“It’s still summer,” smiled , CEO of the Chamber of Commerce, at the official presentation of , held on 17 September on the rooftop of Luxexpo The Box, where the sky was a bit more reminiscent of the depression of All Saints’ Day than the indolence of an Indian summer.

Last year, 10,000 visitors came through the doors of this social and solidarity event, which was set up for the first time in 2021 in the wake of the covid lockdowns in order to “give online companies the opportunity to present themselves to a varied public.”

Since then, the show has not only become an integral part of the Luxexpo The Box programme, it has also expanded. From 20 to 22 September, 135 local exhibitors from the food, tech, fashion and wellbeing sectors will be taking over the site, which will be organised around five themed villages, including one devoted to sport. In this Olympic and Paralympic year, visitors will be able to try their hand at wheelchair basketball or meet recent medallist Tom Habscheid, a Luxembourg athlete came third in the shot-put competition in Paris.

Ecology, secondhand goods and gaming are other key themes chosen for this year's event. “It’s a very wide range,” said Thelen.

“A lot of progress”

“In four years, we’ve made a lot of progress. We’re constantly looking to innovate, to keep up with the times. Long Live The Summer doesn’t have to be modern, it has to be contemporary,” explained Luxexpo The Box director . “This show embodies our raison d’être, which is to create synergies. The event can’t just be about business, we want to create a virtuous circle.”

As in the past, companies will benefit from free stands thanks to the partnership forged with the Chamber of Commerce and the City of Luxembourg. This year, the City of Luxembourg is proud to be represented by traders “from sixteen districts,” said (CSV), the alderman responsible for trade.

“Customers of tomorrow”

The focus is on the Gare district, “an area that is perhaps suffering more than others.” The city council is currently working on its redevelopment. A survey of shoppers and shopkeepers has been carried out . The city council is due to unveil the results in a month’s time at the next City Breakfast, its monthly meeting with the press. It is also awaiting the green light from the retailers concerned before announcing the identity of “two big names,” as Bauer described them, who will be setting up shop in the district. In the meantime, the first alderman is delighted that the Design Hub, the workspace on Rue de Hollerich open to creative professionals, will be in the spotlight for three days.

“Get inspired, create, get fit…,” Gromy summed up. Around fifty events are on the programme. Last year, each visitor spent an average of €120 (excluding catering) at the trade show.

And six out of ten visitors were under 35. “They’re the customers of tomorrow,” said Bauer.

This article was originally published in .