RATL offers orientation in an innovative trade fair year

As the new year begins, experts in the construction and recycling industries agree: 2025 will bring a change, after the tense mood that characterized the end of the previous year. After a period of market consolidation in the first half of the year, recovery and a sense of new beginnings are expected in the second half – influenced by the upcoming federal elections and incentive-creating leading trade fairs that showcase innovations. With its targeted offering in the second half of the year from October 9 to 11, RecyclingAKTIV and TiefbauLIVE (RATL for short) are perfectly positioned to help the construction, demolition and recycling industry get back on its feet. Innovations will be demonstrated in real-life situations at the event and explained by exhibitors at their stands as needed. This is how trade visitors get tailored answers to their challenges in practice and themselves provide important buying impulses for exhibitors.

“As just a few of the current industry challenges, I would mention the topics of digitization, transformation to a truly circular economy in construction and the shortage of skilled workers,” says Andreas Pocha, managing director of the German Demolition Association and trade fair advisory board. “I see the intensive personal exchange, which leads to a transfer of knowledge and the communication of possible solutions, as being very typical for the RATL. This is where the participants really get to talk to each other. Looking, touching, talking form a perfect triad at the RATL!”

“The RATL manages to spark curiosity in people in the construction, demolition and recycling industries. Curiosity sparks interest in solutions and thus the courage to face the challenges of 2025/2026. We need bold and far-sighted business decisions to implement solution-oriented construction processes,” emphasizes Dieter Schnittjer, Managing Director of VDBUM and member of the trade fair advisory board.

Efficient trade fair visit: intensive product advice, focused range

RATL clearly specializes in equipment for civil engineering and road construction, demolition and recycling, and in 2025 will focus on five main topics: alternative drive concepts and charging infrastructure, infrastructure construction and the digitalization of construction processes, demolition and processing of mineral construction waste, circular economy and resource efficiency, and the recruitment of young talent and skilled workers. This focused range of topics generates targeted expectations among visitors. The exhibitors take time for customized advice with depth of content – if possible, directly at the machine. The compact size of RATL, with its upgraded outdoor exhibition grounds, also enables trade visitors to use their time efficiently, as they can experience the most important industry trends in just one day.

Quality counts: Demo formats and marketing upgrades for exhibitors with direct added value for visitors

“In 2025, companies will be spoilt for choice when positioning their technologies thanks to a wide range of trade fairs across a variety of geographies and topics. If an exhibitor has consciously chosen RATL, we are happy to help with planning beyond just a stand presence,” says Olivia Hogenmüller, Team Leader for Construction and Environment at Messe Karlsruhe. “The RATL stands for quality – and we expect the same from our exhibitors. With a comprehensively upgraded outdoor area, the Peter Gross construction site, we have created a qualitative framework for a high-quality exhibition experience. Together with our exhibitors, we want to use clear expectation management for machine-related solutions to focus entirely on the needs of visitors.” The key to success, according to Hogenmüller, is to think of RATL as an integrated participation concept and to maximize the benefits of the trade fair format. RATL therefore offers its exhibitors not only the option of an exhibition stand, but also a range of other options for additional presence, which also saves them valuable resources in planning, coordination and construction.

These include, for example, participation in one of the demo formats, such as the themed model construction sites and activity areas, which are unique in the local trade fair landscape in terms of their technical depth and professional presentation of construction machinery, construction equipment and recycling plants. Visitors will be able to enjoy a realistic picture of the performance of the individual solutions in around 50 professionally staged, cross-manufacturer live shows on a range of applications and drive types – and in direct comparison, for an ideal way to determine whether compatibility is given in their own company. Exhibitors, in turn, can present the added value of their solutions briefly and concisely to a broad audience and use this as a perfect transition to detailed discussions at their exhibition stand.

Easy-to-use and customizable marketing upgrades also help exhibitors to reach new and existing customers before and during the show.

RATL on the road: Listening to the market and being right in the middle of it

Anyone who wants to join the RATL community and benefit from a high-quality trade fair experience can still jump on board: the last few spaces in the outdoor and hall areas of RATL are still available, with 85 percent of the outdoor space and two-thirds of the indoor space already booked. Questions about participation can be directed to the trade fair team at any time. The trade fair team also values personal contact with the industry – so the Karlsruhe trade fair organizers can be found not only by phone or email in the office, but also at various industry events with a stand presence on site, for example at the VDBUM Großseminar in Willingen (February 11-14, 2025), the annual general meeting of the Baden-Württemberg Association of Garden, Landscape and Sports Field Construction in Leinf elden-Echterdingen (March 14, 2025) and the FACHTAGUNG ABBRUCH 2025 in Berlin of the German Demolition Association (also on March 14, 2025).

Ticket shop already online

Anyone who has already decided to embrace RATL 2025 as a guide to innovation and a platform for knowledge transfer can already book a ticket online. New this year is a combined ticket with the commercial vehicle trade fair NUFAM, which is taking place immediately before RATL at the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center and will present the latest innovations from the commercial vehicle industry.