- GROHE will not participate in next year’s ISH 2021
- Health and safety is top priority: for employees, customers and everyone involved
- Participation in other fairs in the EMENA region are under evaluation
Beirut, July 16, 2020. Following thorough internal discussions, GROHE announces today to withdraw from participating in next year’s ISH 2021. Three main reasons led to this difficult decision: as a global brand and part of LIXIL, the company values come first: respect and doing the right thing. In line with the efforts made during the pandemic to protect employees, business partners and customers with strict hygiene and safety measures, health and safety remain a top priority for GROHE: for employees, customers and everyone involved in the ISH. Secondly, it is still a fragile COVID-19 situation in Germany and especially abroad, and large events are an almost incalculable risk. In addition, the hygiene concept suggested by the ISH is nonsatisfying for us.
Jonas Brennwald, CEO LIXIL EMENA and Co-CEO Grohe AG explains: “With great regret we have to cancel our participation in the trade fair ISH 2021 at the scheduled time in March 2021. Our customers and business partners are expecting us to create a unique brand experience with fantastic product launches and engaging with us on a personal basis during the fair. However, under the given circumstances and restrictions we don´t see this possible with a traditional fair concept.”
“We were very sorry to hear that there was no will to postpone the ISH trade fair until a later date”, adds Thomas Fuhr, COO Fittings LIXIL International and Co-CEO Grohe AG. “One of our company values is doing the right thing. We are convinced that in this crisis situation the cancellation is unfortunately the only right thing to do to ensure the safety and health of all involved.”
Following this decision, GROHE will also review particiapation in other trade fairs in the EMENA region. Further information will be provided regionally.
Nevertheless, GROHE wants to create a unique brand experience for business partners and the media next year and is currently working on an alternative concept. How the global brand will present its pioneering innovations will be announced in due course.
Follow us on our social media channels Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube.
About GROHE
GROHE is a leading global brand for complete bathroom solutions and kitchen fittings and has a total of over 6,500 employees in 150 countries – 2,600 of them are based in Germany. Since 2014 GROHE has been part of the strong brand portfolio of the Japanese manufacturer of pioneering water and housing products LIXIL. In order to offer “Pure Freude an Wasser”, every GROHE product is based on the brand values of quality, technology, design and sustainability. Renowned highlights such as GROHE Eurosmart or the GROHE thermostat series as well as groundbreaking innovations such as the GROHE Blue water system underline the brand’s profound expertise. Focused on customer needs, GROHE thus creates intelligent, life-enhancing and sustainable product solutions that offer relevant added value – and bear the “Made in Germany” seal of quality: R&D and design are firmly anchored as an integrated process in Germany. GROHE takes its corporate responsibility very seriously and focuses on a resource-saving value chain. Since April 2020, the sanitary brand has been producing CO2-neutral worldwide. GROHE has also set itself the goal of using plastic-free product packaging by 2021.
In the past ten years alone, more than 460 design and innovation awards as well as several top rankings at the German Sustainability Award have confirmed GROHE’s success. GROHE was the first in its industry to win the CSR Award of the German Federal Government and was also featured in the renowned Fortune® magazine’s ranking of Top 50 that are “Changing the World”.
About LIXIL
LIXIL makes pioneering water and housing products that solve every day, real-life challenges, making better homes a reality for everyone, everywhere. Drawing on our Japanese heritage, we create world-leading technology and innovate to make high quality products that transform homes. But the LIXIL difference is how we do this; through meaningful design, an entrepreneurial spirit, a dedication to improving accessibility for all and responsible business growth. Our approach comes to life through industry leading brands, including INAX, GROHE, American Standard and TOSTEM. With approximately 75,000 colleagues operating in more than 150 countries are proud to make products that touch the lives of more than a billion people every day. Learn more at www.lixil.com