M&T Expo 2018 exceeds expectations and generates good business

The most important trade fair for construction and mining equipment in Latin America received around 40,000 visits, among them many top buyers from Brazil and abroad.

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The 10th International Trade Fair of Equipment for Construction and Mining was held from November 26 to 29 at the São Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center and exceeded expectations of exhibitors and buyers in terms of business transactions, visitor quality, as well as possibilities for networking and knowledge transfer. Focus topics were technologies which contribute to higher productivity, quality, efficiency, and sustainability.

A total of 800 national and international brands from 19 countries gathered on 70.000 square meters of exhibition space. For Falk Senger, Managing Director of Messe München, the success of the first edition under the responsibility of Messe Muenchen do Brasil points out the right decision taken by the German company: investing in the Brazilian market of trade fairs for the construction and infrastructure areas. “We became very impressed by the strong interest of the exhibitors in this event, which is a milestone of our entrance in the country. The trade fair marks the beginning of the long-term cooperation between Sobratema and Messe München, organizer of bauma, the most important trade fair for construction and mining equipment in the world. M&T Expo has a key role to play for the construction machinery segment in Latin America. This is underlined by the presence of numerous countries, among them, the top five nations with the largest number of visitors apart from Brazil are: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Paraguay, and Peru”.

According to Afonso Mamede, president of the Brazilian Association of Technology for Construction and Mining (Sobratema), M&T Expo is a protagonist with regard to the promotion of new technologies for the construction and mining market, but also a barometer of the mood of the entire production chain. “Equipment manufacturers, as well as components and services suppliers, present a wide range of products at the trade fair so that the user knows what is new in the industry and, at the same time, has better conditions to negotiate the purchase of machines," he says.
This year, the Sobratema Study of the Brazilian Market for Construction Equipment estimates a market recovery, with an estimated growth of 38% compared to 2017. In total, 17,800 units will be sold in 2018 against 12,900 units in the previous year. “Certainly, the fair will contribute to this good result, like in previous editions, when it helped to revert the impacts of the economic crises experienced by Brazil”, points out Mamede. This is also confirmed by Walter Rauen, president of Bomag Marini Latin America: “We have noticed in all the clients who came to our booth a great optimism for 2019 and 2020.”

For the vice-president of Sobratema and president of Escad Rental, Eurimilson Daniel, the timing of M&T Expo was perfect. “I heard from a number of exhibitors that it was very good that the fair took place after the election because people are more optimistic and expectations about new infrastructure projects are much higher. We are living a moment that exceeded our expectances. The sales are soaring, and the staff was very pleased with the results achieved”, he said.

Luciano Rocha, general manager of Sales and Marketing of Komatsu, adds: “Our booth was always full of customers. And having so many visitors at this time of the year was amazing. Most importantly, we received highly qualified customers which were very interested in purchasing equipment. M&T Expo is a very important tool to disseminate and strengthen our brand in the Brazilian market.”
Cristian Galaz, vice-president of sales of Manitowoc for South America, highlights the strong presence of visitors from other countries. “We received visitors from Bolivia, Peru, Chile, and from other countries. They all came to São Paulo because they are aware of the importance of this fair and the relevance of Brazil in this sector”, said Galaz. “For us, this is an excellent opportunity to display our models of cranes that are perfectly suited for jobs in the region”.

Attractions of M&T Expo 2018

To provide a complete visitor experience, Messe Muenchen of Brazil created three new attractions at the fair.

At the Demonstration Arena, various newly launched machines were shown live by exhibitors such as BMC Hyundai, John Deere, Kaeser, Link-belt, Manitou, Paladin, Pramac, Rud, Rossetti, SEM, Socage, Weber MT and XCMG on 1200 m2 of space.

The Content Arena was considered as the knowledge place of M&T Expo 2018Visitors could attend 28 market presentations by experts of well-known consulting companies from Brazil and abroad – EY, KPMG, Porsche Consulting, Dal Pozzo Advogados, Instituto OPUS de Capacitação Profissional and VDMA –, plus technical speeches by manufacturers and suppliers of the production chain - Bomag Marini, Caterpillar, John Deere, Kaeser, Liebherr, Lots Group, Mapear com Drones, Moba do Brasil, Portal do Locador, SSAB, Terex and Trimble.

Finally, the Smart Construction Arena showed the latest trends in technology and innovation in the industry. Among the solutions to be presented were drones, automation systems, lubrication systems, electronics and Big Data, machine control solutions, 3D printing systems, safety solutions for load handling equipment and innovations for collaborative work.

More than 300 representatives from construction companies, mining companies, equipment manufacturers, rental companies, suppliers of parts, engines, undercarriage and components and service rendering companies attended the already established M&T Expo Summit, which was held on November 27 and 28. Eight events were promoted by renowned national institutions: Promotion of Investments and Competitiveness São Paulo Agency (Investe São Paulo), Brazilian Association of Concrete Blocks (BlocoBrasil), Brazilian Association of Manufactures of Filters and their Automotive and Industrial Systems (Abrafiltros), Brazilian Association of Non Destructive Essays and inspection (Abendi), Brazilian Association of Syndicates and Associations that Represent Machines, Equipment and Tools Rental Companies (Analoc), Brazilian Committee of Tunnels (CBT), Engineering Institute (IE) and National Syndicate of companies of Transports and Movement of Heavy and Exceptional Loads (Sindipesa).

The next edition of M&T Expo is scheduled for 2021, again at the São Paulo Expo Exhibition & Convention Center.