Industrie & Stim, Lyons (France)
All the participants in this biennial French industrial event were reassured by the large number of visitors to the fair this year. Both French and foreign industrialists demonstrated that projects do exist out there and that investment is the key to economic revival. In a general context fostering ideas like ’nothing is going right’ and ’it will never work’ Industrie Lyon had succeeded in maintaining the confidence of its exhibitors who invested heavily in their participation.
The trade fair opened its doors with almost 1 000 exhibitors with stands covering a net exhibition area of 23 500 sq. m. The organisers indicate that the fair attracted at total of 21 000 professional visitors, including 8% of international visitors, mainly from Switzerland, Italy, Germany and Belgium. Despite – or perhaps precisely due to – an exceptional economic context, exhibitors encountered the sort of prospects rarely seen at exhibitions, notably in the energy, rail transport and luxury goods sectors. Several machines were sold, but visitors were also keen to have a look at the new products and technological innovations on show, and above all to discuss current and future projects.
Exhibitors met high-quality contacts to discuss a large number of potential short- to mid-term investment projects, which augurs well for an improvement in the economic situation.
The next Industrie trade fair will take place from 22nd to 26th March 2010 at Paris-Nord/Villepinte and the next Stim fair will be held in 2010, once again at Lyon Eurexpo.
