New event – Messe Friedrichshafen is aiming high with Vertical Pro

New rope and safety systems trade show – Deutscher Alpenverein and Messe Friedrichshafen launch long-term strategic partnership

The Vertical Pro trade show is coming to Friedrichshafen as a new annual fair from November 2021. The combination of trade show and symposium focuses on height safety, work-at-height safety and rope and safety systems. Vertical Pro also features expert product presentations, product testing and issues regarding cross-sector safety standards. As part of the new format, Messe Friedrichshafen and the German Alpine Association/ Deutscher Alpenverein (DAV) are also partnering to launch Halls & Walls – the important and already well-established get-together for indoor climbing industry operators. The symposium, which was previously held in Nuremberg, took place as a digital event in 2020 and will be organised on 19 and 20 November 2021 at Lake Constance for the first time. 


Working at height is common across a wide range of different professions and sectors and people require appropriate fall protection. The rope and safety systems are particular to each area and yet are based on the same principles, mechanisms and equipment. “For the first time, Vertical Pro offers a central platform for all areas working at height and an opportunity to share knowledge and exchange ideas about the latest issues, trends and standards on both a sector-by-sector and cross-industry basis. Together with the well-established Halls & Walls symposium, Vertical Pro will bring together the entire spectrum of rope and safety systems under one roof. As a trade fair location, Friedrichshafen has plenty to offer all parties,” says Klaus Wellmann, CEO Messe Friedrichshafen, referring in particular to the region’s close proximity to the Alps.
Vertical Pro will cover the full spectrum of rope and safety systems. This includes the following areas of use: climbing halls, high ropes courses and forest adventure parks, tree care, mountaineering schools, mountain rescue organisations, paragliding, cable car operators, caving and more besides. The four key areas of the new trade show platform – Forum & Networking, Expo, Demo and Test Area, Trends & Innovation – offer knowledge transfer and a unique networking experience. The target group for Vertical Pro includes manufacturers, industrial users, associations, organisations, operators, specialist retailers and prosumers. “By prosumers, we mean consumers, who unlike average consumers, are looking for products that are of a standard of those aimed at professionals. As such, we are doing away with the previous division between end users and trade visitors,” announces project manager Dirk Heidrich, Messe Friedrichshafen, who is also responsible for the leading Eurobike trade show. 
On the exhibitor side, a number of partners are already convinced by Vertical Pro’s concept. Christoph Driever, Country Manager Petzl Germany, says: “We see a lot of potential in the Vertical Pro concept and are convinced that the new “Verticality Show” event will benefit all participants. As such, we want to be part of it from day one and contribute to the formation of a new industry platform that could function as a leading industry show. Both the timing on the international trade fair calendar and the location at Friedrichshafen’s established showgrounds are perfect to forge a new path.” 
Industry players who do the majority of their business outside of the climbing sector have also expressed an interest in the new concept. “We’re convinced by the concept behind Vertical Pro, it immediately created major interest across our entire company. As a worldwide leader in all areas in which safety at heights is important, we view this new event as an important opportunity for valuable synergy effects. The combination of industry expertise and climbing sports-driven expert knowledge continually leads to new innovations, which can benefit users – whether for work or leisure use,” says Florian Wahl, Sales Manager, Skylotec GmbH.
Daniel Gebel, Head of Innovation at Edelrid, also has high hopes. “Similar to us manufacturers, most users are involved in a number of different areas of working at height. For the first time ever, the new Vertical Pro trade show format provides an opportunity to exhibit, to learn and to discuss both at interdisciplinary and a cross-disciplinary level. It will be a show where you not only target the right audience, but where you also want to see everything and not miss out on anything. The event will ensure out of the box thinking and bring together main players and specialist knowledge from the individual sectors. By enabling a completely new form of cross-sector exchange, the concept underpinning Vertical Pro has the potential to significantly drive technology forward – in both application and product. And last, but by no means least, “vertical pros” tend to share a similar outlook and we look forward to what will definitely be a great atmosphere.”

Deutscher Alpenverein and Messe Friedrichshafen enter new partnership

Halls & Walls, the annual European climbing industry symposium, will be an integral part of Vertical Pro. The Deutscher Alpenverein’s (DAV) successful event format has become the largest and most relevant specialist show for indoor climbing. From 2017 to 2019, Halls & Walls took place in Nuremberg, due to the Corona pandemic, the live event for 2020 was held as a digital symposium on 6 November. From 2021 onwards, it has a new home at the Friedrichshafen trade show grounds. “Working closely together with Messe Friedrichshafen, we want Halls & Walls above all to address national and international climbing hall operators. We plan to further develop the event, so that it become the place to be for everything related to climbing and safety developments and trends in Europe,” says DAV Managing Director Dr Olaf Tabor.

For further information, visit www.vertical-pro.com and www.hallsandwalls.de.