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Showtech 2009 Exceeds Expectations

The order situation in the event technology and equipment market is good and prospects are bright - this is the conclusion to be drawn from Showtech 2009 say the organisers. The trade show finished with a marked increase in visitor numbers, a total of 7,815 visitors (up 6 percent from the previous event) went to Berlin from 16 to 18 June. With this result the International Trade Show and Conference for Event Technology and Services exceeded expectations and continued its growth course of the past few years.

"Showtech further consolidated its position as the internationally leading meeting place for the industries it serves. Against the general economic background this is a clear signal," declared Hans-Joachim Erbel, managing director of Showteh organiser Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH. But this year's trade show also revealed: the mood in the industry is positive.

A survey conducted among the exhibitors at Showtech showed that 60 percent of the exhibitors consider medium term business perspectives in their industry to be good or even very good. Exhibitors also feel the effects of the economic stimulus packages. "At Showtech there is no sign of the economic crisis. The funding provided by the Federal Government's stimulus package is paying off," reports Philipp Mero of Waagner-Biro. Cornelia Freimüller of SBS Bühnentechnik also confirms good prospects for the immediate future: "The order situation in our industry is good. In the German business, funding also seems to have come through from the government's economic stimulus package."

A representative survey among the visitors also yielded an optimistic picture. The large majority (74%) of those surveyed expected the future situation in their industry to remain stable or possibly improve. 48 percent also expected impulses from the stimulus package, especially from the opera, theatre and festival hall sectors. And the demand on the part of these establishments is considerable. "The artistic drive to put a production on stage is unaffected by the crisis," says Hubert Eckart, managing director of Deutsche Theatertechnische Gesellschaft e.V. (DTHG), Showtech‘s institutional patron.

350 exhibitors from 23 countries showed their innovations from the fields of stage, lighting and event technology in Berlin. This year, Showtech succeeded in growing in the segments of events and event services as well as in the equipment and décor sectors.

With a 98 percent share of trade visitors, Showtech remains the meeting place for the event industry's professionals - especially decision-makers from the technical and artistic side (85 %) came to Berlin. More than 40 percent of the visitors came from the theatre, opera house, concert and festival hall sectors. "For us Showtech is the most important trade show in Europe. There is no other show where the stage technology segment is so strongly represented," said Robert Heimbach from the Canadian exhibitor Gala Systems. This year, Showtech also recorded an increase in the event organiser and agency segment which made up the second largest visitor group at the show.

Visitors travelled to Berlin from 40 countries and Showtech recorded the biggest visitor increase from the Eastern European states, the Baltic countries and Scandinavia.

The expert jury chose three winners for the event awards. The prizes were presented during Showtech Night on 17 June. In the stage technology segment Gala Systems (Canada) convinced the jury with its Self Guided Spiralift I-Lock LD 250. Beleuchtungstechnik Bühnentechnik Schenk was awarded the prize in the lighting and projection technology segment for its ‘Eliminator' wide-angle spotlight. In the event technology and services category the award went to Suitestuff for its ‘CU' room divider series.

The next Showtech will take place from 7 to 9 June 2011 in Berlin.

www.showtech.de

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Showtech 2009 Exceeds Expectations

29th June 2009

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