The organisers may already congratulate themselves on the statistics and can start celebrating in style the 10th anniversary of EPHJ (Watchmaking-Jewellery) and the 5th edition ofEPMT (Microtechnologies). Since its creation in 2002, the trade fair has continued to expand unabated. More than 11,000 visitors are expected to attend for a record number of nearly 600 exhibitors, including around 20% hailing from abroad.
Olivier Saenger (left) and André Colard - founders of the shows at the press conference.
The show started well and exhibitors were satisfied with their visitors after two days (even after the first day in fact). For watch industry, this event is really the only one of its kind and this is highly appreciated by both exhibitors and visitors. If you are active in microtechnology and interested in learning about new solutions to help you produce or assemble better, a visit there would be highly beneficial.
Special anniversary This 10th anniversary also marks the end of the collaboration with Beaulieu Lausanne. As of 2012, the EPHJ-EPMT/SMT trade fair will take place at Palexpo Geneva. The organisators say: "On our side, we are serene and focused on our main objective: the satisfaction of our exhibitors and visitors, so that this event which we have worked on building up together remains stronger than the desires of any particular individuals, and so that the future of our trade fair is developed under the best possible conditions as of 2012 at Palexpo Geneva".
First feedbacks on the booths Obviously this move in the exhibition’s landscape of Switzerland is one of the "hot topic" of the show these days. Mainly there are two point of views that I’ve been able to gather.
- First the one of people having grown with EPHJ/EPMT that will just benefit from the new location (better access, better parking, better repartition of booths on a same floor, better air conditioning to say a few ones) and have already decided to carry on the adventure with EPHJ/EPMT.
- And there are the other group that would like to wait and see what will happen between EPHJ/EPMT and a possible new trade show in Lausanne. I’ve heard quite often that they would probably participate in Siams only in 2012 and visit the two other shows to have a better idea on their future policy.
It’s nevertheless not the main topic on the show! The main topic is just doing business and that works well!
I’ll post more news as soon as available on the new developments of this situation.
Cheers Pierre-Yves
