At the close of EMO Hannover 2011 - the leading international trade fair for the machine tool industry - exhibitors, visitors and organizers were unanimous in their praise of the event: "This EMO was a winner in every respect and has earned top marks from visitors and exhibitors alike. EMO Hannover has further expanded its reputation as the flagship fair for the international metalworking industry," remarked EMO Hannover General Commissioner Dr. Detlev Elsinghorst at the end of the fair. "The machine tool industry continues in full swing. In the course of the past six days, the order volume reached a minimum of €4.5 billion," added Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, Executive Director of the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW), the organizer of the event. "Against the backdrop of an upswing in orders over the past few months, EMO's positive outcome means an even stronger market footing for exhibitors," concluded Schäfer.
Staged under the motto of "Machine Tools & More", the six-day event in Hannover featured the latest machinery, solutions and services for every conceivable aspect of metalworking - a veritable tour de force by some 2,037 exhibitors from 41 different nations. "EMO has confirmed its international reputation as an unparalleled showcase for innovations. With its remarkable innovative spirit and drive, the industry is clearly making a major contribution to sustainable growth," Elsinghorst added.
The machine tools industry's innovative capabilities were not only evidenced by impressive performance specs, but also in terms of highly functional and attractive design - an aspect that is just as essential to today's high-performance machinery.
Sustainability in production was the main focus of most innovations and solutions at the event. Elsinghorst is certain, "This EMO reflects the high priority manufacturers are now giving to energy-efficient plant and machinery. When it comes to staying competitive in the global marketplace, the efficient use of energy and raw materials is becoming a decisive factor."
With nearly 40 percent of all EMO attendees coming from abroad, exhibitors were especially delighted with the event's international turnout. "The strong international appeal makes EMO unique throughout the industry, and is a key factor in its success," said Schäfer, adding that he saw EMO as a reflection of ongoing globalization. This accounted for a shift in foreign attendance, with an increase of more than 6.5 percent in the ratio of foreign visitors from outside Europe, particularly Asia and South America, which in turn led to record-breaking figures for the duration of stay per visitor: "One out of every four attendees spent more than three days at EMO 2011," Schäfer emphasized.
The industry's positive mood was visible in the exhibition halls, where more than half of all visitors reported playing a major role in their companies' purchasing decisions. Commensurately, 55 percent of EMO trade visitors reported coming to the show with concrete investment plans. Among foreign visitors, this figure even reached 75 percent. Around half of all attendees said their investments were targeted at expanded capacities, while 20 percent were planning to make first-time purchases of machine tools. "There will be no rest for EMO exhibitors once the event is over. The many orders taken at EMO - on top of an already high utilization of capacity - will have everyone working at full tilt," Schäfer predicted.
The many and varied supporting events made a visit to EMO even more rewarding. Conferences on topics such as sustainable manufacturing, advances in aerospace technologies, Russia as a growth market and talent recruitment for the future all sparked lively interest and debate.
EMO Hannover 2011 (19 to 24 September) attracted some 140,000 visitors from more than 100 countries. "Highly-qualified visitors from more than 100 countries, thousands of technical innovations, a supporting program about Knowledge Transfer, and orders worth billions - EMO Hannover is more than a trade fair. It is the world championship of the machine tool industry, and the champions compete here.
The next EMO Hannover is scheduled for 16 to 21 September 2013.
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