Factory Automation gets 50% of Hannover Fair 2000 attendees

Only in its second year as the annual central theme at Hannover Fair, the Factory Automation sector attracted half the fair’s visitors. Moreover, Factory Automation is assuming a strategic role for integrating software and IT solutions with traditional engineering and automation technologies. This was demonstrated during the 54th running of the “world’s largest industrial fair” on March 20-25. Over 92% of the 7,250 exhibitors expressed satisfaction with reaching their target audience. Visitor count at 270,000 was down a bit (4.3%) from last year, attributed by fair organizer Deutsche Messe AG to removing the lighting technology sector from the new fair program. The fair’s international stature continues to grow. Approximately 44% of exhibitors came from outside Germany. Of non-European exhibitors, the U.S., Brazil, and Taiwan had the largest showing. Visitors especially from Eastern Asia (10.7%) and North America (6.1%) reflect an upward trend, increasing 2.5% and 0.4% respectively, over 1999. Next year, Hannover Fair returns to its more traditional springtime date, April 23-28, 2001. For more information, see “News,” Control Engineering, June 2000, or visit www.hfusa.com or www.controleng.com

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