More than a year ago, the coronavirus was detected in Germany for the first time. Since then, nothing has been the same. The event industry in particular is facing unpreced ented challenges in light of the ongoing COVID pandemic. In close consultation with exhibitors and partners, Deutsche Messe AG has therefore decided to postpone LightCon. Now, the new congress and trade fair for lightweight construction will be held for the first time in Hannover from 6 to 7 October 2021.

The second postponement of LightCon, this time from summer to fall, is due to current regulatory restrictions. Despite cautious opening strategies and an ongoing Corona vaccination campaign, staging a physical event is not feasible for health and economic reasons. The new date is 6–7 October 2021 at the Hannover Exhibition Center with a hybrid format that features exhibitor live streams, business dating and matchmaking, and digital product presentations.

“It is not easy for us to postpone the premiere of LightCon again. Together with our partners, we have put a lot of energy and creativity into program development and we have received a lot of positive feedback from the market. However we need a secure environment for a successful first event, and that will probably not be in place until the fall,” says Olaf Daebler, Global Director LightCon at Deutsche Messe AG.

“LightCon will be the new format for lightweight construction. We have put together an excellent program that deserves a large audience and a secure execution. From today’s perspective, we think we will succeed with this in October 2021,” explains Dr. Gunnar Merz, CEO of Composites United.

Stefanie Brickwede, CEO of Mobility goes Additive, says, “We have received more than 100 great submissions on topics related to lightweight construction, which are best presented live and in person. For this reason, the Advisory Board has decided to postpone LightCon to the beginning of October 2021 to allow a face-to-face event. We want to give as much room as possible for personal exchange and discussion of innovative business models. This would not be assured in June.”

LightCon will offer exhibitors and trade visitors the opportunity to exchange ideas on the entire spectrum of lightweight construction technology. The new event is the first platform internationally to map lightweight construction solutions for a wide range of user industries across materials and technologies. The patron of the new event is Germany’s Minister for Economic Affairs and Energy, Peter Altmaier.

Other LightCon partners include Berlin Partner, C³ carbon concrete composite, the Federal Association of the German Foundry Industry, the Industrial Association for Solid Forming, the International Magnesium Association, the Interessengemeinschaft Leichtbau (igeL), the lightweight construction cluster Landshut, the steel association VDEh, Mobility goes Additive, the cluster NanoMikroWerkstoffePhotonik.NRW, Neue Materialien Fürth GmbH and the clusters Nanotechnology and New Materials (bayern innovativ).