Trade community enthusiastic about new METAV - Tremendous response from visitors and exhibitors

Düsseldorf, 27. February 2016. – Large crowds in the halls, satisfied exhibitors. This is how METAV 2016 can be summarised now that it has ended after five days in Halls 14 to 17 on the Düsseldorf exhibition site. “We are delighted that the response to METAV and its new concept has been so positive”, says Dr Wilfried Schäfer, Director of VDW (German Machine Tool Builders’ Association), which organised METAV. “The relaunch of METAV has proved to be a complete success. With an increase of 11 per cent in the number of visitors to more than 35,000, it has reclaimed its leading position in the diaries of the international metalworking community in impressive style.” 

Schäfer is particularly pleased because the revised concept attracted new customers to METAV too. He reports: “According to our visitor survey, almost half of the visitors came to METAV for the first time ever.” All the METAV visitors are major decision-makers. About 45 per cent are top managers and 45 per cent have procurement powers. Half of them come from the machine manufacturing industry, while the automotive industry and sectors supplying it account for about 40 per cent of them. 

Tremendous response from visitors and exhibitors 
The visitors are most interested in machine tools, CAD/CAM, testing and measuring technology, tool and mould production and additive manufacturing. They are thoroughly satisfied with what METAV has to offer in these fields. More than 90 per cent gave the event top marks in the visitor survey. 

The visitor structure reflects METAV’s position north of the River Main and in the adjacent markets. More than 70 per cent of the visitors came from the west and north of Germany. “Highly qualified customers come from the region but also from all over Germany. We are very satisfied”, confirms Falco Wittpoth, Marketing Manager at Hedelius Vertriebsgesellschaft in Meppen. About a tenth of the visitors came, once again, from abroad. Of the total of 36 different nations, Belgium and the Netherlands are the countries from which most visitors came. “We are pleased that numerous trade visitors came to METAV from Austria and Switzerland too”, reports Schäfer. 

METAV – the 19th International Trade Fair for Metalworking Technologies was eagerly awaited. “My personal expectations were exceeded by far. The new METAV concept has stimulated marketing of the trade fair – you notice this with both visitors and exhibitors”, says Frieder Gänzle from F. Zimmermann GmbH in Neuhausen a.d.F., manufacturer of high-speed milling machines for such applications as model and prototype production. Lothar Horn from Paul Horn GmbH in Tübingen is particularly enthusiastic: “METAV is a fantastic event, extremely exciting, informative and interesting.” 

One reason for this is the new area concept, which has breathed new life into METAV. Whether they are interested in the core sector of machines, tooling and measuring technology, the product areas of additive manufacturing (AM) and quality or the two customer segments medical and moulding, each of which is presented in areas bearing these names – trade visitors can inform themselves about the entire process chain and can find capable contacts to discuss any issue, from product ideas to production and quality assurance. The core METAV sector is, in addition, complemented effectively by the areas. 

“For me, METAV is the ideal platform for in-depth interaction with trade visitors about specific applications, particularly with the quality area”, says – for example – Stefan Prange, Director of Algona GmbH in Stuttgart. “Since our technologies are of interest for additive manufacturing too, we are considering booking two stands next time.” 

Strong interest in generative manufacturing processes 
According to the visitor survey, almost one third of the visitors are interested in AM. About 20 per cent are already using the process themselves. 15 per cent are planning to do so. The AM area is therefore attractive to exhibitors as well. “The new concept has given METAV a much clearer profile”, says Patrick Diederich, Director of DMG/Sauer GmbH in Idar-Oberstein, manufacturer of hybrid machining centres. “Via the AM area, we have reached customers who we certainly would not have been able to contact via our main stand in the core sector.” 

The AM area was supported by the international B2B conference “Inside 3D Printing”. The organiser, Matthew Finlay from Rising Media in Starnberg, says: “METAV is the ideal location for us to enter into direct dialogue with all the relevant companies in the 3D industry via our 3D conference. It stands for high-quality visitors, who know exactly what they are looking for – and also find – in Düsseldorf.” His objective – to create added value for the congress participants as a result of visiting METAV – was achieved in every respect. 

Moulding area is the new home for tool and mould production 
The response to the moulding area from exhibitors and visitors was very good too. Arndt Fielen, Sales Manager at Zecha Hartmetall-Werkzeugfabrikation in Königbach-Stein, puts it in a nutshell: “Model, mould and tooling production has found a new home in the moulding area. I am convinced that it has a good future, because there is no comparable trade fair in North Rhine-Westphalia for our industry. We look forward to returning in 2018.” 

Industry 4.0 a particular attraction for visitors 
More than three quarters of the visitors indicated that they are interested in “Industry 4.0”. So it is no surprise that demand from exhibitors for the theme park Industry 4.0 was high. 23 companies presented their products and solutions there. Johann Hofmann, Value Facturing Manager at Maschinenfabrik Reinhausen in Regensburg, says; “Our core skill is the provision of advice to machining professionals by machining professionals. Our expectations were exceeded by far. We already reached our goals for the entire event on the first two days.” 

Greater emphasis on dialoge at METAV 
All the areas and the theme park “Industry 4.0” provided more than just exhibition space; they were supplemented by presentation forums too. 

The response to this was very good. “The combination of the joint stand with the forum, at which I gave a presentation on several occasions, was a very effective way to attract potential customers to the stand”, says Heiko Brandsch, Strategic Partnership Manager at Axoom GmbH in Karlsruhe, for example, which was exhibiting in the Industry 4.0 theme park at METAV for the first time. 

“An excellent basis for the next METAV in two years has been created with the new METAV concept”, says Wilfried Schäfer from VDW. “We are looking forward very much to continuing to optimise it and to making METAV even more attractive.” 

METAV 2018 – International Trade Fair for Metalworking Technologies will be taking place in Düsseldorf from 20. to 24. February 2018