Embracing a New Era: Reviving Physical Exhibitions and Driving Industry Connections
2023/07/21 | By Andrew Hsu
In 2023, with the gradual receding of the COVID-19 pandemic threat, countries began lifting their border control measures. This paved the way for the resumption of physical exhibitions, which witnessed enthusiastic participation from suppliers and buyers, signifying a remarkable resurgence in business activities.
Economic Daily News/CENS is also witnessing this encouraging trend. Going forward, CENS, with its dedicated team of publication professionals, will continue to participate in major exhibitions and provide instant matchmaking services. Additionally, their exclusive publication, "Taiwan Machinery," will be made available to buyers worldwide, aiming to facilitate the swift identification of suitable suppliers.
TIMTOS 2023
From March 6 to 11, 2023, TIMTOS attracted over 45,000 on-site visitors around the world, including almost 6,000 international visitors from more than 100 countries. The event took place at Taipei Nangang Exhibition Center Hall 1 & 2 and TWTC Hall 1, serving as a pivotal platform that effectively connected the global metal processing supply chain.
With a larger scale than 2022, TIMTOS 2023 is not only an iconic event for the global machine tool industry but the largest trade show ever recorded after Taiwan lifted all its border controls since the outbreak. This year, the exhibition highlights the ESG trends and their impacts on the machine tool industry's transition toward making manufacturing more efficient, smarter, and more sustainable.
After TIMTOS, the spotlight turned to CIMT, the first among the four prestigious World International Machine Tool Exhibitions. This highly anticipated exhibition brings together over 1,600 manufacturers from 28 countries and regions, converging at the China International Exhibition Center (Shunyi Hall) in Beijing.
With the extensive market size and strong consumer demand, China holds the largest market share in the global machine tools industry. Additionally, the Chinese government has strategically implemented investment programs and policies to ensure the successful execution of government projects. As a result, despite the challenges posed by the pandemic, the overall production value of machine tools continues to rise steadily.
This year, CIMT adopts the theme of "Collaborative Innovation on Digital & Intelligent Manufacturing is Embracing the Future," not only showcasing cutting-edge technologies and products in the machine tool industry but also demonstrating the practical applications of industrial software and advancements in environmental technologies.
Held at Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center from April 17-20, ChinaPlas 2023 embraced the theme of "A Brighter and Shared Future, Powered by Innovation." This dynamic event showcased green, smart, and advanced technologies under one roof to foster high-quality development, and brought together an impressive gathering of over 3,900 quality international exhibitors, who presented a diverse range of innovative solutions in the field of plastics and rubber.
Taiwan's plastic industry has flourished for over 50 years, establishing itself with technological prowess in areas such as "smart manufacturing," "energy efficiency and innovation," "technological advancement," and "cost-effectiveness." At ChinaPlas 2023, under the leadership of Larry Wei, Chairman of the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), Taiwan's plastic industry has organized a regional pavilion to showcase its latest research and development results, striving to seize this significant business opportunity worth hundreds of billions of RMB.
Wrapped up on May 31, Metaltech is the largest manufacturing exhibition in Malaysia that featured over 1,500 local and international companies from various industry sectors with specialized profiles on machine tools and sheet metal technology, mold and die, precision engineering, surface and heat treatment, material handling and storage, welding, robotics, and metallurgy.
As an indicative manufacturing exhibition, Metaltech has continued to place emphasis on promoting knowledge sharing and facilitating exciting new product launches during the event. To this end, attendees can expect to gain eye-opening insights from a full slate of industry seminars delivered by industry leaders, while also getting first-hand glimpses at the latest innovative technologies from a series of live demonstrations held throughout the event.
A New Chapter in History
On May 5, 2023, the World Health Organization announced the ending of the emergency it declared for Covid-19 more than three years ago. This announcement marks the revival of physical exhibitions, bringing much excitement to both buyers and manufacturers who were hindered during the pandemic and are eager to reconnect with each other. With the resumption of physical exhibitions, the future looks even more promising, providing a renewed opportunity for industry stakeholders to come together, forge new connections, and foster innovation.
With a focus on innovative manufacturing, EMO Hannover has established itself as a crucial exhibition showcasing automation products and cutting-edge technologies. Beyond its role as an industry event, EMO Hannover also serves as a platform for Germany to disseminate forward-looking research directions and drive the adoption of emerging concepts. One of its most notable achievements was the introduction of Industry 4.0 at EMO Hannover in 2011, which marked a pivotal moment in shaping the course of development over the past decade. This groundbreaking concept has not only propelled the advancement of smart manufacturing but has also set the stage for transformative changes in the industry.
In 2019, EMO Hannover attracted 120,000 visitors from 149 countries, with half of them coming from outside Germany. This year, starting on September 18, EMO Hannover will present three key insights into the future of production technology. The first is "Future of Business," where experts from the manufacturing industry and related sectors will share information on innovative business models, sales strategies, financing options, new markets, and more. The second insight is "Future of Sustainability in Production," focusing on current trends in sustainable production, energy efficiency, electromobility, and alternative drives. Lastly, the "Future of Connectivity" will explore technological aspects of change, including automation processes, smart production, Industry 4.0, machine learning, predictive maintenance, and the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), etc.
Looking ahead, CENS has planned to participate in several notable exhibitions in the future to ensure the widespread circulation of industry information. After EMO Hannover, the upcoming exhibition on the horizon is ArabPlast, which is scheduled to be held from December 13 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre (DWTC). This biennial event holds a significant presence in the key markets of Europe, Asia, and Africa. In its previous edition in 2021, ArabPlast brought together 217 exhibitors from 30 countries and attracted 11,230 trade visitors from 129 countries. And in the 2023 edition, the fair will bring together industry leaders from around the world to showcase the evolving dynamics of the resilient industry and emphasize the significance of a circular economy for a sustainable environment.
