Everywhere satisfaction with the economic development
The technology fair quartet of Gifa, Metec, Thermprocess and Newcast (together abbreviated to GMTN) ended after five days duration (16.-20.06.2015) in Duesseldorf/Germany, having achieved a very positive outcome for both exhibitors and visitors. 2214 exhibitors from all around the world met with around 78 000 visitors from over 120 countries, easily equalling the level of previous events (2011: 1958 exhibitors, 79 000 visitors from 83 countries). In particular, the internationality of the fairs again increased significantly and now stands at 56 % of the visitors and 51 % of the exhibitors.
The visiting industry representatives were evidently in a great mood for making investments, and the exhibitors reported numerous business transactions with customers from all parts of the world. Especially in Asia, there is a great demand for European metallurgy and foundry technology, reflecting the current need of the industry to save energy and conserve resources. Two thirds of the visitors were from the senior and middle management echelons of their companies, and are involved directly in the capital investment decisions. India, Italy, Turkey, France, and China top the international visitor rankings.
The general tenor among the exhibitors was one of overwhelming satisfaction with the fair. For example, Michael Nisch of Loesche ThermoProzess (LTP) in Gelsenkirchen said that he was extremely pleased with the way things had gone. “On the first day, an outstanding number of visitors came to our stand,” he said. On the second day the rate decreased somewhat, but for the remaining days the LTP sales manager again expected more visitors. “Generally, the number of visitors rises towards the weekend”.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckehard Specht of the University of Magdeburg was also able to report interesting contacts: “Naturally, we are active in the research field and are constantly looking for co-operation partners – either for joint projects or for our own projects within the framework of doctoral theses. This year, we once again had a lot of interesting discussions. The demand on the user side was extremely good at this fair.”
Natalia Artemieva, Group Communications Coordinator at Fives FCB, the French plant engineering company which is also active in the cement industry, could not complain about a lack of interest in the company’s stand. Few other companies experienced such a full “house” in the five days of the fair. “We almost found it necessary to make appointments to arrange appointments,” she said with a wink.
Dr. Franz Beneke of the VDMA in Frankfurt, as one of the sponsoring organizations of the four metal trade fairs (alongside bdguss, the steel institute VDEh and the IVG foundry & chemistry industrial association), also judged the GMTN to be a complete success. This was also very evident at the symposium, for which Beneke was almost continuously in action. He thinks that the enormous interest in this event and the ongoing very high customer attendance is maintained by the fact that the fair takes place only every four years, so that its attractiveness does not drop off – as happens at competing events.
The date for the next GMTN was not yet clear when this issue of ZKG went to press.
