More visitors than ever before

This year the Bau fair achieved a new attendance figure record. More than 206 000 trade visitors came to Munich from 15 – 20 January to attend the world’s biggest trade fair for building materials and equipment, where they viewed the products displayed by 2 046 exhibitors from 44 different countries. And this year the fair surpassed the 200 000 visitor mark for the first time in its history, which spans more than 40 years.All the exhibitors were in agreement that those attending the fair had never before been so international in scope. More than 36 000 trade visitors came from abroad, which indicates a disproportionate increase of 20 per cent in the contingent of international trade visitors. They arrived in Munich from 143 countries of origin, which is yet another record. Increases were particularly noticeable in the number coming from the countries of eastern and south-eastern Europe. The figures for attendance from Slovenia ( 1 738), Latvia (526) and the new EU member state of Romania (611) were around three times higher than at Bau 2005. Twice as many visitors came from Poland (702), Russia (1 347), Turkey (1 337), Greece (805) and the other new EU member state of Bulgaria (415). A survey of visitors shows that Bau 2007 managed to attract more architects, planners and construction engineers than ever before. This group of visitors accounted for a share of 18 per cent (15 per cent in 2005), or around 36 000 visitors. Eighty-eight per cent (84 per cent) of visitors described themselves as decision-makers. Eighty-six per cent (87 per cent) of visitors rated the general market orientation of the fair and 81 per cent (78 per cent) the information on new products as “excellent to good”. The exhibitor survey revealed that 92 per cent (88 per cent) of suppliers were successful in consolidating existing business relations and 85 per cent (77 per cent) were able to initiate new business contacts. Energy-efficient building and renovations and modernisation were the major themes running through Bau 2007. Nearly every stand presented products or technology geared towards saving energy or specially developed for R&M work.
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