Munich time

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15 April 2008

Most of the aerial platform suppliers will be exhibiting in the outside areas.

Most of the aerial platform suppliers will be exhibiting in the outside areas.

Not everyone enjoys the crowded aisles and the overpriced hotels, but there is no denying the fantastic opportunity that Bauma affords the professional buyer of construction equipment and aerial platforms. Nowhere else – anywhere – will you find a larger collection of new machines on show. This applies as much to the aerial platform sector as it does to the earthmoving machines and other construction equipment that will dominate the Munich showground

This year's show – seemingly like every other Bauma in memory – will be bigger and “better” than the previous one, at least that's what Bauma's organisers are saying. The demand for space this year is “considerably higher” than at Bauma 2004, with an extra 30000 m2 of exhibition space taking the total up to a leg–wearying 530000 m2

This extra space will be used in some interesting ways, such as helping to accommodate exhibitors from the surging economies of China and India. The space allocated to Chinese manufacturers is five times greater than in 2004; that for India four times more; and Japan by five times. Bauma says exhibitors from Austria, Luxemburg, Turkey, Korea and Greece have doubled their demand

Of course, this growth relates also to the generally buoyant construction equipment markets worldwide, and in particular to the importance of the European marketplace, especially at a time when the US market shows signs of cooling off. Germany itself is a powerful attraction to equipment suppliers – three quarters of the over 410000 visitors in 2004 were from Germany, and the improved market conditions in Bauma's home country will have provided an added incentive to many exhibitors. That said, Bauma is a genuinely international show, with over 1200000 visitors from outside Germany last time

The show is extremely significance for the access industry, and more so this year because the European market is currently very active Manufacturers who have held back on new product launches for Bauma will be happy in the knowledge that the show is likely to be visited by rental companies and contractors who are actually looking to buy equipment. That wasn't the case three years ago

And visitors will have plenty to see. The March issue of Access International will containing our exclusive and comprehensive guide to all the equipment at Bauma that takes people up into the air. (A provisional list of access exhibitors is given on these pages.) If you need convincing that you should attend, then consider just a few of the following product launches planned, in no particular order:

• Aichi is planning to expand itss range beyond the crawler telescopic booms for which it is best known;• Another Japanese manufacturer, Hanix, will launch a tracked articulated model at Bauma;• Haulotte, Genie, JLG, UpRight and Snorkel will alll have new machines to show

This just scratches the surface. Also on show will be innovative new hoists and mast climbers, truck mounted aerial platforms – including the latest generation of +90 machines being built by Bronto and Wumag

It will be a fantastic exhibition and well worth a visit. Going to Munich takes some planning, of course, so this preview provides you with information on how to get to Munich, how to book hotels, and the benefits of early registration. A little advance planning is well worth it – for one thing, you may avoid having to stay in a hotel 60 km from the city

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