It’s show time!

With this year’s recent BAUMA show in Munich behind us, and IFAT (Munich) and Hillhead (Buxton) 2016 just around the corner, Chris Cox, JCB’s General Manager for the waste and recycling sector talks trade shows and their importance to manufacturers and industry as a whole. 

‘Trade show season’ is definitely underway. People and machines are criss-crossing Europe to be at the must attend events. Over 700,000 people visit the Munich shows alone and there are over 6,000 exhibitors across the two events. JCB has always found that trade shows are a great way to maintain visibility in a crowded and competitive marketplace, engage with new audiences, and showcase new product and innovations; this year is no different.

Innovation in action
At the recent Bauma show in Munich we exhibited 40 machines from across JCB’s complete range and launched 12 new models. These included the revolutionary new Hydradig; a new compact wheeled excavator designed for urban construction, highway maintenance and municipal operations, along with the 3CX compact backhoe loader, 4 - 6 tonne compact excavators and new mid-range loading shovels.

At this year’s IFAT – the world’s leading trade fair for water, sewage, waste and raw materials management – we’ll be showcasing (stand 215/314) machines from our specialist waste and recycling, re-handling and Fastrac ‘Kommunal’ utility ranges, including our range-leading 457 Wastemaster Wheeled Loading Shovel and – Forklift Truck Association safety award winning – 35D Wastemaster Teletruk.

As Germany has the largest waste and recycling market in Europe, and is home to the most advanced and organised utility applications sector in the world, it’s important to JCB and a great place to display our innovation in action.

We won’t be forgetting the UK market though and will also be exhibiting at Hillhead 2016 in June (Stand: D4 Z4) and expect to be back at RWM once again in September.

Trade shows offer a great opportunity to meet customers face-to-face, to introduce new technology and to reach people who may otherwise be unaware of our extensive product range. At last year’s RWM for example we made a number of direct sales and generated significant leads as people were able to ‘get up close and personal’ with a number of our machines and experts were on hand to take them through the machines’ many attributes.

Many of these industry shows also allow manufacturers to demonstrate machines in action offering a unique opportunity to impress potential customers. This is an important consideration as many attendees at the trade shows have responsibility for the purchasing decisions.

Driving new developments
Of course, JCB is not alone in appreciating the benefits of trade shows and many of our competitors also bring new products to market at these events. In reality, I think the fact that potential customers are able to compare the machines on offer from a variety of manufacturers in a single location is an integral part of driving competition and innovation in industry. You want people to walk away from your stand with a wow factor so that your machines are remembered (and subsequently purchased) above all others, so you need to ensure they’re the best they can be.

The interaction with customers, and potential customers, also gives manufacturers the opportunity to receive feedback that may otherwise escape them – another route to improvement and innovation. We’re always delighted to hear what you have to say about our machines so if you’re attending any of the exhibitions please do come and talk to us.

Associated Businesses

  • Rocester, ST14 5JP