Italy is new Partner Country of Hannover Messe

April 28, 2009 · Filed Under Countries, Exhibitions

Approximately 210,000 visitors – one out of four of them from abroad – came to Hannover Messe from 20-24 April, featuring 6,150 exhibitors.

70 percent of the show’s foreign visitors were from other European nations, while approximately 19 percent came from Asia and over 7 percent from the Americas. Apart from the host nation of Germany, the biggest visitor contingents came from the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium, India, Denmark and Italy. ‘Considering the tight travel budgets at many companies, visitor turnout from abroad was significantly higher than expected,’ commented Deutsche Messe Managing Board Chairman Wolfram von Fritsch at the end-of-show press conference on Friday.

Industry associations also gave the show top marks: ‘There was a widespread spirit of optimism among the German mechanical and plant engineering firms which took part this year, despite the difficult market situation in some segments,’ remarked Dr. Hannes Hesse, Executive Director of the German Engineering Federation (VDMA). ‘Hannover Messe has again proven to be a reliable barometer for the prevailing mood in the sector.’ A similar conclusion was drawn by the German Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association (ZVEI): ‘The mood at the show has been far more positive than figures currently being reported by the electrical engineering industry,’ commented ZVEI President Friedhelm Loh, adding: ‘Thanks to the promising talks which our members held here with new and existing business contacts, there is ample reason to hope the crisis may soon bottom out, with some initial signs of recovery on the horizon for the second half of 2009.’

6,150 exhibitors from 61 countries presented their products, with displays filling 224,800 square meters of space. Over 4,000 new products celebrated their world premiere at the show – itself a new record. The international mix of exhibitors was striking, nearly half of whom came from abroad, mainly from Italy, China, South Korea, Turkey and India.

Italy will be the official Partner Country of Hannover Messe 2010, taking place from 19-23 April 2010. Several hundred Italian companies from all industries are expected to come. Apart from presenting numerous innovations, the objective is to further expand the strong international trade relations. A special focus will be on the trade relationship with Germany, Italy’s major trading partner. In terms of bilateral trade, Italian imports increased by 7.1 percent in 2007, with exports to Germany growing by 7.4 percent. 13.1 percent of Italy’s total export volume goes to Germany. Italian expertise is in high demand, particularly in the sectors of mechanical engineering, the pharmaceutical and energy industries.