The 2019 edition of bauma, the largest trade fair for construction machinery, vehicles and equipment, building material machines and mining machines, broke all previous records, generating the best results in the exhibition’s 65-year history.

The fair, opened by German Economic Affairs and Energy Minister Peter Altmaier, Bavaria Minister President Dr Markus Söder and Messe München CEO Klaus Dittrich, was held in Munich, Germany, from April 8 to 14.

With a total exhibition area of 614 000 m2, bauma this year attracted 3 700 exhibitors from 63 countries and more than 620 000 visitors from over 200 countries, with a sharp increase seen in the number of international visitors.

The seven-day trade fair, held every three years, reported a 40 000 increase in the number of visitors, compared with the number of visitors at the previous event in 2016.

With more than 250 000 visitors from countries outside Germany, the trade fair recorded a strong increase in attendance from overseas visitors, particularly China, with 5 500 visitors alone, as well as Australia and Japan.

During the 2019 edition, exhibitors revealed many innovations and new products to the trade fair’s global visitors, while business undertaken at the exhibition led to full order books, generating the highest sales in the history of the trade fair.

Dittrich says that this year’s bauma highlighted the importance of the exhibition as the industry’s innovation platform and economic engine.

“Particularly in these times of sweeping technological change that is being triggered by digitalisation, bauma provides the industry with security and confidence.

“Thanks to the momentum in demand generated by the fair’s seven days, companies will be able to calmly face economic slowdowns. bauma 2019 highlighted the opportunity and tremendous outlook of the industry as a whole,” he continues.

“Many trade fair exhibitors had a specific interest in buying when they dropped by company booths, something that fuels hope for continuing economic stability,” adds German Engineering Federation Construction Machinery and Building Material Association MD Joachim Schmid.

With digitalisation a megatrend in the construction machinery industry, a clear focal point of bauma 2019 was sustainable and digital solutions, says Palfinger CEO Andreas Klauser.

“Sensors and communication interfaces that collect and analyse data have become standard equipment. Overall, machines and vehicles are becoming cleaner, quieter and more efficient.”

Further, the presence of several high-ranking political leaders underscored bauma’s importance, with numerous politicians using bauma to find out about the latest innovations and engage sector representatives from all over the world.

In addition to Altmaier and Söder, in attendance were Bavaria Deputy Minister President and Economic Affairs, State Development and Energy State Minister Hubert Aiwanger; Canadian ambassador and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Stéphane Dion; and Quebec Energy and Natural Resources Minister Jonatan Julien.

People’s Republic of China Vice Minister of Commerce Wang Bingnan led the Chinese delegation.

The next bauma will be held in April 2022 at the Messe Munchen Exhibition Centre.