From application technology to spray guns - PaintExpo 2024 presents cutting-edge technology

After the long corona break, the leading trade fair for industrial painting technology is now taking place for the second time under the direction of Marielle Riedel. Project manager Mariella Riedel reports on the current state of affairs, digitalization, innovations in application technology and spray guns.

mo :PaintExpo 2024 starts in just a few weeks. What can visitors expect?

Riedel : Visitors can expect PaintExpo to once again be a global showcase for pioneering innovations, exciting applications and future technologies. We are expecting a large number of premieres covering the entire spectrum of industrial painting technology. Specifically, this ranges from application technology and spray guns to non-contact coating thickness measurement. Many innovations and developments will focus on increasing quality, but also on resource efficiency and digitalization. The great thing is that visitors can see and examine many things directly at the trade fair stand and find out more background information in technical discussions.

mo: How is the situation with the exhibitors?

Riedel: We are very satisfied, in fact we are just entering our defined home stretch. The response to the current edition of the trade fair is more than encouraging despite the generally challenging economic circumstances. As things stand, more than 400 exhibitors have already registered and the booking status is at a high level, similar to 2022. But you have to keep in mind that the industry is currently facing major challenges. There is a structural change, energy costs are at a problematic level and competition from outside Europe is increasing. Last but not least, global supply chains are still not as seamless and smooth as they were before coronavirus.

mo: What significance do trade fairs have today? During the pandemic, digital formats and alternatives were very popular - what is the situation today?

Riedel : In 2022, PaintExpo was one of the first trade fairs to be allowed to start again in Karlsruhe. That's why we were still working very intensively on the topic of digital additions back then. Now, two years later, we can say very clearly that trade fairs are very important for both exhibitors and visitors. Bringing people together is important, especially for high-quality capital goods. There are too many restrictions in the digital world. Interest in hybrid concepts is also waning. Many things are simply easier when you can look each other in the eye in person. We observe that many trade fair visitors gather information in advance based on the digital possibilities and then come to the trade fair with very specific ideas and goals.

mo: How do you assess the booking process in general, what else do you expect?

Riedel : It's difficult to say at the moment, we are still receiving numerous inquiries from interested companies who want to exhibit. I think we will at least reach the figures from 2022, which were 424 exhibitors back then. Compared to 2022, we have sold more space and the stands have become slightly larger. In general, we have noticed that the final decisions for a trade fair appearance are being made at shorter notice than in previous years. January was still a surprisingly strong month in this respect. We see this phenomenon at many B2B trade fairs, very probably a reaction by companies to the generally very volatile industrial environment.

mo: What about internationality, which has suffered significantly at many events following the pandemic?

Riedel : We are constantly receiving inquiries from international exhibitors, and the proportion of international exhibitors is generally over 40 percent. Many of them come from Europe, for example from Italy, Turkey and Switzerland. But we also have exhibitors from the USA, India and China. Our 23 foreign representatives, with whom Leipziger Messe is represented throughout Europe and the rest of the world, help us with the acquisition and marketing of the event.

mo : Areyou focusing on special themes this year ?

Riedel : The PaintExpo concept has proven to be very coherent so far, as we regularly find out in dialogues with the Advisory Board. Nevertheless, we are constantly developing the content further. We can present an innovation in the digital area: we've introduced special interest topics focusing on sustainability, careers and exhibitor campaigns. This is intended to give companies the opportunity to present their products in the run-up to the trade fair in order to address visitors more specifically to their objectives.

mo: What role does AI, which has now become a huge focus, play for you as a trade fair organizer?

Riedel : In the future, AI could help to improve the trade fair experience for exhibitors and visitors, for example by enabling personalized interaction with less effort and expense. Interesting examples include visitor analyses that can anonymously show how long visitors spend in front of an exhibit or screen and thus help to improve trade fair presentations. A chatbot for visitor inquiries is also a useful tool, which can then lead customers to the result that corresponds to the desired range of topics in a targeted manner and with fewer detours. The automation of processes such as exhibitor registration is also an issue in this context. However, I have to admit that some of this is still at the conceptual stage.

mo: What impetus will PaintExpo provide in such turbulent times?

Riedel : At the moment, the topics of sustainability and energy efficiency are high on the agenda, as are digitalization and modern software. Some interesting innovations have been announced here. The fact that the most important companies and such a large number of specialists from the surface industry are meeting in one place is unique and naturally leads to an intensive development impulse for the industry. In discussions with the exhibitor advisory board after the events, we regularly see how trade fairs act as a kind of catalyst between exhibitors and customers and how investment decisions that have been prepared for some time are then finally implemented.

mo: You took over the project management of PaintExpo in April last year, what fascinates you about the trade fair business?

Riedel : I've been working at Leipziger Messe since 2012 and have already been responsible for organizing several trade fairs. Bringing different players together in one place, creating a suitable and motivating scenario in which everyone involved can find the right answers, is something very special for me. I also find it impressive every time to watch how a trade fair grows in the empty hall in the run-up to the event until the final opening. All in all, I'm full of anticipation for PaintExpo.

mo: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to pass on to visitors and exhibitors?

Riedel : We cordially invite all interested parties and companies from the surface industry to Karlsruhe - whether as exhibitors or visitors. The ticket store is open and we look forward to welcoming everyone who wants to be part of the large coating technology network.

Business economist and MBA graduate Mariella Riedel has been working at Leipziger Messe since 2012 and is responsible for several trade fairs which - like PaintExpo - are characterized by a clear target group focus and a tailor-made concept. In addition to PaintExpo, her area of responsibility also includes denkmal - the leading European trade fair for the preservation, restoration and renovation of historic buildings, and MUTEC - the international trade fair for museum and exhibition technology.

(Image: Leipziger Messe GmbH / Jörg Singer )