Increasingly international

This year's International Hardware Fair in Cologne, which took place at the start of March in Cologne and is still the global trade fair of the hardware industry, recorded significant growth in terms of visitors, compared to the fair of two years ago, with a total of 2 770 suppliers from 58 countries and over 47 000 trade visitors (+9 per cent). In 2016 around 43 000 visitors came to the cathedral city on the Rhine. In 2018 the trade fair was held over four days again, in 2016 this was still three. "87 per cent of the exhibitors and over 70 per cent of the trade visitors come from abroad. 143 countries were represented among the trade visitors - an increase of 19 countries," stated Katharina C. Hamma, Chief Operating Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.
Significant visitor growth was registered from Asia, especially from Japan, North and South America, Africa and from the Russian Federation. 12 per cent more trade visitors came from the USA alone. The number of visitors from Germany remained at a constant level. John W. Herbert, General Secretary European DIY Retail Association (EDRA) and Global Home Improvement Network (GHIN), explained the growth from abroad as follows: "The renewed adaptation of the duration of the fair was particularly welcomed by our international guests. The number of international buyers, whom we were able to welcome here in Cologne, was correspondingly high: our major member companies each attended with up to 15 top buyers! It increases from year to year."

The increases were also clearly noticeable for the exhibitors too. "Particularly the numerous new contacts from South America and South Europe can be assessed positively. Furthermore, we were able to greet customers - especially from the USA - who after being absent for the past years, attended the International Hardware Fair again in 2018," verifies J. Wolfgang Kirchhoff, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the International Hardware Fair.
This positive conclusion is also shared by Rainer Langelüddecke, Managing Director of the Trade Association of the Tool Industry e.V. (FWI): "International Hardware Fair Cologne is an absolute must for our industry due to the high level of internationality alone, because together our companies have an export rate of 70 per cent…