As big as ever

FROM 5 TO 8 November A+A – the Leading International Trade Fair for Safety, Security and Health at Work – held concurrently with the 36th International Congress for Occupational Safety and Health will once again extend an invitation to the Düsseldorf exhibition centre to provide a comprehensive overview of our current working world and its future in the digital age. 

In addition to exciting extensions of the programme including an enhanced A+A Highlight Route or the premiere of “kommmitmensch Film & Media Festival of A+A 2019” and new special areas such as the international A+A START-UP ZONE, the new multi-functional Hall 1 will now be open housing, in particular, exhibitors from the PPE segment. With this new hall configuration the world’s largest trade fair for safe and healthy work will be as big as ever in 2019. For the first time in the history of A+A more than 2,000 exhibitors from 63 nations will be taking part. 

Future of work

Following the successful debut at the previous A+A 2017 this year will see not one but two Highlight Routes, inviting visitors to a guided tour of the world’s No. 1 trade fair for safety, security and health at the workplace. Under the headings “Digitalisation of Safety and Security” and “Digitalisation of Health” a total of 24 exhibitors will showcase innovative solutions for the imminent changes in our working world that are emerging in the wake of digitalisation in all areas. Maps for the two A+A Highlight Routes under the guiding theme “The Future of Work” can be collected at the entrances to the trade fair. 

Under the heading “Digitalisation of Safety and Security” the first A+A Highlight Route takes visitors to a total of 18 high-calibre contact points in halls 1, 3, 6, 7, 9 and 10. Representing Germany will be 3M Deutschland GmbH, ABS Safety GmbH, AST GmbH, Denios AG, Dräger Safety AG, Düperthal Sicherheitstechnik GmbH & Co. KG,  Magdeburg-Stendal University with its VRsafe Project, innogy SE, Linde Material Handling GmbH, Lunative Laboratories GmbH, MSA Deutschland GmbH, Scaffeye GbR, scs shoe commerce GmbH, uvex Arbeitsschutz GmbH and Quentic GmbH. The Route will also stop over at Cosanta BV from the Netherlands, Sioen N.V. from Belgium and Lakeland Industries Europe Ltd. from Great Britain and Northern Ireland. On show will be smart solutions for personal protection such as interactive workwear, digital assembly and maintenance documentation for fall protection, connected gas detection technologies, Apps for managing dangerous substances or VR training applications. 

“Digitalisation of Health” is the motto for Highlight Route No. 2, which calls on a total of six renowned A+A exhibitors from the area “Health at Work” in Halls 4 and 10. The “Aktion Gesunder Rücken e.V.”, Fraunhofer IPA, Iturri Group S.A., MTM Association e.V. and Universal Robots Germany GmbH from Germany as well as Contour Design Nordic A/S from Denmark will present new ideas for workplace structures. On display will be concepts for ergonomic working at mobile workstations or for assessment of, and support for, heavy physical labour as well as the practical use of collaborating robots (Cobots) and exoskeletons. 

Start-up zone

Celebrating a debut among the special areas this year will be the A+A START-UP ZONE in Hall 10. With its clear stand design it offers space for 15 start-ups with an annual revenue or balance sheet total not exceeding EUR five million, and employing less than 20 staff. The kick-off event will see the international sector newcomers Cosanta BV from the Netherlands, Haven Technologies UK Ltd. from Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Inovatyviu procesu sprendimai from Lithuania, Iterate Labs Inc. from the USA, BHPVR sp. z.o.o. and Rock Master Spólka z.o.o. from Poland as well as Suhyuntech Co. Ltd. from South Korea present their innovative ideas. Joining the fray will be the German start-ups BGM Solutions Gesellschaft für ganzheitliches Gesundheitsmanagement mbH, Lunative Laboratories GmbH, Lawpilots GmbH, ONEASME GmbH, R.O.E. GmbH, scs shoe commerce GmbH and YYM Media Solutions GmbH as well as the Magdeburg-Stendal University with its project VRsafe. Exhibits here include web-based software for occupational safety and corporate health management, VR applications in fire protection, App-based management of dangerous goods, body-scan services for the digital determination of body measurements and sizes, a vertical-horizontal fall protection system as well as a digital care and sourcing platform for Personal Protective Equipment. 

The A+A START-UP ZONE complements and “internationalises” the ranges for young, creative and forward-looking companies at A+A. The proven funding by the Federal Ministry for Economy and Energy (BMWI) for young German technology companies will remain unchanged.

Film & media festival

In Hall 10 the “kommmitmensch Film & Media Festival” will provide a forum for media productions on occupational safety for the first time at A+A 2019. Here trade fair visitors can gather useful insights at roundtable discussions and learn how to make effective use of films highlighting prevention themes. And what’s more, as part of the media workshop they can produce their own video messages instructed by professional cameramen. In these film workshops a green box, camera and editing suite will be made available for 30-minute slots each. On top of this, a professional make-up artist will prepare visitors for their appearances.  

And like with any other important film festival A+A 2019 will also present awards. Entrants were invited to submit by mid-August films of all genres in the following four categories to be nominated and awarded by an eleven-strong jury chaired by the award-winning director Isa Prahl: “Category 1: Dein Blick” for apprentices and vocational trainees from all sectors, “Category 2: Mit Sicherheit Kunst” for film makers as well as students at film and media universities, “Category 3: Fokus Betrieb” for small and medium-sized enterprises, organisations and authorities, and “Category 4: A+A Sonderpreis: Hauptsache sicher” for exhibitors at A+A 2019 using film to promote products and solutions for safety and health at work who have designed these films as especially convincing communication tools. Furthermore, all contestants stand a chance to win a further “Public’s Favourite” award. 

The award ceremony with a screening of the winning movies will be held at the A+A cinema in Hall 10 on 7 November.  “kommmitmensch” is a campaign initiated by the Employers’ Liability Insurance and accident insurance funds. The Festival is supported by the “Mediathek für Arbeitsschutz und Gesundheitsförderung” www.arbeitsschutzfilm.de, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH, the International Media Festival for Prevention (IMFP) and the German Federal Association of Occupational Safety and Health (Basi).

A+A 2019 is held in ten halls 1, 3 to 7 (incl. 7a) and 9 to 11 of Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre and is open to trade visitors from 5 to 8 November from 9.00 am to 6.00 pm every day.

For more information, visit www.aplusa-online.com