IFAT 2014 Draws More than 135,000 to Munich

More than 135,000 visitors from approximately 170 countries came to Munich May 5-9 for the biennial IFAT conference, the world’s leading environmental technology exhibition.

Of the more than 3,000 exhibitors at the event, there was a strong showing of trenchless companies including ElectroScan, Tracto-Technik, Spartan Tool, Xylem, IBAK Helmut Hunger GmbH & Co.KG, Janssen, Franz, Umwelttechnik GmbH, Envirologics Inc., Rädlinger primus line GmbH, SAERTEX multiCom GmbH, RS TECHNIK AG, Per Aarsleff A/S, BKP Berolina Polyester GmbH & Co. KG, IBAK Robotics GmbH, Insituform Technologies Ltd., RELINEEUROPE Liner GmbH & Co. KG, SEKISUI SPR Europe GmbH, and Trelleborg Pipe Seals Duisburg GmbH.

Messe München managing director Eugen Egetenmeir was overwhelmed with the response: “IFAT has broken all previous records. We were able to welcome more than 135,000 visitors from all over the world to this event. That is impressive.”

Dr. Johannes F. Kirchhoff, Chairman of the Advisory Board of IFAT and Managing Partner of FAUN Umwelttechnik, agreed “that this IFAT has been one of the most interesting and successful trade shows yet. The expansion to the exhibition space and the very good figures for visitors show that we are on the right track.”

IFAT presents the world’s most extensive display of innovations and solutions in the field of environmental technology. Climate change, rising raw material prices, an increasing number of mega-cities and advancing industrialization in emerging countries – all this is boosting demand for products and services that address environmental and climate challenges. This trade show, with its coverage of water, sewage, waste and raw materials management, identifies strategies and applications for using resources in intelligent cycles in order to preserve those resources for the long term.

With around 60,000 visitors from outside Germany (in 2012 there were 49,840) – that’s almost 45 percent of the total – this year’s IFAT had the highest proportion of visitors from abroad in the history of the event. The top 10 countries of origin for visitors, after Germany, were (in this order): Austria, Italy, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Denmark, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Russian Federation, Spain and Great Britain.

The exhibitors were also pleased with the high quality of the visitors, as confirmed in the survey conducted by TNS Infratest: 94 percent of the exhibiting companies found the quality of the visitors to be “good” or “excellent.”

Presenting innovations and trends in the environmental technology sector at IFAT was a total of 3,081 exhibitors from 59 countries (compared with 2012’s 2,939 exhibitors from 54 countries). The event covered 230,000 sq m of exhibition space. On the exhibitor side, too, a new record was also reached for international participation, at 44 percent – which is a rise of 5 percent above 2012.

The next IFAT takes place May 30-June 3, 2016 in Munich.