Company Announcement - BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA 2015, International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Material Machines, Mining Machines and Construction Vehicles, takes place from September 15 to 18 at the Johannesburg Expo Centre .

If the premiere in 2013 is anything to go by, BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA 2015 will be bigger and better, providing a highly interactive platform and featuring exhibitors who will introduce new Mining and Construction technologies, machines and equipment. The trade fair, which is part of the international bauma brand brings together key industry players and international visitors to meet, connect and expand business. bauma takes place in the world’s key regions, including India and China, with the biggest event in Munich, Germany.

The 2013 event attracted 754 exhibitors from 38 countries and 14 700 visitors from over 100 countries. Covering more than 65 000 square metres in exhibition space, this was the largest event for the sector in Africa.  Nine country pavilions were present and the top 10 visiting countries were South Africa, Mozambique, Germany, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, India, Italy, United Kingdom and Namibia.

With a footprint of 68 000 square metres, BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA 2015 is set to be larger than the 2013 event. This year, the event includes ten country pavilions with new country participants including North America, Turkey, and Wallonia Region of Belgium. The European contingent includes Germany, Italy, Finland, France, Spain and the United Kingdom.

The Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 Forum features a strong line-up of speakers from Africa who are scheduled to highlight their mining and infrastructure project pipeline and showcase the benefits of investing in their countries. The Chambers of Mines and other associations from countries such as Namibia, Botswana, Mozambique and Kenya, will present projects in the planning and developmental phases. This aim is to facilitate discussions relevant to local and international visitors and encourage greater project participation. The trade fair also provides a Matchmaking Program that allows visitors and exhibitors to connect before the trade fair and to set up meetings prior to the four-day event.

Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 boasts an array of exhibitors including industry heavyweights such as Barloworld Equipment, Bell Equipment, Hitachi, Scania, Case New Holland, Putzmeister, Caterpillar and AARD Mining.

As a proven gateway to Construction and Mining sector deal flow, the trade fair will be a conduit to connect heavyweights who own, fund and execute projects in the SADC region, while building output-based business-to-business networks. The vision of the trade fair is to connect Mining and Construction industry players from across the world, with those from Africa. It is the only trade fair with this focus and as such, is in a position to offer perspectives and commentary on regional development being driven through these two sectors.

Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 Will:

• Enable BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA exhibitors and visitors to grow their African markets, especially within the SADC region.
• Facilitate deal flow in the African Mining and Construction sectors, particularly within the SADC region.
• Facilitate the building of deal-centric African networks and relationships for industry players and influencers.
• Provide exhibitors and visitors with exposure to new Mining and Construction industry technologies.
• Forge connections between Mining and Construction players from across the world.
• Be a platform on which to showcase Foreign Direct Investment into development within the SADC region.

Bauma Conexpo Africa 2015 will also feature the co-located IFAT Environmental Technology Forum Africa. This trade fair brings together suppliers and consumers of innovative solutions and technologies in the areas of water, sewage, refuse and recycling, with a focus on solutions for the Mining and Construction industry.

Master Builders SA will also host their annual congress at BAUMA CONEXPO AFRICA. This congress brings together the Master Builders Association members and other related industry entities from around Southern Africa in order to encourage greater levels of interactivity between members, decision-makers and industry experts and to facilitate the discussion of issues facing the construction world.

Bauma Conexpo Africa is a joint venture between AEM and Messe München International. Messe München International is one of the world´s leading trade show companies. In Munich alone it organizes around 40 trade shows for capital and consumer goods, and key high tech industries. Each year more than 30 000 exhibitors and around two million visitors take part in the events held at the Messe München exhibition centre, the ICM – International Congress Center München, and in the MOC Veranstaltungscenter München. In addition, Messe München International organizes trade shows in China, India and Turkey. With affiliates in Europe, Asia and Africa, and more than 60 foreign representatives actively serving more than 100 countries, the Association of Equipment Manufacturers is the North American-based international trade group representing the off-road equipment manufacturing industry.

AEM is headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with offices in the world capitals of Washington, D.C., Ottawa and Beijing. It represents more than 850 companies in the agriculture, construction, forestry, mining and utility sectors. AEM has an ownership stake in and/or manages several world-class exhibitions, including CONEXPO-CON/AGG, one of the world's largest gathering places for the construction and construction materials industries.