How can the shows be global, one might say, if they split the market?
It may be true that there were few Asians at Hanover’s CeMAT last month. The CeMAT Asia show is scheduled to take place only 10 weeks later.
But for every crane buyer that can afford to travel half way around the world, there are probably 100 who cannot. Both types still buy cranes.
In other words, an industry that is becoming global needs lots of shows – not just a few big ones – to bring buyers and sellers together.
Although CeMAT was the biggest, busiest and most professional materials handling fair I have been to, it should have done more to court local manufacturers.
One big drawback was the lack of the influential hoist manufacturer and crane builder Abus, which did exhibit at Manutention. R Stahl did not show up either, but then its likely sister company was there (see news). And there were other Europeans who did not attend: Italy’s Misia Paranchi, Norway’s Munck, the UK’s Street and France’s ADC Fayat, just to give a few examples.
To me this is the key to an international trade show’s success: total coverage of the local market, at least.
