“Covid-19 has had an impact on many industries and naturally, one of the worst affected by the pandemic is the events industry. Given the nature of Hobby-X being a large-scale interactive event, Messe Frankfurt South Africa has decided to postpone the 2021 event. The safety of our exhibitors, attendees, and staff is of the utmost concern for us. We believe this to be in the best interest of the industry and the event,” says Show Director, Annelie Reynolds.
The event will now take place from 5-8 May 2022 at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre. Hobby-X provides a wide spectrum of materials, equipment, supplies, and ideas that are showcased to both trade buyers and the general public, encouraging South Africans to take up a creative craft or hobby.
“The hobby and craft industry has grown rapidly during the pandemic as many people have taken up new hobbies which, in some cases, have evolved into emerging business ventures. There is a definite need for this event and we will provide a proven platform that serves both exhibitors and visitors alike in 2022,” adds Reynolds.
Next year, Hobby-X celebrates 24 years of the wider world of hobbies and visitors will have the opportunity to choose from a variety of products on display by distributors, manufacturers, and agents of materials, supplies & equipment for crafts, art, hobbies, and leisure activities.
Lars Smith, the Director of Faber-Castell, a 260-year-old global family-owned business with the core being pencil creativity which has expanded into various writing instruments and art graphic products, says “A wise decision has been made by the Hobby-X team to postpone this year’s event to 2022. Given the current situation we are in, I am of the opinion that people are not yet ready to engage in a hands-on and interactive environment such as Hobby-X.”
"A sensible call has been made to move the event out so that exhibitors can look at alternative ways to engage with visitors in the lead-up to the event. Cricut is cutting machines to crafting essentials and we are launching a range of our products in South Africa. We believe that Hobby-X is the perfect platform to introduce our brand to the market,” says a new exhibitor to Hobby-X, Martin Kruger, Head of Cricut Middle East and Africa.
Attracting thousands of visitors each year, consumers from all over South Africa visit Hobby-X to source materials, supplies, equipment, ideas, and techniques.
Be sure to save the date and join us at the Kyalami Grand Prix Circuit and International Convention Centre from 5-8 May 2022.
For more information or to book your exhibition space at the 2022 show, please contact:
Annelie Reynolds, Hobby-X Show Director on Annelie.Reynolds@za.messefrankfurt.com
For visitor and media related queries, please contact:
Priyanka Lutchman, Senior Marketing Manager, Messe Frankfurt South Africa on Priyanka.Lutchman@za.messefrankfurt.com
For more information about the event, please visit www.hobby-x.co.za
Background information on Messe Frankfurt
The Messe Frankfurt Group is the world’s largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. The Group employs approximately 2,450 people at its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main and in 29 subsidiaries around the world. The company generated annual sales of approximately €257 million in 2020 after having recorded sales of €736 million the previous year. Even in difficult times caused by the coronavirus pandemic, we are globally networked with our industry sectors. We have close ties with our industry sectors and serve our customers’ business interests efficiently within the framework of our Fairs & Events, Locations and Services business fields. One of the Group’s key USPs is its closely knit global sales network, which extends throughout the world. Our comprehensive range of services – both onsite and online – ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. We are expanding our digital expertise with new business models. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. Headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).
For more information, please visit our website at: www.messefrankfurt.com