ‘Musikmesse Plaza’ will launch a totally new event concept aimed wholly at consumers. Located in the eastern section of Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre, this pop-up market covering a variety of themes and with direct sales by manufacturers and dealers will take place on Saturday, 6 April. By this means, Messe Frankfurt aims to raise the experiential factor to a new level and offer all exhibitors the chance to reach all specific target groups on all five days.