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FMB
Satisfied exhibitors and visitors
Final report on ninth FMB – The Supplier Show for Mechanical Engineering
Quality targets also met
More important than the bald figures, however, are the quality targets that the show set, and these were likewise met: “Many exhibitors and visitors have confirmed to us that they held high-level technical discussions and won new customers, suppli-ers or partners. Exhibitors are reporting that they were able to make significantly more contacts than at previous trade fairs this year.”
FMB makes its presence felt
The show was first set up in 2005 with the aim of bringing the many mechanical engineering companies in East Westphalia-Lippe (OWL) together with new suppli-ers in order to enhance the competitiveness of the regional mechanical engineering industry. The organizers wanted to establish a new show concept under which booths are kept simple so that exhibitors do not have to invest significant amounts of time and money in them – after all, the focus is primarily on discussions with visitors rather than on making an impressive appearance.
An overview of the whole supplier market
This concept is attracting increasing attention, with more and more exhibitors and visitors coming from outside OWL. Global players such as Festo, Phoenix Contact and Siemens are now being joined by many smaller specialist companies, thereby providing a complete overview of the supplier market and giving visitors a quick and convenient opportunity to find out about all the components and services that are required for the construction of a machine. The main areas of emphasis are drive and control technology and assembly, materials handling and automation technology.
Cooperation across borders
FMB is taking on a new role as a platform for foreign industry associations. The Turkish mechanical engineering association, MAIB, was present at the show for the first time this year. In early 2013 MAIB had signed a deal with OWL Maschinenbau aimed at encouraging cooperation between Turkish and East Westphalian mechanical engineering companies and their suppliers. The main Danish industry association (DI) also came to FMB for the first time, presenting a pilot project that will facilitate the market entry of 18 Danish metalworking and mechanical engineer-ing companies. Delegations from the Dutch and French trade associations also visited FMB.
Energy efficiency a focal point
Surveys of visitors at FMB reveal that energy efficiency is the number one issue for many visitors when they come to select new components for their products or factory equipment. It was hardly surprising, then, that the EnergieArena was again very well attended in 2013. The series of presentations organized by Energie Impuls OWL, a business network with 130 members, highlighted – for the seventh time already – practical examples of efficient energy use.
Leading Edge Cluster introduced itself
Also very popular was the joint booth of the “It’s OWL – Intelligent Technical Sys-tems” Leading Edge Cluster. Here the universities and colleges in particular pre-sented research and development projects offering a glimpse of tomorrow’s world of industrial production – and demonstrating the capabilities of the mechanical engineering sector in East Westphalia-Lippe. 174 companies, universities and institutions in the region are now actively involved in the cluster.
Many bookings for 2014
The organizer’s booth was similarly well visited. Christian Enßle: “We received 85 bookings for 2014 during the show itself and were also able to meet many prospective new customers.” Among the companies that will exhibit at the next FMB are Beckhoff Automation, Dreckshage, Festo, Hiwin, item Industrietechnik, Isel, KEB, Lenze, Meusburger, Mitsubishi Electric, RK Rose + Krieger, Stöber Antriebstechnik, Vetter Krantechnik, Carl Werthenbach, Wittenstein and Zimmer.
Clarion Events will use the period until November 5, 2014 to strengthen the posi-tion of FMB as the supplier show for northern Germany and continue to heighten its international profile. The next FMB will be held in the Bad Salzuflen Exhibition Center November 5 through 7, 2014.
