A living room full of swallows

On the one hand, this year's Caravanning Salon in Poznań is a success - a large number of exhibitors, a large number of vehicles on display, many new companies (not only at the fair, but also on the Polish market). At the same time, it's hard to resist the impression that this event needs a newer, fresher formula.

Let's start with the pluses, because there are many of them. When visiting the exhibitors' stands, talking to owners and employees of companies related to caravanning, it was hard for me to resist the impression that a lot has changed for the better during the year. Some still complain that the market in Poland is difficult, that the sale of new motorhomes and caravans is weak, that it is only a bit better in renting camping vehicles and selling used vehicles. From the same conversations, however, there is a hope that I did not sense during the talks a year ago. And it's not just about words, but facts.

And these are such that while a year ago a large part of the fair space was occupied by accessories distributors, you can see a lot of motorhomes and caravans of various brands. Many new, still fledgling companies joined the old distributors and producers that had been operating for years. There are also foreign exhibitors, even those who do not formally sell in Poland at all. They would not be in Poznań if they did not believe that it could pay off. Some are just testing the market, others are expanding their activities. It is said that one swallow does not make spring, but a dozen or so appeared at the fair in Poznań!

The Polish caravanning market is developing and now, when the topic of the crisis is also less and less often returned to other industries, there is a chance that Poland will start chasing other countries as well. There is no reason why the situation in our country should be worse than in the Czech Republic or Hungary, and from conversations with Markus Kuschmann from Gant, I concluded that so far, even compared to these countries, sales in our country are poor.

However, it is better than it was - we have a lot to see at the fair, we have a growing offer of motorhomes and caravans in Poland, we have competing manufacturers and distributors. What more could you want?

Well, something is missing: the belief that it is worth trying harder to attract the attention of viewers to the Caravanning Salon. Currently, you can unfortunately get the impression that walking between the halls of the Salon and other Motor Show exhibitions is like wandering between different worlds.

The world of car and motorcycle exhibitions is a frenzy of colors and sounds. Cars are presented in a variety of ways, but at each stand, the vehicles are well-lit, interestingly displayed, and professional sellers and charming hostesses help in their promotion. Producers and dealers compete with each other to attract viewers, interest in their offer, and prove that what they want to sell is truly unique. Sure they also get stumbled sometimes , but the overall impression is very good. There is music, there are colors, something is going on.

Full of impressions, we enter the Caravanning Salon. Unfortunately, it's kind of sadder here. Between the tightly packed motorhomes and caravans, at the garden tables, representatives of individual companies sit, who in some cases mainly talk to each other, without even trying to take the initiative towards visitors to their stands. Certain things can be explained by the much lower budget of caravanning exhibitors, but the lack of money cannot explain poor efforts or lack of ingenuity. It would be good if the exhibitors wanted to rethink their presence at the next fair. Maybe today it is not enough to post the goods and wait for customers? Maybe competitions and games should be organized to attract viewers, as it is done in other halls? Maybe the investment in renting a microphone and lighting would be also bearable?

Perhaps it is time for the formula of the Caravanning Salon to change a bit. It is worth considering how to make the event more attractive and attract viewers. Anyway, our conversations with the organizers show that they are also aware that changes are needed. They also have the will to make these changes. Let's hope that they will have enough creativity and determination to show a new, more modern face of the Caravanning Salon next year. Otherwise, the swallows may fly away just as quickly as they have flown.

In the next article, we will describe for you in a little more detail what individual companies presented at their stands.