However, anyone who actually wants to watch all the content will hardly get anywhere even with two more weeks: Around 300 hours of lectures, panel discussions, product presentations and interviews were produced over the two days. The variety of topics even exceeded the organizers‘ original expectations: "960 exhibitors joined us on our journey into the digital world, and many of them created their own extensive programs," says Dr. Björn Mathes, Member of the Board of DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH and ACHEMA Pulse Project Manager. "ACHEMA Pulse thus lives up to its claim as the "digital flagship event" for the global process industry. We are very proud to be able to offer this to our ACHEMA community." The organizers deliberately did not focus on just two event days, but opened up the platform for an entire month. This way, attendees can continue to discuss ideas they got during the live days with expert contacts until June 30, expand their network, catch up on presentations they missed, and take their time with the enormous amount of information on offer.

Both exhibitors and organizers took advantage of the digital environment at the Live Days: speakers from California to Singapore came to speak on the virtual stages, many CEOs and high-ranking decision-makers were available for discussion rounds and interviews and shared their views on the trends that are currently moving the industries. During the live demos on the laboratory of the future or gas leakage, the audience was up close and could literally look over the shoulders of the presenters. With presentations and workshops in the morning and evening hours, exhibitors also had the opportunity to reach out to their non-European customers.

With exhibitors from 38 and participants from around 120 countries, ACHEMA Pulse achieved a high level of internationality. In addition to regular ACHEMA exhibitors, companies from all over the world are also taking advantage of the opportunity to gain low-threshold initial experience in the ACHEMA community. "We think we will see many of them again at ACHEMA in April 2022," says Dr. Thomas Scheuring, CEO of DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH. "In general, we are observing an increasing number of bookings for ACHEMA, which confirms that we are on the right track." ACHEMA 2022 will include digital elements, but above all will offer what the industry has now long been missing: The opportunity to experience technology with all senses and to engage in personal exchange. The importance of the latter was shown by the happy faces of the speakers who were guests on the live stages on site. They were unanimously enthusiastic about being able to engage in direct conversation.

With the successful premiere of ACHEMA Pulse, DECHEMA Ausstellungs-GmbH has added a format to its portfolio that will continue to facilitate exchanges for the global process industry between exhibition dates. "Virtual events have their own strengths, just as face-to-face exhibitions have elements that cannot be replaced," says Björn Mathes. "We want to combine the best of both worlds. ACHEMA remains an experience that cannot be recreated virtually. For the exchange before, after and in between, digital formats not only offer an excellent complement, but also bring their very own strengths into play. That’s why we’ll continue to do everything we can to support our community in the best way possible."

For the time after July 1, however, this first means taking up and further developing the content ideas and impulses of ACHEMA Pulse, because immediately after the close of the platform the preparations for ACHEMA from April 4-8, 2022 in Frankfurt will start.