Recognising the stars of the show

The show, which showcased a wealth of innovation across the manufacturing and supply chain industries, was a professional, well-organised event that attracted visitors from a broad spectrum.

"Attendees were manufacturing and supply chain professionals with very specifi c objectives and buying plans in hand. They know that investing in the latest supply chain innovations is the key to building and maintaining their competitive advantage," explains George W. Prest, chief executive offi cer of MHI, which sponsors the event.

He adds: "Modex truly lived up to its motto, the greatest supply chain show on Earth. Attendees were impressed with the wide range of material handling, logistics and supply chain equipment and systems solutions and education offered at Modex and exhibitors were very impressed with the quantity and quality of attendees."

Granted, quiet fi rst and last days bookended a hectic and profitable two-day period during the show. According to those I spoke to during this time, the event enabled them to network with peers, obtain a significant number of leads and strike all-important business deals.

The term "quality not quantity" has become something of a cliché in the tradeshow landscape in recent years but in my experience, Modex offered up both.

Companies engaged with impressive visitors numbers but important visitors too.

Look out for our comprehensive review of the show in our next issue. Elsewhere in this month's edition, we look at the performance of material handling firms in Australasia. Tom Hall says that as much of the world recovers from the economic downturn, it's ironic that countries that were buoyant throughout the global crisis are only now feeling the bite.

We also look at how cable-free controls using radio or infrared are becoming the norm for controlling hoists and overhead cranes. They provide even greater fl exibility and safety, allowing the operator to be well clear of the area where an overhead or hoist is working and with no need to follow a machine along its path, stepping around other equipment.

Finally, we also preview CeMAT 2014, which takes place this May at the Hannover Messe. Designed to cater for all corners of the intralogistics industry, CeMAT is an essential event for the material-handling sector. I hope to see you there. Until next month, thanks for reading.

Tim Sheahan, Deputy Editor