First look: Handling and Hannover Fair '98
By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 6/1/1998
Big, and getting even bigger. That certainly proved true for Hannover Fair '98, billed as the "biggest industrial trade show in the world."This year's six-day event in Hannover, Germany, topped a number of its previous records. When the trade fair--which showcases eight industrial technology areas, including Materials Handling and Logistics (CeMat), all in one city at one time--concluded on April 25th, Deutsche Messe AG officials had counted 320,000 visitors past the turnstiles. That was 24,000 more than attended the comparable event in 1996.
Attendance was up, too, by individuals qualified as professionals: the percentage of visitors in the professions hit 92.6% this year, versus 81.8% in 1996.
CeMat, with just over 1,000 exhibitors and exhibit space totalling 1 million sq ft, was the biggest individual show this year, in terms of exhibit space occupied. (Two shows, Energy and Environmental Technology and Subcontracting and Industrial Materials took less space. But both had higher totals of exhibitors.)
At CeMat, a football-field-size area was set aside just to display the many aerial lifts and personnel platforms (center photo).
Closely allied to Cemat was the show on Robotics and Automation with nearly as many exhibitors (more than 990). A robotics exhibit (top photo) attracted the attention of visitors fascinated by the robot's deft handling of small items.
CeMat, of course, is more than just a big show. It's big on new ideas and technologies, along with innovative ways of handling materials. Among the many lift truck companies exhibiting in Hannover was BT. At news conferences BT Industries' execs told the press about the latest AC motor technology in its reach trucks (bottom photo).
This brief, news report is our "first look" at Hannover Fair '98. Next month we'll provide much more detailed coverage of what we saw at the show.
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