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Gama spoke to Sabine Loos, Managing Director of Westfalenhallen Unternehmensgruppe, ahead of the latest edition of InterTabac.
What are your primary goals and expectations for the 2026 edition of InterTabac?
Last year, we were delighted to welcome a record number of more than 800 international exhibitors for the second time in a row. Naturally, we aim to build on those figures in the future. It is these companies that make InterTabac the diverse market platform that it is. Our goal is to reflect the industry in all its diversity while providing a comprehensive forum for information, exchange, and networking.
This year, the new three-part structure of InterTabac, InterSupply, and NUBIZ will also be implemented consistently for the first time. This restructuring is designed to offer visitors even greater orientation and efficiency during their visit. We are very excited to see how it will be received.
Read more Tradeshow Look Aheads in the next issue of Gama News.
Starting in 2026, the show moves to a Tuesday-Thursday schedule. What prompted this shift, and how will it benefit exhibitors and visitors?
It is the result of surveys among exhibitors and visitors and of the coordination between Messe Dortmund, the trade fair advisory board, partner associations as well as representatives from the exhibitor ranks. The new sequence of days is not only intended to make it easier for the retail sector to participate. In addition, the trade show will offer better travelling conditions for exhibitors and visitors alike by being held on three working days.
For me, there are many factors involved in the successful development of a trade show. And a very important one is to consider the needs of our exhibitors and visitors.
You have recently formed a strategic partnership with the European Cigar Manufacturers Association. How will this collaboration enhance the show’s Cigar Culture segment this year?
The partnership with the European Cigar Manufacturers Association underscores the importance of the cigar segment as one of the key topics of the trade show and strengthens InterTabac in terms of content. Particularly with regard to formats such as the Cigar Culture Summit, this cooperation opens up additional perspectives for dialogue, depth, and international networking. The association contributes extensive industry expertise and close connections to key target groups. At the same time, at InterTabac ECMA has the opportunity to present itself to a large professional audience within a strong market environment and to generate targeted reach, visibility, and valuable contacts.
With the event continuing to extend across 11 halls, how are you evolving the visitor journey to ensure a seamless experience between the different “theme worlds”?
Providing clear orientation for our visitors is a priority. That’s why we invest a great deal of planning and thought into signage and visitor guidance. From the entrance onwards, clear signs and a consistent color scheme – representing InterTabac for the classic tobacco segment, NUBIZ for the NGP-segment and InterSupply for the production chain – guide visitors through the halls. In addition, we provide a variety of resources to support them: the printed visitor guide, the trade show app, our website and social media channels, as well as on-site overview maps. We also continuously develop new tools, such as LED display posters, to make information even more visible.
Beyond the exhibition floor, how is the supporting programme evolving in 2026 to provide even more value for international trade professionals?
Since its introduction in 2019, we have continuously developed the conference programme. Our goal is to bring together leading experts from industry, trade and science and to address the issues that are most relevant for the industry. To achieve this, our programme director closely monitors developments and opinions within the industry throughout the year.
About InterTabac
Three days, one location, all relevant market participants: from 15th to 17th September 2026, trade visitors and exhibitors from all over the world will gather in Dortmund to hold direct discussions, experience products and innovations in the market environment, and efficiently advance business-related topics. Which products deserve shelf space in the future, and which are losing relevance? You will only find answers to these and other questions in Dortmund.
