Bauma views: Dr Christof Kemmann, president of CECE's German member association, VDMA

What do you think we will see in terms of themes at the Bauma?

Kemmann: “Bauma is extremely important for the industry, especially in terms of pushing for innovations, and many manufacturers time their internal product development planning to coincide with the three-year-cycle of this trade fair. This effort from all Bauma exhibitors is unique.

“We are expecting to see many new innovations in 2007 because of this. Efficiency, protection of the environment, safety and operator comfort are among the themes of prime interest.”

Why should equipment buyers attend Bauma, rather than research equipment purchases by other means, such as the Internet?

“Trade fairs give buyers the opportunity to get an overview of all goods and services on offer. They can compare products and companies on site and can discuss and negotiate their special requirements and wishes directly and personally with potential business partners.

“Trade fairs are also where the whole industry meets. There is no other tool available that offers this same advantage as Bauma. Nowhere else in the world can buyers find such a vast range of machinery, technologies and internationally-operating companies displaying their products. Nowhere else can they get an overview of the entire market in such a short time and meet so many experts as at Bauma.”

Do you think Bauma has got too big? Even in a week, a visitor could only visit a small percentage of the exhibits.

“It is true that Bauma has grown immensely over the years and its dimensions are enormous today. But normally a visitor does not want to see everything on display, and is interested in special parts of the industry or certain products only.

“Bauma's exhibits are clearly structured. There are some excellent tools available to the visitors to plan their visits and find their way around. The new and simplified product naming we have developed should also help.”

This year the Arabian Peninsula has been named the ‘partner region' for Bauma. What does this status mean, and how can this initiative help stimulate trade between Bauma exhibitors and the region?

“What is currently happening in the construction sector in the countries of the Arabian Peninsula is breathtaking. Within only a few years they have undergone rapid changes and they are home to some of the most impressive construction projects in the world.

“The partner region concept implies that visitors from the Arabian Peninsula will be Bauma guests of honour. The visitor lounge at the East Entrance is at their disposal, they will receive accreditation and free entry to the exhibition and Arabic-speaking hosts will be on hand to help before and during Bauma.

“The partner region concept is designed to make Bauma even more international than it already is. We always choose regions rather than partner countries – in 2001 it was South America and in 2004 we chose the CIS.

“Our criteria is not only a booming market. We also think about offering new business opportunities to exhibitors and consider the possibilities of establishing new contacts and increasing the public awareness of markets.”