Capital Equipment News June 2017

VISITOR RATINGS

• 93% expect the trade fair to increase in importance

• 92% would recommend bauma CONEXPO AFRICA to others • 92% found it an excellent platform for building new business relationships

• 88% are planning to attend the next show

68 000 m² of exhibition space

• 81% feel that attending the fair gives them a competitive edge

*Survey bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2015

country, were Zambia, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and Botswana. In addition, for the first time, there were delegations from Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Nigeria and Zambia. For the next show, special focus countries will include Botswana, Ghana, Kenya, Namibia, Tanzania and Zambia. MS: Ahead of next year’s show, it is encouraging to note that commodity prices are starting to show greater signs of recovery. What sort of vibe are you picking from the ground? EC: We have had some very positive feedback from our clients, they are more upbeat about the market in general and feel that bauma CONEXPO AFRICA taking place in March of 2018 is the perfect opportunity to put a spotlight on the recovery. MS: On the downside, recent political events in South Africa and the subsequent investment status downgrades have had a big setback on investor confidence. Will this have any significant impact on bauma CONEXPO AFRICA 2018? EC: Despite recent events I had the pleasure of joining a very large international delegation in South Africa in April, and the message from government officials to the delegation was that South Africa is open for business. MS: What is your outlook of the local construction and mining equipment market this year and next year? EC: While we are not out of the woods just yet, there is a definite change in attitude about where the market is heading; clients are bullish in terms of the recovery and the outlook certainly looks significantly better than in the past few years. Bauma CONEXPO AFRICA is set to be bigger and better because of this and we are looking forward to our best trade fair yet. b

gives both local and international clients a platform to showcase themselves as leaders in their market. MS: What sort of numbers are you gunning for at the next edition of the show in terms of exhibitors and visitors? EC: We are expecting over 620 exhibitors to showcase their products to 20 000 visitors. EC: We expect a steady growth, the trade fair already takes up over 68 000 m², which makes it one of the largest trade fairs in Africa. We have already seen a trend where some exhibitors are taking larger stands than in previous editions of the show. The previous show in September 2015 attracted 616 exhibitors from 42 countries, as well as around 14 300 visitors from 75 countries. MS: What initiatives are in place to make sure that the show attracts key decision makers? EC: The quality of visitors has always been one of our strengths. Over 65% of our visitors are key decision makers. Of course our focus is always on improving statistics and one of our main targets for 2018 will be to increase the number of decision influencers. MS: Bearing in mind that 13% of visitors at the 2015 trade fair came from outside South Africa, how big a focus is the rest of Africa for the next show? Which countries are you targeting most in terms of increasing visitor turnout? EC: It is our main aim to always work on increasing numbers of visitors from Africa; we are working closely with our agents in various African countries to promote the trade fair. Of the 13% of visitors from outside South Africa at the previous show, we saw a significant increase in percentage of visitors from sub-Saharan Africa. The top five visiting countries from Africa, apart from the host MS: What sort of growth are you expecting compared with the previous shows?

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We are expecting over 620 exhibitors to showcase their products to 20 000 visitors.

dates in March and the three-year cycle are tailor-made to the needs of the African market. It also gives all the companies involved the chance to prepare thoroughly for such a large event. Our demo areas will cover the full product categories of the trade fair and a revised layout will improve visitor experience. Bauma CONEXPO AFRICA is the perfect platform to meet key decision makers, network and exchange industry know- how. We will continue to lead the way in being the premier trade fair for the mining and construction industry in Africa. We pride ourselves in being a trade fair which

CAPITAL EQUIPMENT NEWS JUNE 2017 27