Convention NewsA+A 2013, International Trade Fair with Congress for Safety, Security and Health at Work, is experiencing continued growth: with 613,500 square feet of exhibit space by the beginning of December 2012, exhibitor registration already reached the record figure of the previous year (A+A 2011). This year, over 1,600 exhibitors are expected to present a broad spectrum of the latest in personal protective equipment, corporate security, special equipment for disaster relief and health at the workplace. A+A will be held from November 5 - 8, 2013 at the fairgrounds in Düsseldorf, Germany.

One central focus this year will be corporate fashion. “One market that has been growing in particular is corporate fashion and image wear. In this highly fashion-focused area of work clothes and protective clothing, the products of the exhibitors and the A+A Fashion Show will win new target groups for A+A, such as decision-makers from companies requiring customized clothing,” explained Joachim Schäfer, Managing Director of Messe Düsseldorf.

Due to demographic change and a general rise in health consciousness, even greater importance will now be placed on corporate health: “More and more companies are beginning to see corporate health management as a vital success factor. It's a matter of sustaining employee performance and of counteracting physical and psychological strain. A+A will present a comprehensive overview of services and products for the corporate health sector,” stated Birgit Horn, Director of A+A 2013.

To that extend, A+A 2013 will feature the “Workplace Design” theme park in Hall 10, jointly organized by the publishing company Dr. Curt Haefner-Verlag, the Ergonomics Departments of various universities and the German Networking Office.  Its focus will be on ergonomic workplace design by presenting solutions for a variety of industries, ranging from office workplaces, assembly lines and supply chain packing stations to laboratory organization. In addition, the theme park will include a forum with best practice presentations.  Also located in Hall 10 will be the companies with corporate health exhibits and the Health & Safety Meeting Point for professional and trade associations as well as the International Labour Organisation.

A+A 2013 will occupy eight halls and the exhibits will be clearly structured for optimal orientation. Exhibitors of personal protective safety equipment will be in Halls 3, 4 and 5 (the Corporate Fashion and A+A Fashion Shows will also take place in Hall 5) as well as Halls 7.9, 9 and 10.  Corporate security and special equipment for disaster relief can be found in Halls 6 and 7a. Hall 6 will also be the venue for the “Fire & Disaster Relief” theme park (in partnership with the German Association of Plant Fire Services WFV and the German Federal Relief Agency THW) while Hall 7 will house the “Safety & Security Innovation Park” with live demonstrations and presentations of innovative products and services.

Another integral part of A+A 2013 will be the international A+A Congress with over 60 events covering the areas of health, safety and ergonomics. Organized by Basi, Germany's National Occupational Health and Safety Association, the talks and discussions of the Congress will deal with political reform projects at the national and European levels as well as technical innovations and the latest research results. Of international interest will be the conference of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) as a dialogue and information platform on worldwide trends in preventative healthcare. This year, occupational illnesses will be a main topic.

As the No. 1 international event for occupational safety and health, the main target group of A+A includes experts from occupational health & safety and security management, HR managers, buyers from industry, company physicians, owners of small businesses, staff councils, works councils, fire-fighters, relief workers and the police force.

For further information on visiting or exhibiting at  A+A 2013, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; Visit our web site http://www.mdna.com; Subscribe to our blog at http://blog.mdna.com; Follow us on twitter at http://twitter.com/OccSafety_MDNA

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