SABINE LOOS

WESTFALENHALLEN GROUP MANAGING DIRECTOR, ORGANIZERS OF THE TWIN SHOW INTERTABAC & INTERSUPPLY

CIGARRO DOMINICANO met Sabine Loos at the great come back of Intertabac & Intersupply 2022, the Europe’s leading trade fair for tobacco and smoking accessories. We saw in her an organized and strategic woman, so we invite you to meet this great leader, her career and experience as the managing director of Westfalenhallen Group of Companies, which organize this amazing trade show, that take place in Dortmund, Germany.

CIGARRO DOMINICANO: Can you tell us something about your career to date?

SABINE LOOS: Before joining the Westfalenhalle Group, the first years of my career after leaving university in Berlin were as a consultant in Hamburg. I’ve always been fascinated by the trade show business, so my move to Koelnmesse (Cologne exhibition centre) in April 1991 fitted my career plan really well. In Cologne, I worked initially as a consultant and project manager and was given responsibility for the global flagship shows Anuga and the International Confectionery Fair. In 2004, I eventually landed a senior management role at Koelnmesse as head of Technology & Environment, a position I held until 2011. In this role, my responsibilities included developing and expanding new event formats such as Pro Sweets Cologne, Carbon Expo and Wowex. I was also responsible for establishing new formats abroad in places such as the US, Singapore and China. Since August 2011 I’ve been in my current position as Managing Director of the group of companies with its three subsidiaries Messe Dortmund (exhibition centre), Kongress Dortmund and the Westfalenhalle concert and event venue.

CD: What got you into the tobacco industry?

SL: I came to Dortmund in the summer of 2011 and was immediately involved in preparations for the internationally renowned InterTabac show which was held in September, and indeed still is. So, I was immediately able to get a comprehensive inside view of an exciting and ever-evolving industry – insights that stay with me to this day. It gives me great pleasure to see how well InterTabac has developed as a global flagship trade show. Even after Covid, it continues to attract unbroken international interest right across the entire industry. It’s a leading forum for showcasing new products, and in fact many new trends only emerge after making their debut at InterTabac.

CD: A lot of work goes into large-scale trade shows like InterTabac and InterSupply (added in 2015) which have worldwide appeal. What would you say is the most complicated task you have to do in preparing for this annual show?

SL: Organising two shows of this size at the same time entails a wide range of tasks and requirements that actually change from year to year, just like the industry itself. At Messe Dortmund, the twin shows InterTabac and InterSupply – and we’re talking about global flagship trade shows here – bring together a whole host of exhibitors who naturally have different wishes and requirements, and then there’s also all the different languages and cultural backgrounds. This involves, say, questions about locations and potential lastminute changes. Questions about imports, accommodation or places to go out to. This can be challenging, but makes the task all the more exciting for the trade show team. As a service provider, you have to stay flexible at all times if you’re to meet all the wishes of the exhibitors as best you can. We’ve managed to do this very well in recent years, and we want to keep it that way.

CD: What plans do you have for the future of the twin shows? And what effect are the new generations of smokers have on these plans?

SL: InterTabac has been around for over 40 years, and InterSupply was a logical addon that we launched in 2015 at the request of the industry. Both are important dates and firm features in the diaries of people in the industry and have established themselves as real go-to events whose popularity is still growing. Exhibitor satisfaction at both shows is very high, with over 90% planning to take part again this year. From Messe Dortmund’s point of view, this development is welcome to continue – and we are working hard to evolve both shows, doing all we can to ensure that their attractiveness remains high. With this in mind, we’re also focusing on what are known as the next-generation products which include e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products and appeal to new generations of smokers, and are designing an extensive show programme in collaboration with many highly respected industry players and experts to deliver a host of added value. All in all, InterTabac and InterSupply

Sabine Loos // Managing director of Westfalenhallen Group of Companies

remain the ‘one-stop shop’ and ‘place to be’ for trade visitors and exhibitors.

CD: According to your own criteria and extensive experience, what skills should a woman develop to achieve a leadership position in the tobacco industry?

SL: It is particularly important for women in this industry to have confidence in their own abilities, and to believe in themselves. Even if something doesn’t work right away, don’t be discouraged. The essentials are a self-confident demeanour, assertiveness and the ability to persevere in the face of any headwinds. Networking is equally important. Skills and capabilities are also needed, of course, but are no guarantee on their own. Spending time building contacts can also pay off later on in your career. For example, a mentor is helpful – I can say that from my own experience. When a woman starts a job in this industry, insights from an experienced mentor can be crucial in ensuring that her career goes as planned. Last but not least, a passion for tobacco is also a prerequisite, because without a ‘vocation’ it’s nigh-on impossible to become successful in a profession – and that goes for other industries as well.