Last year (2014) the organiser, Reed Exhibitions, implemented a completely tailored relaunch for this fair for the related trades and industries; and enjoyed immense support and commitment from the industries themselves. During the press conference this morning (11th November 2015) Reed Exhibitions’ operative chief executive, Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein, confirmed that this support has already become evident for the 2016 edition: ‘We are currently well ahead of the registration level achieved this time last year for the ‘Intertool 2014’. At present, 110 businesses have officially registered to exhibit, another 60 have confirmed they will be coming. Mr. Binder-Krieglstein forecasts: ‘In the end we can expect around 240 exhibitors, including numerous key players.’

Reed Exhibitions is particularly pleased about the acquisition of new businesses exhibiting here for the first time. Examples include: LMT Group (Tool Systems GmbH), Mapal Dr. Kress JG, Jongen Werkzeugtechnik GmbH; TCM International GmbH in precision tools; Knuth Werkzeugmaschinen in tool machines, and in the testing and gauging segments there will be Marposs Austria GmbH, Wenzel (to exhibit with GGW Gruber), and Shimadzu Handelsgesellschaft mbH.

Focus on CEE regions magnified
The ‘Intertool’ has also attracted the increasing interest of trade visitors from neighbouring regions across the Austrian borders. ‘Vienna is a very logical and accessible trade fair venue for exhibitors and trade visitors from neighbouring countries such as the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Slovenia. Vienna definitely has an opportunity to expand on its role as a business and contact hub between west and east’, Benedikt Binder-Krieglstein expands. For this reason, Reed Exhibitions has increased the amount promotion aimed at its target groups in the CEE regions, particularly those just over the border. In contrast to earlier campaigns, the focus has been sharpened considerably, and potential exhibitors and trade visitors are being addressed from within their own regions by local partner agencies and sales operatives. Such people have intimate knowledge of their own markets and can identify those target groups most relevant for the ‘Intertool’.

Majority of visitors from small/medium-sized companies
Overall, the ‘Intertool’ aims to attract decision makers and qualified employees from the metal processing and manufacturing industries, traders, machine and plant constructors, mould and tool manufacturing, steel construction, the automotive industry, vehicle constructors, planning and engineering service providers, and companies from other related business fields. The majority of our trade visitors come from small and medium-sized companies. For them the ‘Intertool’ is ideal, because it is a compact and representative interregional show for new products, innovation and provides a vital opportunity to communicate.

Hall space allocation plans almost complete
The basic distribution of hall space for the ‘Intertool’ 2016 has now been completed. It has been optimised to ensure that the ‘Intertool’ can be concentrated within halls A and B, as opposed to the previous practice of occupying halls B and C. This has been achieved due to the concentration of the parallel show ‘Smart Wien’, which has now freed up space for ‘Intertool’ exhibitors. Consequently, a handful of regular exhibitors (e.g. Boehlerit) have moved from hall B to hall A. Reed Exhibitions has introduced special inter-thematic solutions in hall A for businesses wishing to exhibit at both events. ‘The redistribution of floor space has facilitated a balanced mix of exhibitors and will encourage all areas of the ‘Intertool’ to be strongly frequented’, says Markus Reingrabner, Exhibition Manager of the ‘Intertool’. Those who still hope to acquire one of the much sought-after expo spaces at the ‘Intertool’ should contact the expo team without delay. For contact details, all the information about the ‘Intertool’ and how to register – go to www.intertool.at/de/ausstellen/anmelden

Special display: ‘Process Chain: The Alliance for Precision Manufacturing’
As in 2014, one of the special features at the ‘Intertool 2016’ will be the ‘Process Chain’ (Prozesskette.at) display, dealing with how to achieve the seamless implementation of multiple-step production processes. The logical joining together of superior standard products and solutions for machine-forming enables manufacturing procedures to be optimised and the individual process steps to be linked up via interfaces. As Johannes Riha from the management of GGW Gruber & Co GmbH elucidates: ‘This type of cooperation between six leading production technology companies is unique in Austria. We created ‘Prozesskette.at’ as a brand name to provide our customers with a high concentration of inside-the-industry knowledge for the seamless implementation of multi-step production processes. In 2016 ‘Prozesskette.at’ will be on show at the ‘Intertool’ with a top quality schedule of side events and fascinating features.’

Side events featuring ‘3D Printing Forum’,
Special displays by TU Wien and ÖGfzP Network
The special events schedule is under construction and already includes the following items: As in 2014 Succus GmbH / Business Forums are to organise the ‘3D Printing Forum’ with a special exhibition area at the Messe Wien ´congress centre. For more details – go to: www.3d-printing-forum.at. The Institute for Manufacturing Technology at TU Wien (University Professor Dr. Bleicher) is planning another special display featuring very current issues and fascinating themes. The ÖGfzP Network will also be on the schedule for a third time.

TEXT/PHOTO Reed Messe Wien GmbH