Global Fastener News

Most 2008 Practical World Trade Show Numbers Slip

John Wolz

Official numbers of trade visitors and booths slipped for the March 2008 International Hardware Fair / Practical World in K�ln (Cologne), Germany. Fastener exhibitors found the biennial show “positive, but not scintillating.”

A total of 3,375 companies from 61 countries, participated in the 2008 Practical World, with 77% coming from abroad. The number of companies was down slightly from 3,475 in 2006, but the number of countries edged up from 58. Exhibit space dropped from 247,000 sqare meters in 2006 to 195,000 this year. There were more than 63,000 trade visitors from 129 countries registered this year, compared with 74,890 from 143 countries at the last show two years ago. There were more than 7,000 do-it-yourselfers visiting Halls 6 and 7.

Fastener exhibitors were concentrated mainly on the two levels of Hall 5. Practical World separates Taiwanese and Chinese exhibitors into general Asian hardware in Hall 6. This year Hall 6 was one of two open for the first time to the public and to end users, instead of just trade visitors.

Opening Hall 6 to the public and end users “raised eyebrows amongst European fastener exhibitors, with importers expressing concern that user customers were able to access their suppliers “for prices if not in practical terms for deliveries,” Fastener & Fixing Europe editor Phil Matten reported. “Signs are that the number of users visiting the show was relatively small this year and few had significant fastener demand.”

“Final day soundings indicate the majority of fastener exhibitors had a positive if far from scintillating show,” Matten found. “Numbers may still have been affected to a degree but most exhibitors were pleased with the quality of visitors.” Web: hardwarefair.com �2008 FastenerNews.com and Fastener & Fixing Europe