” K 2016: The Numbers Game “ By Rose Brooke
The final visitors have been counted and the results are in, K welcomed 230,000 people through its doors over the course of the eight-day event, with especially high numbers from Asia.
K 2016‘s post-show report indicates the event is in rude health, benefiting from a growing global end-user market demanding high quality and pushing innovation. The last K outing in 2013 was attended by 218,000 visitors and 3,220 exhibitors.
A total 3,285 organisations exhibited at K 2016, reporting a host of new leads, many of which already led to closed deals over the course of the trade fair.
“I have never seen such a vast number of decisive customers willing to buy at a trade fair before,” commented Ulrich Reifenhäuser, Chairman of the K 2016 Advisory Board. “The number and magnitude of deals, some of which were concluded here spontaneously, as well as the many concrete enquiries about new projects by far exceed our expectations. It was clear from day one that customers wanted to not only find out about new technologies but also purchase them. There is strong investment in all our customer industries and in all regions of the world.”
K 2016 was a truly international event with the visitor body representing some 160 countries. Indeed, 70 per cent of visitors were from abroad and nearly 30,000 of these were from Asian powerhouses including India, China, South Korea and Iran.
The North American contingent accounted for six per cent of all foreign visitors, while neighbouring countries were represented by over 10,000 Dutch visitors, 6,700 French, 6,300 Belgian and 5,000 visitors for both Spain and Poland. Furthermore, there was a stronger interest from Turkey, Hungary and Greece.
“Just the sheer number of experts visiting K 2016 impressively confirm the appeal and importance of the trade fair – since this number is once again clearly higher than at the previous event in 2013. However, what is more important: the breakdown of trade visitors was of an exceedingly high standard. We can register a constantly good level of demand from Germany and a disproportionately high level of interest from abroad, especially from overseas. It is known the world over that K in Düsseldorf is the innovation platform for the entire sector. A visit here is simply indispensable for everyone wanting to stay ahead of the competition,” stated Werner Matthias Dornscheidt, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf.
Industry 4.0 and the Internet of Things loomed large as themes on the show floor, with both trends resonating throughout exhibitor stands and presentations.
“The possibilities the Internet of Things brings stimulates strong, serious interest – especially among younger, IT-savvy customers from throughout the world. Industry 4.0 is a theme of the future that will keep us busy for years to come,” said Reifenhäuser.
Machine and plant manufacturing, which occupies the biggest exhibition area at K 2016 with over 1,900 exhibitors, was also the centre of attraction for visitors; a good two thirds of all experts polled ranked this segment first. Indeed, 46 per cent said they were predominantly interested in raw and auxiliary materials, while for one-quarter, semi-finished products and technical parts made of plastic and rubber were the main reason for coming (multiple choice possible). Albeit the smaller sector of the two, the rubber industry made a highly visible appearance at K 2016 and underscored its importance in the areas of mobility, leisure, household and energy.
Visitors came across a wide range of industries, including construction, automotive, packaging and electrical, as well as medical device technology and agriculture. They all gave top scores to the ranges on display in the 19 exhibition halls. Indeed, 97 per cent ensured that they had reached their goals, while 96% said they were impressed with the line-up at K 2016.
The side shows, including “Plastics shape the future” and the Science Campus complemented the array on the 19 show floors. The Special Show, a central forum for swapping information, thoughts and opinions in Hall 6, complemented the exhibits at K for the ninth time. This year saw individual themed days illustrate the impact plastics have on shaping modern living environments. The agenda featured both expert discussions and entertaining presentations and sports activities as well as exciting experiments. At the Science Campus exhibitors and visitors to K 2016 obtained a focused overview of scientific activities and results in the plastics and rubber sectors and were given the opportunity to make contact with numerous universities, institutes and sponsoring organisations.
So it’s time to take down a date for your diary: K 2019, which will take place in Düsseldorf from 16 to 23 October 2019.
Source : EPPM
