Article also available in <link _top>
EUROGUSS in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg again finished with very good results after the three successful days of the event: 7,023 trade visitors (2006: 6,444) from all over the world sourced detailed information about the industry’s innovations and latest developments from 403 (2006: 324) international exhibitors. “EUROGUSS is a real special-interest exhibition. It is today’s most important industry get-together for die casters in Europe, which this year’s event clearly confirmed once again. The whole value creation chain is impressively presented in Nürnberg,” says Gerhard Eder, Chairman of the Verband Deutscher Druckgießer VDD. The 8th International Die Casting Congress, which took place parallel to the exhibition, was just as successful.
EUROGUSS is developing excellently at the Nürnberg venue. All the relevant exhibition parameters improve from event to event. The 2008 event convinced the 7,023 visitors with a compact and concentrated presentation of the entire die casting field in one place – a presentation that is unique throughout the world. The international share was 43 per cent for exhibitors and 20 per cent for visitors. “EUROGUSS is the biggest event for the complete die casting value creation chain. It is living innovation and the home of the die casting community. This is where visitors and exhibitors roll up their sleeves and get down to working out solutions together and exchanging views at a high level,” as Claus Rättich, Member of the Management Board of NürnbergMesse aptly puts it. Since the event moved to Nürnberg in 2004, the space has grown from 4,325 to over 10,200 m2 (net). “EUROGUSS 2008 was already fully booked six months before it opened.
Although we added another hall this year, there was a waiting list again. We and the exhibition committee are seriously considering a new hall concept for 2010 that will do justice to this unique event and the growing requirements in the future,” says Roland Tannreuther, Exhibition Director of EUROGUSS at NürnbergMesse.
Satisfied exhibitors from all over the world
The exhibiting companies impressively stressed the great importance of the event for the international die casting community. “EUROGUSS is one of the key exhibitions for KSM Castings. The quality of the visitors was high and we made many new contacts. We were very satisfied overall and will be there again in 2010,” says Bernd Bornschier, Senior Sales Manager and Authorized Officer, KSM Castings GmbH. This statement is also confirmed by the independent survey of exhibitors at EUROGUSS: Nine out of ten exhibitors were very satisfied or satisfied with the number of visitors on their stands at the exhibition. Well over 90 per cent praised the high quality and expertise of their visitors. Eight out of ten gained new customers at EUROGUSS. “We are very satisfied with EUROGUSS 2008, especially with the very good visitor frequency and the many top-flight talks with excellent visitors on our stand. Our stand staff were permanently on the go and had their hands full, which is always a good sign at exhibitions. EUROGUSS has once again proved to be one of the most important die casting exhibitions,” says Dr. Hannes Schmüser, Director Sales at Bühler Druckguss AG, Switzerland. Mechthild Giesmann, Marketing at HONSEL GMBH & CO. KG, has a similarly positive opinion of EUROGUSS: “We meet our customers here in Nürnberg. We also managed to make many promising new contacts again this year and are very satisfied with the exhibition. EUROGUSS is very important for HONSEL and is one of its major exhibitions. Nowhere else is die casting presented in such a detailed and extensive way as at EUROGUSS in Nürnberg.”
Over 97 per cent of the exhibitors stated during the exhibition that they had completely or partly reached their target group and some 80 per cent are very satisfied or satisfied with the overall success of their company at EUROGUSS. “For STIHL Magnesium Druckguss, EUROGUSS is the most important exhibition in this branch of industry and currently the only one at which our die casting division exhibits. It is the top venue for international die casting specialists. We meet competent visitors at EUROGUSS, who approach us with specific questions and projects. The contact with customers and potential customers was even better than in 2006, so I am completely satisfied with EUROGUSS 2008,” says Verena Meyer, Sales Coordination at STIHL AG & Co. KG. Over 80 per cent of the exhibitors expect follow-up business. Three quarters of the exhibiting companies have already announced their intention to exhibit again in 2010 during this year’s EUROGUSS.
Large international share of visitors
EUROGUSS did credit to its name again this year, and not just because of the European and international exhibitors. The event could also be described as at least a European exhibition in terms of attendance: 78 per cent of the foreign visitors came from EU countries and another 18 per cent from other European countries. The countries ranged from Spain to Turkey and Scandinavia to Italy, but visitors even travelled to EUROGUSS in Nürnberg from the USA and Canada. The largest share of visitors came from the industry with over 82 %, mainly from the automotive industry (manufacturers and component suppliers), die casting foundries and machinery and plant manufacturers. Most of the visitors came from the following areas in their companies: manufacturing and production (24 per cent) almost level pegging with research, development and design, employees from purchasing (20 per cent), general managers, directors and works managers (16 per cent) and marketing/sales with 14 per cent. The aims of the EUROGUSS visitors, of whom over 85 per cent were decision-makers, were clearly defined: They mainly wanted to obtain comprehensive information about new products, cultivate existing business contacts and prepare the ground for new contacts, and exchange views and information. The visiting die cast specialists also focused on general market orientation and observation. The range of products at EUROGUSS was exactly right for 87 per cent of them and some 90 per cent confirmed the good opportunities for contact on the stands. Over half the visitors said EUROGUSS is the only exhibition they attend.
Information for professionals: 8th International Die Casting Congress
The organizers of the 8th International Die Casting Congress, which took place parallel to EUROGUSS, were also satisfied with the very good attendance at the presentations. The congress focused on presentations by professionals for professionals. The organizer is the Verband Deutscher Druckgießereien VDD in cooperation with the Verein Deutscher Gießereifachleute VDG. The 9th International Die Casting Congress takes place in the Exhibition Centre Nuremberg according to schedule in spring 2009.
Awards for precision and innovation
The winners of the Aluminium and Zinc Die Casting Competitions in 2008 were again presented at the opening ceremony. The first prize in the Aluminium Die Casting Competition 2008 was won by the exhaust gas cooler from Pierburg. The second prize went to a vehicle headlamp reflector from HDO Druckguss- und Oberflächentechnik and the crank cover housing from Metal Technologies Kitzingen took third place. Three die castings received a special award: The wheel hub for off-road motorbikes from Honda R&D Japan, the one-piece main gearbox housing with attachment parts integrated into the casting (heat exchanger box) from Honsel, and the rear air outlet grille for the Audi R8 from DGS Drucksysteme of Switzerland. Photos and more information about the winners are available at <link http: www.aluminium-recycling.com>www.aluminium-recycling.com or <link http: www.oea-alurecycling.org>www.oea-alurecycling.org.
The prizes in the Zinc Die Casting Competition 2008 were awarded in two categories: The winner in the first category was Druckgusswerk Ortmann with a part for pneumatic maintenance units. Second place went to Arthur Monse for a signal and power connector for industrial applications, and the third prize was won by HDO Druckguss- und Oberflächentechnik for a free-standing bath tap fitting. The winner of the second category was a 2/3-piece part of a door hinge system for aluminium doors from Gluske Sachsen. The second prize went to Injecta Druckguss of Switzerland with its motorcycle instrument nacelle. The third prize was won by Adolf Föhl for its double hinge joint C-hinge with extended opening angle for washing machines. A special prize was awarded this year to HDO Druckguss- und Oberflächentechnik for the decorative use of zinc die casting: The entry, a subassembly of trim parts for the front of an old music box, shows that zinc is also good to look at. More information and photos of the winners are available at <link http: www.initiative-zink.de>www.initiative-zink.de and <link http: www.zink.de>www.zink.de.
Good response to new online platform for exhibitors and visitors
This year, visitors were able to use a new tool to prepare for EUROGUSS 2008 quickly and easily and obtain comprehensive information about exhibitors and new products. This extensive online tool is also available after the exhibition at <link http: www.ask-euroguss.de>www.ask-euroguss.de. The versatile Internet service is an extra instrument for both visitors and exhibitors that supports successful exhibiting the whole year round: Researching, arranging appointments and downloading information can all be handled direct – even before or after the actual exhibition. This means contacts within the industry community are possible in no time at all and at any time, and the exhibition itself profits from excellently prepared visitors and efficient customer contacts. Constant updating also guarantees the attractiveness of the ask pages as industry directory in the period between exhibitions.
The next EUROGUSS in the cycle takes place at the Nürnberg exhibition venue in 2010.
