What would have been the outcome of the Parisian trade fair this past January without the effects of the transportation strike? Without a crystal ball to tell us, the final results are inevitably tied into the extremely unfavourable social context characterising the last edition of Who’s Next, which was held from 17 to 20 January. As with the January 2019 edition, visitor numbers experienced a further drop-off: 42,565 visitors over the four days, for a drop of -4.6% compared to last year. An outcome that was not completely negative, when considering the transportation strikes taking place in France, which continued throughout the week of the event, ending only on Monday, the last day of the fair.
It must also be recognised that the organisers arranged for a shuttle transportation service, which, according to Who’s Next, allowed 2000 visitors to be brought to the fair from the train stations and airports. At the same time, the number of buyers present at this edition rose by +0.77% over the previous edition. From here, arose the dual impression of some brands that the fair went very well, while at the same time noting a slower rhythm, with a greater net drop by French visitors, because of the general transportation strike. The percentage of foreign visitors instead increased by 35% at this edition. Leading the way in foreign visitor numbers at Who’s Next were Italians, Spanish, Belgians, and Japanese, followed by British and Germans, the two nationalities that experienced the most growth at this edition of the fair. The next edition will be held from 4 to 7 September.