IFAT Closing Report: Superlative Show in Munich

19.05.2014

This five-day showcase of environmental technology in Munich is coming to an end and Eugen Egetenmeir, Managing Director of Messe München, was overwhelmed with the response.

“IFAT has broken all previous records. We were able to welcome more than 135,000 visitors from all over the world to this event. That is impressive.” Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff, Chairman of the Advisory Board of IFAT and Managing Partner of FAUN Umwelttechnik, agreed “that this IFAT has been one of the most interesting and successful trade shows yet. The expansion to the exhibition space and the very good figures for visitors show that we are on the right track.”

Future market: environmental technologies

IFAT presents the world’s most extensive display of innovations and solutions in the field of environmental technology. Climate change, rising raw material prices, an increasing number of mega-cities and advancing industrialization in emerging countries – all this is boosting demand for products and services that address environmental and climate challenges. This trade show, with its coverage of water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, identifies strategies and applications for using resources in intelligent cycles in order to preserve those resources for the long term.

Impressive international scope

With around 60,000 visitors from outside Germany (2012: 49,840) – that’s almost 45 percent of the total – this year’s IFAT had the highest proportion of visitors from abroad in the history of the event. The top ten countries of origin for visitors, after Germany, were (in this order): Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, Spain and Great Britain. Rainer Köhler, Board Member of Huber SE, with responsibility for sales, summed up his thoughts on the show: “Again this year IFAT has proved itself to be THE trade show for us. What was particularly important for us was the large number of visitors from Germany, but also the rise in the number of visitors from abroad.” Peter Funke, Managing Director at Werner Doppstadt, underlined this: “The international spread among the visitors was excellent. We had visitors at our booth from all the 45 countries that we cover with our representatives.” And Sergej Pesin, Managing Director of Ekoton Industrial Group, added: “IFAT 2014 has become a key stage in the implementation of our company’s international strategy. At our booth we had in-depth talks with many international visitors.”

Top marks for visitor quality

The exhibitors were also pleased with the high quality of the visitors, as confirmed in the survey conducted by TNS Infratest: 94 percent of the exhibiting companies found the quality of the visitors to be “good” or “excellent”. Herwart Wilms, Managing Director of Remondis, commented: “This year again the audience was very international and had a high level of decision-making competence. As a result we were able to engage in lots of interesting and business-orientated talks.” Varinder Dhoot, Managing Director of Kirloskar Brothers, confirmed: “The quality of the visitors at this year’s IFAT was very good and very business-orientated. We made serious new contacts.”

New records for exhibitor numbers and exhibition space

Presenting innovations and trends in the environmental technology sector at IFAT 2014 between May 5 and 9, was a total of 3,081 exhibitors from 59 countries (2012: 2,939 exhibitors from 54 countries). The event covered 230,000 square meters of exhibition space (2012: 215,000 square meters). On the exhibitor side, too, a new record was also reached for international participation, at 44 percent – which is a rise of five percentage points above 2012.

IFAT – the No. 1 for the sector

These impressive figures underline once more IFAT’s position as the No. 1 trade show for the sector. In total 92 percent of the exhibiting companies rated the flagship character of IFAT, the world’s most important environmental technology show, as “good” or “excellent”. So, too, did Dr. Markus Beukenberg, Chief Technical Officer at WILO SE: “For us IFAT is without reservation the world’s leading trade show for water management and environmental technology.” Neil McCartney, Managing Director of Macpactor, went one step further: “I have been exhibiting at trade shows around the world for the last 35 years and I can honestly say that IFAT is the best I have ever done.”

The next IFAT takes place from May 30 to June 3, 2016 in Munich.

More articles on this topic

Accelerating Change: World Water Day 2023

30.03.2023 -

The United Nations is calling for action on the occasion of World Water Day. 2023 marks the mid-term for the implementation of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals, such as SDG 6 on the global availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation.

Read more