AMB Iran 2017 Iran: AMB surpasses all expectations

With 5,736 trade visitors (2016: 2,027), 202 exhibitors (2016: 111) at the joint event by Messe Stuttgart and the German Machine Tool Builders' Association (VDW) in late May at the Shahr-e-Aftab Exhibition Centre in Tehran, AMB Iran outperformed its previous edition and expectations, the organisers reported.

Ulrich Kromer, president of Messe Stuttgart, said happily: "The 2017 AMB Iran was a huge success for all concerned. The stands were thronged with visitors every day and a palpable atmosphere of confidence prevailed in the hall."

Dr. Wilfried Schäfer, VDW Managing Director summarises the fair: "The crowds of visitors at the joint German stand and intensive discussions with visitors bodes very well for the near future. The popularity of the forum programme also reflects the lively interest in our technologies."

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Exhibitors came from 17 countries (2016:12) to renew existing customer contacts and tap new customers in Iran. The presence of 42 Iranian exhibitors shows that the fair was also a platform for the domestic market. Germany topped the participation figures with 88 exhibitors, followed by Iran (42), Italy (27), China (12), Switzerland (7), France (5) and Spain (4).

Quality visitors, impressed partners

It was also reported that the quality of trade visitors was impressive – many exhibitors reported very well-informed visitors and had specific inquiries. 86% of the visitors were from industries such as the automotive sector (23 %), component suppliers (14 %), general mechanical engineering (11 %) and tool construction and mould making (11 %). 30% of the fair visitors travelled over 300 km, from industry centres like Isfahan or Tabriz. This is said to be an indication that AMB Iran enjoyed nationwide attention.

The main reasons for visitors attending the fair were to gather information on current technologies in the machine tool, automation, measurement engineering sectors and to close business deals. Visitors spent an average of 4.1 hours at the trade fair with 96% being involved in buying decisions. 95% of the visitors aim to visit the AMB Iran again, while 94% are confident that the trade fair will become even more important, the organisers noted.

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AMB Iran 2017 to host a German pavilion

The Automation Iran dedicated area confirmed the relevance of this topic in the Iranian industry. 21% of the visitors said that they had come specially for information about automation. Ali Tadayonei, managing director of Azarbijan Machine Tools notes: "The focus on machine tools is undoubtedly the reason for the fair's success. This attracted the right visitors who came to our stand with a specific purpose in mind."

AMB Iran was opened by the Iranian Minister of Industry, Mining and Trade Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh as the first non-governmental trade fair – a signal of the event's importance for the Iranian economy.

Strategic partner IDRO (Industrial Development & Renovation Organisation of Iran) is also impressed with the fair. Its Vice President noted: "AMB Iran is an important trade fair and machine tools and automation are particularly interesting for Iran's highly diversified industry. I took part in promising meetings and discussions, and we have high hopes of co-operation between international companies and Iran. I can see major opportunities, especially in the automotive, energy, power station and rail sectors."

Younes Akbarpour Paydar from the Tabriz Auto parts and Machine Manufacturers Association emphasises the good conditions for investment in Iran: "We must double our efforts in the upcoming years to close the gap of the past 15 years. So the time is ripe for active engagement in Iran. We are well situated with good connections to Asia and Europe, and we have a well-trained workforce, lower wage rates than in the EU, and a strong local market."

The next AMB Iran will be held from 26 – 29 June 2018.

This article was first published on ETMM online.

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