It’s still more than three months off before the process-sequence trade fair duo including the Blechexpo international trade fair for sheet metal processing and the Schweisstec international trade fair for joining technology opens its doors at the exhibition centre directly adjacent to Stuttgart International Airport, and record breaking figures are already shaping up – for example with regard to the number of exhibitors and booked exhibition floor space, as well as foreign participation. The 10th Blechexpo and 3rd Schweisstec earned top scores in 2011 where growth rates are concerned, and the trend barometer for the 11th Blechexpo and 4th Schweisstec is on the rise again. As of 25 August 2013, 1029 companies had confirmed their participation at the event, and the project team headed up by Monika Potthoff (Blechexpo) and Jürgen Handte (Schweisstec) is confident that further increases will ensue before the doors open on the 5th of November, 2013! Renewed growth in exhibition floor space is every bit as surprising as the high level of exhibitor bookings – especially in times of relative uncertainty, above all in Southern European markets. A total of roughly 430,000 square feet of net floor space was occupied in 2011 (915,000 sq. feet overall), and these figures have already been exceeded this year with well over 430,000 square feet of net floor space and roughly 970,000 square feet overall. Not least of all, this can be traced back to considerably more foreign exhibitors – Italy takes second place to Germany in this respect with just under 100 exhibitors. As usual, Switzerland is comparatively well represented with more than 40 exhibitors, followed by Turkey with currently 20. All in all, the 11th Blechexpo and the 4th Schweisstec have added more than 200 new exhibiting companies. “This is above all due to the increasing attractiveness of the process-sequence trade fair duo as a strictly practice-oriented business platform with a high percentage of expert visitors with decision making authority”, explains Blechexpo project manager Monika Potthoff. In order to represent strong ties to the automotive industry and its suppliers on the one hand, as well as powerful innovative capacity for solutions within and surrounding the automobile on the other, an new special show entitled “Top of Automobile” will be held at the 11th Blechexpo and 4th Schweisstec. Participants at the special show include more than 20 renowned companies from all technological disciplines for the production of vehicles components such as stampings, body components, body shells, exhaust systems, wheels and more, and in particular the manufacturers themselves who will present their products. As a further highlight, Trumpf (leading international manufacturer of sheet metal processing machines) will present the world of stamping technology at a large, special booth also located in hall 4, covering simple equipment for newcomers right on up to high-end stamping technology for complex sheet metal parts as components of multifunctional assemblies. The fact that the 4th Schweisstec is more than able to just stake its claim with over 70 renowned companies in an EMO year with tremendous competition coming from Western Germany also speaks in favour of the cross-sector concept for the process sequence presentation. Several large players have decided to participate at Schweisstec for the first time this years as well. They view the event as a logical link to Blechexpo, and thus to sheet metal, pipe and profile processing clientele. Visitors gather information above all regarding modern cutting, joining, forming and stamping technology, and attain the necessary security for the procurement of capital goods as a result. The 11th Blechexpo and the 4th Schweisstec will be held by private trade fair promoters Paul E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG at the Stuttgart Exhibition Centre from the 5th through the 8th of November, 2013.
