Closing report Bauma 2007

Worldwide boom in construction helps bauma to a truly superlative performance Bauma achieves record results – exhibitors and visitors give highest rankings to the fair

New all-time record, with approx. 500,000 visitors (an increase of around 20 percent)
Approx. 160,000 from abroad (an increase of around 35 percent)
New country record – approx. 190 countries represented among visitors to the fair (an increase of over 11 percent)
bauma 2007 is the most successful bauma of all time. Once again this event has strengthened its position as the leading platform for the building and construction industry. This 28th International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Materials Machinery, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment took place from 23 to 29 April 2007 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre, outstripping the last bauma in 2004 not only in terms of exhibition space but also as regards exhibitor and visitor numbers. “Thanks to the joint efforts of the exhibitors, the Exhibitors Advisory Board and the global network of Munich International Trade Fairs, bauma was able to further expand its leading position as a worldwide platform. Contributing significantly to this success is the global boom in construction – above all in the emerging countries of Asia, Latin America and Africa – and also the pick-up in the construction sector in Europe,” said Manfred Wutzlhofer, Chairman & CEO of Messe München.

bauma 2007 set a new record for visitor numbers – around 500,000 attended this year (2004: 416,000). That represents a rise of around 20 percent over 2004. The proportion of visitors from outside Germany increased strongly, reaching around 160,000 (2004: 116,000), which is approximately 30 percent of the total. The rise in interest from abroad was noticed both among visitors from Germany´s immediate neighbours and among visitors from south and eastern Europe and from overseas (in some cases the rise here had been over 100 percent). Munich Airport was also able to confirm this growing traffic from abroad, as it registered 120,000 passengers passing through the airport on Thursday, 26 April 2007 – a new record for the airport. Among the overseas visitors to bauma 2007, numbers were particularly high from Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam) and the United States. The number of visitors from the Arabian Peninsula – the partner region of bauma this year – also rose strongly to around 2,300 (2004: 962). In total around 190 countries of origin were represented among the trade audience at bauma 2007 (2004: 171). This is an increase of over 11 percent. bauma can justifiably claim to attract visitors from virtually every country on the planet.

3,041 exhibitors (2004: 2,805) presented their products and services in Munich, which was seven percent more than at the last event in 2004. This total was made up of 1,390 German exhibitors 2004: 1,363) and 1,651 (2004: 1,442) exhibitors from abroad. Germany, Italy and Great Britain were the three strongest contingents of exhibitors at bauma 2007.

With these record figures for exhibitors and visitor participation, bauma has clearly met all expectations and in many areas far exceeded them. This is reflected in the top marks exhibitors and trade visitors gave to the fair in a survey conducted by independent pollsters TNS Infratest GmbH. The survey showed that the quality of trade visitors attending the fair was again very high, as 83 percent of them were decision-makers (2004: 79 percent). In total 97 percent (2004: 93 percent) of the visitors said in the survey that they thought the fair had been a resounding success. As a result 96 percent of them (2004: 93 percent) said they intended to visit the next bauma. 86 percent of the visitors rated the current situation in the sector as excellent and the same figure – 86 percent – also said they expected the situation to improve still further. The exhibitors were also highly satisfied with how the fair went in 2007, with 96 percent of them expressing their satisfaction in the survey (2004: 93 percent). 98 percent (2004: 97 percent) intend to exhibit again at the next bauma. In particular the exhibitors praised the leading trade-fair status of bauma (96 percent), its international scope (96 percent) and the visitor frequency (90 percent). As in the case of the visitors, the exhibitors, too, are very positive about the future. 88 percent stated they viewed the current situation in the sector in Western Europe as positive, and 92 percent are expecting this trend to continue. What was noticeable was that in addition to expressing high satisfaction with their achievement of the traditional goals of improving customer relations and promoting their company, many also showed satisfaction with they way they had been able to pave the way for and sign up unexpectedly large contracts. According to the survey 91 percent of the exhibitors presented innovations at bauma 2007.

To cater for this tremendous demand, Messe München provided 180,000 square metres of hall space (2004: 165,000), and 360,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition space (2004: 335,000). In comparison to the last bauma, the exhibition space has thus increased by around 10 percent. The world´s biggest trade fair in terms of exhibition space, with a grand total of 540,000 square metres (2004: 500,000), was fully booked.

bauma 2007 was also a highly successful showcase for the world´s largest range of machinery for the mining sector. “bauma 2007 and mining has lived up to the high expectations placed upon it. The number and in particular the ‘quality’ of the international visitors in the field of mining technology show that bauma with mining has now firmly established itself as a trade exhibition and that it enjoys a high level of acceptance among the visitors.” said William S. Tate, President and CEO (Chief Executive Officer), DBT GmbH, Germany.

For the first time the bauma FORUM provided information for exhibitors and visitors on the market for construction machinery and on new product developments and in the form of country specials. In over 60 events in this forum, more than 70 expert speakers discussed the latest developments with 2,400 representatives from the sector.

For seven days bauma 2007 was a presentation platform for the latest developments and technologies in construction machinery, building-materials machinery, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment. bauma placed maximum emphasis on communication and promoting business contacts between manufacturers and users. High-ranking decision-makers and their counterparts met up at this event to intensify and extend their business relations. “We were already delighted with the last bauma in 2004. This time it´s even better. The number of contacts, the quality of the talks and the broad international spread among the visitors are overwhelming,” said Dr Christof Kemmann, Managing Director of BHS-Sonthofen GmbH, Germany and Chairman of the VDMA Construction Equipment and Building Material Machinery Association (German Engineering Federation). Dr Kemmann is also Chairman of the Exhibitors´ Advisory Board of bauma.

The next bauma will take place from 19 to 25 April 2010 at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre.

Messe München International (MMI)
Messe München International (MMI) is one of the world´s leading trade-fair organisations. It organises around 40 trade fairs for capital and consumer goods, and new technology. Over 30,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, and over two million visitors from more than 200 countries take part each year in the trade fairs in Munich. In addition, MMI organises trade fairs in Asia, Russia, the Middle East and in South America. With four subsidiaries in Europe and Asia and 66 foreign representatives covering 89 countries, MMI has a truly global network.