Agritechnica 2011 Expands

With five more months to go, 2,000 exhibitors from 44 countries have already booked stands at the world’s largest exhibition for agricultural machinery and equipment, Agritechnica 2011, to be held in November in Hanover, Germany. This represents an increase of about 10% compared with the last show. Exhibitor areas have increased mainly in core agri-machinery sectors for example tractors, harvesters and soil preparation. 

To cater to this demand, DLG, the organizer for Agritechnica, will open up six more halls, bringing the total number to 24, increasing exhibitor space by 15%. Having a visitor-friendly structure is crucial in view of this expansion, and visitors can expect an even more efficient layout to guide them to their key areas of interest. 

Agritechnica will open its doors from 15 to 19 November 2011 at the Hanover Exhibition Grounds, with preview days on 13 and 14 November. The last Agritechnica in 2009 was attended by 2,300 exhibitors from 46 countries. More than 355,000 visitors, including 80,000 international visitors, descended on Hanover to learn more about new developments in agricultural machinery and equipment. 

Increased international participation 

This year, exhibitors from outside Germany will comprise 47% of all exhibitors or a total of 940 companies, an increase of 14% from 2009. The biggest numbers are from Italy (260), the Netherlands (93), France (72), Austria (63), Turkey (44), China (44) Denmark (43), Spain (28), Finland (28), United Kingdom (27), Poland (26) and Canada (25). India is showing its highest participation at this coming show with 21 companies, as with Belgium (21), followed by Sweden (19), USA (18) and Czech Republic (16). Also planned are numerous country pavilions covering  Argentina, China, Brazil, Canada, Pakistan, Spain and the USA and for the first time Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Finland, Japan, and Finland. 

This reflects that the international industry players view Agritechnica as an important venue to develop existing and new markets. 

Bright outlook for agri-economy

Several reasons account for the high number of exhibitors this year. Strong demands for both food and biomass have stimulated the agri-sector, which in turn have boosted interest and investment in agricultural technology. As the biggest trade event for agri-machinery in the world, Agritechnica is the venue-of-choice for companies wishing to showcase their innovations to a global audience, with manufacturers timing their innovation cycles and launches to coincide with the show. The increase in exhibitor numbers from outside Germany also reflects confidence in Agritechnica as a launching pad for businesses wishing to expand into markets across Europe and overseas. A consistently strong visitor profile with significant overseas participation is yet another draw-card for Agritechnica. The last event two years ago saw 355,000 trade visitors, including 80,000 from abroad.  

Competition among companies is likely to intensify along with the economic upturn. Businesses will be keen to tap on the positive mood that currently prevails  among Europe’s farmers, as seen from the results of the Spring 2011 DLG-Trendmonitor Europe survey of  farmers from Germany, France, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Czech Republic and Hungary.. Fueling  this confidence is the expectation that agri-commodity prices will hold firm on the back of positive developments in the world economy and shortages in the grain and oilseed markets.