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ISH Germany continues to wow

Connectivity a main theme at massive international trade fair.

By Mike Miazga

ISH Germany 2019 drew a crowd of around 190,000 visitors to the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. Photo courtesy Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Pietro Sutera.

ISH Germany-Grohe — Want to know what the temperature of water coming out of the faucet is, GROHE has you covered with this product. Photo by Mike Miazga/Supply House Times.

ISH Germany-Ridgid — RIDGID’s Teodora Takacs demonstrates a product during the 2019 ISH Germany trade fair in Frankfurt. Photo by Mike Miazga/Supply House Times.

ISH Germany-Toilet — A bathroom in your home library? TOTO had you covered at ISH Germany. Photo by Mike Miazga/Supply House Times.

ISH Germany-Uponor — Uponor was one of many familiar U.S. manufacturers with major presences at ISH Germany. Photo courtesy of Messe Frankfurt Exhibition GmbH/Pietro Sutera.

AHR Expo and the combined KBIS/IBS tradeshows are regarded as large gatherings in the PHCP-PVF industry.

The every-other-year ISH Germany show takes the word large to an entirely different level. ISH Germany put on its most recent gala in March in Frankfurt that drew a crowd of around 190,000 visitors from 161 countries to the Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. During the five-day show, 2,532 exhibitors (1,664 from abroad) from 57 countries presented their new products and innovations. Messe Frankfurt, the show’s producer, noted 66% of exhibitors and almost 48% of visitors came from outside Germany. Messe Frankfurt added 522 Boeing 747 airplanes would be needed to carry all 2019 ISH Germany visitors.

How big of a production is ISH Germany? Tim Schroeder, the president of Duravit’s USA division, told Supply House Times during the show that it took several weeks to set up the company’s booth, which was filled with three truckloads of products. The booth itself was unloaded from 13 trucks.

The 12 exhibition halls and the massive GROHE forum (the bath and kitchen manufacturer had its own hall) were dotted with familiar U.S. manufacturers. Common themes included products designed to help contractors and engineers do their jobs more efficiently, as well as the continued proliferation of connected products and technologies. For instance, bath and kitchen manufacturers GROHE and Hansgrohe, which also had a massive and constantly busy booth, showcased connected leak detection products. Hansgrohe also had a makeup removal faucet on display.

ISH Germany spotlighted a number of industry trends, including one that mirrors what U.S. PHCP-PVF industry professionals are trying to tackle: The continuing skilled labor shortage. On the bath and kitchen side, Messe Frankfurt reported wood, marble and new kinds of metallic finishes are playing major design roles in that space.

ISH Germany returns to Frankfurt March 22-26, 2021. To check out Mike Miazga’s many booth video interviews from ISH Germany, visit the Supply House Times Facebook page (@SupplyHouseTimes).

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Mike Miazga (former group editorial director for BNP Media’s Plumbing Group) is now the vice president of sales/membership at the American Supply Association (ASA). Supply House Times is proud to be the official publication and brand of the ASA — a relationship that spans more than a decade.

Mike’s relationship with BNP Media and the Plumbing Group continues today. He now writes a monthly ASA-focused column for Supply House Times and acts as an editorial consultant to BNP Media’s Plumbing Group.

In his 10-plus years at BNP Media, Miazga was senior editor of Plumbing & Mechanical and PM Engineer before taking over chief editor duties at Supply House Times in 2011. In addition to his role as editorial director, Miazga continued as Supply House Times chief editor and the editor of the American Supply Association’s PVF Outlook eNewsletter. He also enjoyed three stints as PM Engineer’s chief editor, holding dual roles as Supply House Times and PM Engineer chief editor on two occasions.

Miazga started his career in newspapers at the age of 19 and has more than 25 years of newsroom, management, editorial and public/media relations experience, and is a former high-school baseball and golf head varsity coach. Mike and his family are still based out of the Chicago area (with ASA Headquarters in Itasca, Illinois). You can reach Mike at PlumbingGroup89@gmail.com.