Bauma marks turnaround

Organisers of the international Bauma construction equipment exhibition, in Munich, Germany, last week said the success of the event marks a turnaround in the industry.

Despite a cloud of volcanic ash closing airspace and precluding many outside Europe from attending, more than 415,000 visitors from 200 countries were claimed for the 2010 event, 17% down compared with 501,523 for Bauma 2007. Visitor quality remained high, organisers said, and there was a record amount of exhibition space and a record number of exhibitors.

Among the crane exhibitors, Michikazu Okada, vice president of Hitachi Sumitomo Heavy Industries Construction Crane Co., Ltd. in Japan, said, "We had a lot of new business opportunities some of which already resulted in unexpected conclusions of sale."

A highlight of the event was the spectacular new Liebherr stand that could justify the title Liebherr City. Several crane manufacturers had surprise announcements and displays of new products in addition to those previously reported. See future issues of International Cranes and Specialized Transport magazine and www.khl.com/cranes for a full roundup of news from the event.