bauma 2019 Records Best Attendance in 65 Years

With more than 620,000 visitors from over 200 countries, bauma 2019, the world’s leading trade fair for construction machinery, building material machines, mining machines, construction vehicles and construction equipment, generated the best results in the exhibition’s 65-year history. The number of visitors rose by about 40,000 over the total produced during the previous event in 2016. More than 250,000 visitors came from countries outside Germany.

The top 10 visitor countries after Germany were: Austria, Italy, Switzerland, France, the Netherlands, Russia, Sweden, the Czech Republic, Poland and Great Britain. The trade fair also experienced a strong increase in attendance from overseas visitors. Significant gains in this group were produced by China, Australia and Japan. More than 5,500 visitors came from China alone.

The number of exhibitors totaled about 3,700 from 63 countries – likewise a record. With its unprecedented 614,000 square meters of space, the largest bauma ever held was once again a bauma filled with records. During the 2019 edition, exhibitors unveiled a huge number of innovations and new products to the trade fair’s global visitors. Zeppelin/Caterpillar, for instance, introduced more than 20 world premieres. Business conducted at the exhibition was correspondingly good. Many exhibitors spoke of a high willingness to invest. The record-setting bauma also had a strong impact on order books as exhibitors generated the highest sales in the history of their participation at the trade fair.     

 Innovation platform and economic engine

Thanks to the smooth operation of the exhibition and the consistently positive feedback by exhibitors, Klaus Dittrich, Chairman and CEO of Messe München, was more than satisfied with the results of bauma 2019: “For the industry, bauma is by far the world’s most important innovation platform and economic engine, something that we clearly saw this year. Particularly in these times of sweeping technological change that is being triggered by digitalization, bauma provides the industry with security and confidence. Thanks to the momentum in demand generated by the fair’s seven days, companies will be able to calmly face economic slowdowns. bauma 2019 highlighted the opportunity and tremendous outlook of the industry as a whole.”

Franz-Josef Paus, Managing Director of Hermann Paus Maschinenfabrik and Chairman of the bauma Advisory Council, described the trade fair’s unique character this way: “With exhibitors from more than 60 countries and visitors from over 200 nations, bauma is an industry platform where technological variety, ingenuity and performance can be demonstrated to an immense international business audience.”

Exhibitors: “The most-successful bauma of all times”Domenic G. Ruccolo, CEO of the Wirtgen Group, rated bauma 2019 as “the most successful in the history of the Wirtgen Group.”Jessica Lombardo

For exhibitors, bauma 2019 was a complete success, as occasionally euphoric statements about it showed. Masa Managing Director Frank W. Reschke described it as “the most successful bauma of all times.” Martin Herrenknecht agreed: “Every bauma is something special. But 2019 topped everything for Herrenknecht.” Domenic G. Ruccolo, CEO of the Wirtgen Group, rated bauma 2019 as “the most successful in the history of the Wirtgen Group.” Many exhibitors of bauma’s partner country, Canada, were enthused as well. Melinda Zimmerman Smith of Serious Labs said bauma created “exciting opportunities that we didn’t even know existed.” What’s more, bauma was “simply a whole lot of fun,” she said.   

Megatrend: Digitalization

The clear focal point of this year’s bauma was sustainable and digital solutions. All exhibitors agreed that digitalization is a “megatrend” in the construction machinery industry, said Andreas Klauser, the CEO of PALFINGER AG. Sensors and communication interfaces that collect and analyze data have become standard equipment. Overall, machines and vehicles are becoming cleaner, quieter and more efficient. Many now have electric and hybrid drive systems. “Customers’ interest in electric drive systems has never been so high as it was this year,” said Dr. Frank Hiller, Chairman of the Board of Management at DEUTZ AG. “It was a dominant issue at bauma 2019.” Some of the most interesting innovations were honored with the bauma Innovation Award on the evening before the trade fair opened.     

The next bauma will be held from April 4 to 10, 2022, at the Messe München Exhibition Center.