The ninth APEX aerial platform exhibition attracted record numbers of visitors, with 4,650 industry professionals attending, up from 4,400 in 2014 when it was last held.
Held at the RAI exhibition centre in Amsterdam, The Netherlands on May 2-4, the show was hailed a resounding success by exhibitors, many of whom said it had been the best edition yet, with large numbers of high quality visitors on their stands.
Well over 100 companies were on show, representing an APEX record, with 4,650 industry professionals – including stand staff - attending the exhibition, compared to 4400 last year.
APEX was held alongside the International Rental Exhibition (IRE) and the annual convention of the European Rental Association, which together attracted more than 1,600 attendees, a 55% increase on the last IRE in 2014. The two exhibitions attracted a total of 6,250 attendees, including exhibitor staff and ERA delegates.
"We are very happy with the visitor numbers," said Michel Denis, president and chief executive officer of Manitou Group, reflecting on the first day. "We have had many customers on the stand."
APEX 2017 was organized by Industrial Promotions International BV (I.P.I.) and is officially supported by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF) and by Access International.
Eline Oudenbroek, Holland Lift managing director, and Alastair Robertson, Universal Equipment owner, both said APEX 2017 was the best one yet and they had made significant sales and connections.
Jonathan Vioni, export sales manager at Almac, which exhibited at APEX for the first time, added that it, “was a fantastic exhibition. Thanks to all the visitors and customers, old and new, for joining us.”
The overall feeling among exhibitors and visitors was that APEX had coincided with a revival across Europe, with most markets in the continent flourishing, particularly those based centrally and North, like Germany, France and the UK, but there was general agreement that Spain has also seen significant growth in the AWP sector in recent months, as has Italy.
Tony Kenter, managing director of BV I.P.I. said: “APEX 2017 was a success. The show is embedded in the access industry – the first event having been held more than 20 years ago in 1996 – and this year was helped by a positive business environment for the rental industry. We look forward to 2020 for the next edition of APEX. The location and dates of the next show are still to be confirmed, but we will make the announcement as soon as possible. Our thanks go to all the exhibitors and visitors who make the 2017 show such a success.”
