In the exhibition office in Ried, things are going well again these days. The final preparations for the great Rieder Messe, which will open on Thursday by Chancellor Christian Stocker tomorrow and will be accompanied by the OÖN as a media partner. In the final hustle and bustle, trade fair director Helmut Slezak (58) and project manager Fabian Berneder (34) took half an hour for a double interview yesterday.
OÖN: Founded in 1867, the Rieder Mass is the oldest in Austria. How would you describe the importance of the 2025 trade fair?
Slezak: We are the largest trade fair in Austria this year and the meeting point for agriculture, business and politics in the coming days.
After 2023 you will be project manager for the second time. What are the major challenges with the organization?
Berneder: It is anything but easy to consider all the wishes of the many exhibitors. If it is not possible, communication is important at eye level. Normally, the exhibitors also understand.
What is the emotional situation so short of the opening?
Berneder: To be honest, I’m a bit nervous at the moment. Basically, we can only react from the trade fair team, the planning has long been completed. The large stands of the agricultural machinery companies are ready. A lot will still be built in the halls on Wednesday.
How difficult is it to bring exhibitors to the Rieder trade fair in times of digitization and online trade?
Slezak: Actually not at the moment. The entire area with around 140,000 square meters is fully booked, we have more exhibitors than 2021 and 2023. Berneder: It can be felt that both the exhibitors and the visitors want to go out to exchange ideas. I am convinced that personal contacts will also be of great importance in the future. So I see our future positively.
Does the economically rather tense situation have no noticeable effects?
Slezak: It was noticeable in the marquee at the evening of the companies last week. You can tell that companies obviously make certain savings. The exhibitors also try to save on the hotel costs for the employees.
Video with trade fair director Helmut Slezak and project manager Fabian Berneder
Hand on heart: At the end of the 70s, in the early 1980s, Rieder and Welser fair literally surpassed themselves when it comes to visitor numbers. There was talk of more than a million visitors in Ried. How realistic do you keep these numbers given at the time?
Slezak: For completely unrealistic.
How many visitors do you expect on the four fair days between Thursday and Sunday?
Slezak: Including the folk festival (free admission), similar to in 2023, we hope for up to 120,000 visitors at the Rieder Messe.
The weather is not insignificant for a course of the trade fair. How confidently does it make the weather forecast for the coming days?
Slezak: It looks pretty good, I am convinced that nothing stands in the way of a successful and beautiful fair for exhibitors and visitors. It would be good for the folk festival if it would stay dry on Friday evening and Saturday evening.
Much more than 500 exhibitors are represented at the Rieder Messe. How big is the proportion of international dealers?
Berneder: We can welcome exhibitors from a total of twelve European nations. This number was certainly higher 30 or 40 years ago.
As can be heard, numerous ambassadors are said to have announced the opening of the fair on Thursday.
Slezak: Right, no less than 13 ambassadors, including from Germany, Iraq, Sri Lanka, Yemen, Indonesia, Mongolia and Namibia, have announced themselves. This impressively underlines what radiance the Rieder Mass still has after almost 170 years.
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Source: Nachrichten
