Valve World Expo Düsseldorf 2016 event posts top trade fair ratings

With 725 exhibitors from 40 countries on over 215,000 square feet of exhibit space and 12,350 trade visitors from 88 nations, the fourth Valve World Expo Düsseldorf confirmed its position as the No. 1 trade fair for the industrial valves sector. Despite taking place during a rather subdued business climate in the industrial fittings industry, the event posted noticeable growth in both exhibitor numbers and square feet, making it the largest Valve World Expo in Düsseldorf so far.

“As a key technology, industrial valves are indispensable for just about every segment of industry. As an innovation platform and meeting point for this sector, Valve World Expo has developed into what is the international “place to be” today,” stated Joachim Schäfer, Managing Director of  Messe Düsseldorf.

Valve components and parts
The exhibitors showcased the latest valves, valve components and parts, actuators and positioners, compressors, measuring and control technology, upstream supplies as well as support, consulting and engineering services and software. The exhibits were complemented by the Valve World Expo Conference which attracted about 400 participants.

Internationality at Valve World Expo 2016 was high: approximately 70 per cent of the visitors came from countries other than Germany. The majority travelled from Italy, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Russia and Spain as well as from the fast growing economic regions in Asia, the Middle East and South America. Visitors were from the oil and gas industry, petrochemical, chemical, food, marine and offshore industries, water and waste water management, automotive production and mechanical engineering, pharmaceutical and medical device technology as well as power plant technology sectors.

Trade fair ratings
The visitors were mainly interested in valves, valve components and parts, actuators and positioners, engineering services and software as well as compressors, associations and publishing houses. Some 50 per cent were users of valves and valve producers, followed by valve dealers, service providers and other types of skilled trade. Over 60 per cent of the attendees had purchase and decision-making authority and 97 per cent gave the trade fair top ratings.

Organized by KCI Publishing, the international conference featured lectures, workshops and seminars focusing on future topics such as material selection, new technologies and processes for valve production and applications, new energies, the analysis of new services and sector structures.

Pump Summit
The Pump Summit Düsseldorf was held as a forum for the pump industry on November 29 and 30 concurrently with Valve World Expo. State-of-the-art pump technologies were exhibited, accompanied by a technical conference. As an interface to the valve and fittings technology displayed at Valve World Expo, this summit provided valuable synergies for the visitors.

Exhibitors gave Valve World Expo high ratings.  “Valve World Expo is also a must-go-to event for Hartmann Valves. We have invested heavily in our stand presentation. This really pays off since this trade fair is very important as a sector get-together. We also found that many international visitors came here this year. We can only draw one conclusion: We have been part of the Expo since it existed – and it will stay that way,” remarked Sonja Seitz, Marketing Manager at Hartmann Valves.

Thomas Schlösser, Pentair Managing Director, Regional Sales Director Central & Eastern Europe, Benelux, Russia & Kazakhstan, also rated the trade fair as a resounding success: “The partnership between Valve World and Pentair has existed and has been highly appreciated for a long time. Seventy-five per cent of the key decision-makers in the valve and actuator sector are here. This means the Expo is perfect for networking. Our stand is ideal to present Pentair’s complete package. And it is not only about products but also about complete solutions for customers: we analyze and improve processes.”

With two satellite events held biennially in the U.S. (June 20 – 21, 2017 in Houston) and China (September 20 – 21, 2017 in Sozhou) in the odd years, the Valve World Expo program is also well positioned internationally.

Valve World Expo 2018
The next Valve World Expo with the technical conference will be held in Düsseldorf, Germany from November 27 – 29, 2018.

For information on visiting or exhibiting at Valve World Expo 2018 or any of the other valve trade fairs in the Messe Düsseldorf worldwide program, contact Messe Düsseldorf North America, 150 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 2920, Chicago, IL 60601. Telephone: (312) 781-5180; Fax: (312) 781-5188; E-mail: info@mdna.com; or visit our web site www.mdna.com.