Hannover Fair 2003: Cautious optimism prevails at half-way mark

Hannover, Germany—Against a background of a tough economic climate and the war in Iraq, exhibitors at Hannover Fair 2003 indicated cautious optimism on opening day, April 7, and this mood has continued through the mid-point of the six-day event.

By Control Engineering Staff April 11, 2003

Hannover, Germany— Against a background of a tough economic climate and the war in Iraq, exhibitors at Hannover Fair 2003 indicated cautious optimism on opening day, April 7; and this mood has continued through the mid-point of the six-day event, according to fair organizer, Deutsche Messe AG

Attendance figures are down somewhat for both German and international visitors, which was not unexpected given the current world situation. Visitor count for the first three days of the fair stood at 105,000 compared to 120,000 for the same period in 2002. “[Still], exhibitors are unanimous in their positive appraisal of the top credentials of visiting trade professionals,” added DMAG.

This year, Hannover Industrial Fair comprises eight separate trade shows with 6,200 companies exhibiting their products and technologies. At one of these show sectors in particular-Motion, Drive & Automation, World Fair for Power Transmission and Control-exhibitors report that they are especially keen about “unexpectedly brisk business during the opening days of the fair.” For an overview of this annual event, dubbed the “world’s largest industrial fair,” see the March 2003 issue of Control Engineering (pp. 55-56), which also located at: https://www.controleng.com/index.asp?layout=article&articleid=CA283198

Control Engineering Daily News Desk
Frank J. Bartos, executive editor
fbartos@reedbusiness.com