A new bigger venue with the promise of more international exhibitors and visitors, plus larger stands... and all this in the middle of an economic crisis!
Blinds & Shutters visited R+T Stuttgart 2009 and found innovation on a large scale

Back in 2008 at the press launch for R+T 2009, Ulrich Kromer, managing director Messe Stuttgart stated: “The industry is prepared to mobilise all its resources to make the R+T 2009 an unparalleled success. After all, the first R+T at the new trade fair site is of considerable significance. It will set the tone for the coming years.”

After speaking to visitors and exhibitors it is fair to say that even without taking into account the impressive figures, the majority left with what they were hoping to achieve from their time at the show. Show organisers have stated that roughly 60,000 visitors made the trip to Stuttgart from all continents, and they will have had plenty to see with 750 exhibitors spread throughout the nine halls of the new venue. 

The size of the new Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre takes some time to get used to and it is clear visitors needed to have a planned route of who they want to see and where they were – mornings and afternoons can just vanish wandering from one hall to the next! Thankfully the organisers have catered for those wanting to locate specific stands with clear signposting at each hall, information points and computer search facilities located in the two main corridors of the venue. The ease of navigation throughout the show was one factor which impressed many visitors. Visitor Ian Pratt,  MD Broadview told Blinds & Shutters: “The Show had a great information system where you could type in the name of the company that you wished to see and it then informed you exactly where they were based within the Show, which ultimately saved a lot of time.”

It must be pointed out that the Tuesday got off to a slow start. The snow may have played its part in this with many flights delayed but it was apparent that the wide aisles did look empty in the morning but certainly filled up in the afternoon leading into a particularly busy Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. This point was highlighted by David Robinson of Louvolite: “R+T 2009 provided us with the ideal platform to present our products to an international and very interested public. Many customers came with firm intentions of purchasing and the reception on the first day was immense after what could only be termed a cautious start.”

The show organisers have stated that 52 per cent of R+T visitors came to the trade fair with ‘concrete intentions’ of new investment highlighting the fact that many companies are looking for areas of diversification, new suppliers and new products to add to their offering and help see them through this difficult time. This point was reciprocated with the investment in money, time and effort that exhibitors put into their stand design and throughout the duration of the five day show to attract new business and contacts. Show organisers can provide the venue and visitors but it us up to exhibitors to put the work in when they are there, and it is clear that all at R+T 2009 grasped this concept with 96 per cent of visitors rating information and contact options at stands as ‘good to very good’ and 97 per cent intending to return in 2012. Christiaan Roetgering, director at exhibitor Coulisse explained: “We have invested a lot in our 900m2 stand and it was worth it; visitors have come to visit us from all over the world and we will certainly recoup our investment over the next few months.” 

There was certainly a green theme running throughout the show both in terms of seminars, press conferences and products on offer from exhibitors. Energy saving is still a major factor and it is certainly gathering momentum as highlighted by the many energy efficient blinds and fabrics, and the well attended ES-SO Workshop – Forum for sun protection and Energy Efficiency. One attendee, Anja Giersiepen of JM Technical textiles explained: “This was of special interest because we have developed fabrics which help to optimize energy efficiency, like our Thermotec Roller blind. In this workshop it was stated very clearly that there is a very urgent need for action to save energy. That assured us once again that we are on the right path with our developments.” This idea was backed up by Bernhard Sommer of Somfy Germany: “R+T 2009 has raised the positive mood of our industry. The trade fair experienced a strong international visitor reception and the industry proved that it has future prospects with global themes such as energy efficiency and climate protection using roller shutters and sun protection products.”

In a strange way the real work starts for exhibitors once they leave the show. It is then they have to convert the meetings and conversations they have had into sales and hopefully long term, fruitful relationships for both supplier and customer. Exhibitor Ray Smith, Tansun backed up this point: “Not only did we generate enquiries from countries we already supply to, but with whom we'd like to strengthen ties, such as Australia and New Zealand; we also had enquiries from new markets we'd really like to expand into, such as South America and the Middle East. Of course, the hard work really begins the day after a show has finished with following up all the new business leads.”

So if this event was to set the tone for the coming years it looks like R+T 2012 will again offer exhibitors the ideal location to bring their products and innovations to the international audience they are looking to target. International and local visitors in return are provided with easy transport links and exhibitors from all levels of industry with something new to offer.

If the show was to set the tone for the industry in general it is clear that even in the current climate there are still opportunities for pro active companies who are looking for innovation and a way to set themselves apart from the competition.