Success beyond all expectations for the 5th edition of GIS – the Italian cranes & access and heavy transport show – confirms role as the primary Italian meeting place for users of machinery and equipment for lifting, industrial & port handling and heavy transport

The 5th edition of GIS closed on Saturday, October 3rd with remarkable figures: it was visited by over 6,000 skilled professionals from Italy and abroad, firmly establishing this highly specialised event in the international show calendar.

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With great satisfaction to the organisers, the number of exhibitors at GIS was double that of the 2013 edition, including a number of impressive stands and outside exhibits, with some presenting their latest machines and equipment as a world première.

Indeed, among the over 180 exhibitors representing over 240 brands, more than 100 mobile cranes, crawler cranes, truck loader cranes, aerial platforms, removal lifts and telescopic handlers were on display at the exhibition in Piacenza. Also some impressive machines for container handling, tractors and trailers for heavy transport, as well as various types of forklift trucks for the movement and storage of goods were on show at GIS.

Also shown at GIS was a special machine for lifting disabled people at airports, a market sector that uses a wide range of machines on display at the fair for lifting and aircraft maintenance.

Exhibitors also included manufacturers of alternative lifting systems, such as hydraulic jacks, hydraulic air cushions and hydraulic gantry systems, as well as a significant number of Italian and foreign manufacturers of spare parts and special tyres for lifting and handling equipment.

It is also worth noting the increase in the number of manufacturers of mechanical, hydraulic and electronic OEM components, compared to the 2013 edition, as well as companies specialised in lubricants, an essential factor not only for the optimal operation of the equipment, but also for the safety of the users.

As far as safety is concerned, as a result of compulsory periodic inspections of machinery and lifting equipment and operator training, GIS 2015 was attended by several exhibitors specialised in providing the above services.

That said, and considering the wide range of machinery, equipment and services on show, GIS 2015 was confirmed as the primary "One stop shop" for Italian and foreign operators with needs relevant to lifting, industrial & port handling and heavy transport. They found solutions to all their problems, making GIS the ideal meeting point to finalise deals, also with foreign operators that attended the show.

Packed crowds attended the rich programme of conferences held alongside GIS (see www.gisexpo.it), in particular the sessions covering the topics of port and intermodal logistics, the periodic inspection of machines and equipment and worker safety.

Exhibitors, visitors and VIP attendees at two sold-out gala dinners in the Hall of Tapestries of the Alberoni Gallery in Piacenza saw the presentation of a number of renowned awards to companies and entrepreneurs in the port, intermodal and logistics sectors (see www.italawards.it) and those involved in the lifting and heavy transport fields (see www.ilta.biz).

50 industry associations and institutions have certainly contributed to the success of GIS 2015 with their support of the event (including the support of the Italian Ministry of Economic Development). Also there was a renewed confidence in the market shown by attendees who for the first time in the past six years visited the fair with a specific intention to buy machines on display, which is certainly a good omen for both the exhibitors and the Italian economy in general.

With this renewed confidence in mind, the GIS organisers have already announced dates for the next edition of the event, which will be held at the Piacenza Expo from the 5th to 7th October 2017.