Double trade fair RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE sees double-digit growth in visitor numbers
Practically focused event impresses exhibitors and boosts national profile
This year’s RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE demonstration trade fair has concluded with excellent exhibitor and visitor numbers, improving significantly on the last event held in 2019. Over the course of the three-day exhibition, around 9,500 visitors discovered a wide range of products and solutions on offer from over 210 manufacturers, dealers and service providers in the construction and environmental engineering sectors. The high proportion of industry visitors, the larger scope and the return of personal discussions made RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE 2022 a great success.
Britta Wirtz, CEO of Messe Karlsruhe says: “We are proud to have hosted RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE, a powerful sales engine for the construction, demolition and recycling industries that are so vital to our future. Given the significance of issues like sustainability and preserving raw materials, the careful handling of existing and utilised materials is becoming ever more important. With the innovative machinery and systems on show, the double trade fair provides vital inspiration and momentum for the construction sector and circular economy, as well as boosting the sustainable use of raw materials in the technology hub of Karlsruhe.”
Olivia Hogenmüller, project manager for RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE is pleased with the event: “RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE 2022 was a great success, with a big rise in visitor numbers and leading industry players featured at the live demonstrations. This is what makes our double trade fair so unique. We were able to organise professionally and flexibly to provide all this to a wide audience. I am delighted with the positive feedback we have received from everyone involved. This is also down in no small part to the industry associations represented in our advisory committee, whose technical expertise was invaluable.”
Double trade fair brings key industries together
Held on the grounds of the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre, the double trade fair brought the recycling and construction industries together for the third time. 9,500 visitors were able to see for themselves the efficiency and performance of around 1,000 machines and systems, with two thirds of the stands featuring live demonstrations. One of the exhibitors showcasing their technology was Kurz Aufbereitungsanlagen. Sales Manager Harald Weber is already looking forward to the next event: “What I like most about this trade fair is the combination of various topics. Our customers are interested in both recycling systems and civil engineering, and can experience both here in one exhibition.”
Feedback from visitors was also positive, with 67 percent interested in both RecyclingAKTIV and TiefbauLIVE. Daniel Kohler, Managing Director of Gerike Bau, was impressed by the combination of topics: “We love the idea behind the trade fair. As a civil engineering company, we are constantly faced with the question of how to transport or recycle excavated earth. This event is therefore perfect for staying up to date. We were also able to meet many long-standing colleagues of ours here and enjoy in-person discussions again.”
This was the industry’s first major gathering since the start of the pandemic, with participants also praising the dedication and service of organiser Messe Karlsruhe. Günther Braun, a consultant at Agrotel, said: “The team at the trade fair centre were extremely friendly and delivered excellent service. We received professional help whenever we needed it. We have never experienced such support at any other trade fair.
Focus on networking and professional discussions
The desire for a live event was palpable, and both visitors and exhibitors used the double trade fair to reignite their personal contacts. Jochen Schwab, Managing Director of SCHWAB GmbH, says: “The action is finally back! Everywhere you look there is something exciting happening. We are delighted to be close to our customers again. The event gives us the chance to showcase our products and our customers have shown great interest. This euphoria is infectious, and we have already used it to initiate new business.” Jonas Pillmayer, Marketing Manager at SkanCraft, agrees: “The double trade fair is simply a must for any manufacturer or dealer in the construction sector. The event programme is open and well thought out, allowing lots of time for networking after the action of the trade fair.”
Companies from all over Germany came to Karlsruhe to participate. A third of visitors travelled over 100 kilometres and over half travelled over 300 kilometres.
Visitors closing deals at the event
95 percent of visitors attended the trade fair in a professional capacity, with a particularly high proportion of decision-makers. Over half of visitors worked in executive or company management, were company owners or self-employed businesspeople. They were also more willing to invest than in 2019. Thomas Knapp, Head of Sales Germany at Wacker Neuson, says: “It’s great to have industry visitors here, as it allows us to have high-quality discussions that deliver leads. We are pleased to have been here and will keep coming back to Karlsruhe. Nothing compares to in-person trade fairs. Digital events really struggle to recreate the personal contact.” Carsten Obrecht, CEO at HS Schoch, adds: “The quality of the visitors is very high, with lots of important decision-makers. We have already concluded some sales.”
New demonstration formats and special areas delight visitors
The 90,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition area at RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE featured some wide-ranging demonstration areas. Three quarters of exhibitors used the event to showcase their products in action, either at their own stand or on one of the five demonstration areas. These included the special theme area scrap and metal, and the demonstration building sites for special heavy construction, conduit construction, and e-mobility in compact construction, gardening and landscaping. These were accompanied by the new attachments arena. In total, visitors were treated to 24 action-packed hours of machine and system demonstrations across three days.
“The event certainly delivered on its promise! For industry visitors, it was a compact and very professional trade fair. Most of all, I enjoyed the live demonstrations. You just cannot do something like that digitally. It’s this that makes trade fairs so special”, says Andreas Gruber, Head of Wood & Biomass at Zeller Recycling.
First SBM Summit held alongside demonstration trade fair
Demand for environmentally friendly construction materials and sustainable solutions in the construction sector has grown massively in recent years. Participants were given a preview of tomorrow’s construction methods at the very first Sustainable Building Materials Summit (SBM). This one-day industry congress for sustainable and ecological materials used in the construction and expansion of buildings was held alongside RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE on 6 May. Presentations from leading names in the industry gave architects, interior designers, construction engineers and manufacturers information about the latest developments in sustainable construction. The event also allowed delegates to network with colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere. More opportunities for discussion were provided by the accompanying special materials show, in which material researchers presented their latest results up close and in person.
Delegates were pleased with how the inaugural congress went. Monika Meier, CEO of NeptuGmbH, said: “It is a really nice and informative event that is incredibly important for anyone who works in construction. I’m extremely happy with the programme. It was both comprehensive and diverse.” Sylvia Mitschele-Mörmann, a freelance interior designer and Vice Chairwoman of the bdia Baden-Württemberg association, added: “This is where researchers, manufacturers and users meet to see how the sustainable construction materials of the future are being developed. There is a nice family atmosphere here, which is great for networking.”
The next RecyclingAKTIV & TiefbauLIVE will take place from 27 to 29 April 2023 at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Centre.
