Press Releases

Essen. Sunny, almost overheating due to a stable high-pressure zone: the weather during this year’s ALUMINIUM almost seemed symbolic for the aluminium industry which showed itself in the best of spirits at the 6th World Fair and exceeded all previous records with healthy two-digit growth figures. “ALUMINIUM is humming so busily you can feel the buzz in every hall“, is how ALUMINIUM manager Britta Wirtz, Director with the organizers Reed Exhibitions, happily sums up the atmosphere during the three days of the fair.

With a plus of 15.5 percent over the previous fair in 2004, the number of trade visitors again hit a new record. The organisers recorded a total of 15,270 trade visitors (2004: 13,217) from more than 80 nations. ALUMINIUM also set new records both in terms of exhibitors, with the number of 685 exhibiting companies (2004: 613) and of the exhibition stand space rented out in the seven trade fair halls which increased by 16 percent to 23,900 sqm (2004: 20,565 sqm).

“I am overwhelmed“, says Christian Wellner, Executive Director of the Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie (GDA). GDA believes that impulses for growth come from both in-creased domestic demand and from foreign business. More than 42.1 percent of trade visi-tors (2004: 36.2%) came to Essen from abroad. The number of visitors from Asia had again risen considerably.

The industry can also expect growth to continue unabated at home. This becomes evident from the cyclical index determined for ALUMINIUM in a representative poll carried out by an independent market research institute: for the next business year, 75.2 percent of alumin-ium companies expect a “strong increase” or an “increase” in business. Two years ago, such expectation were held by only 60.2 percent. In keeping with such expectations is the high number of concrete plans for investment which companies brought to the “world capital of aluminium“ (Britta Wirtz): more than one in three companies (34.6%) used ALUMINIUM to prepare and to finalise concrete investments. More than 71 percent have either placed their orders at ALUMINIUM already or will do so as a follow-up to the fair.

“Crowd pullers“ were again semi-finished aluminium products, with 35.V1 of visitors ex-pressing particular interest in this segment, finished products (26.2%), surface technology (25%), processing machinery and equipment (24.2%), foundry products (20.8%) as well as raw material and smelter products (15.7%). As a result, the Foundry Pavilion, the “World of Surface“ featuring surface treatment technology and processes as well as the Welding Pa-vilion also recorded good attendance figures, with almost 60 percent of buyers and compa-nies paying a visit. There was also great interest in the 5th European Aluminium Award in five categories and one special jury prize, all presented in a ceremony with an audience of some 1,000 guests on the first day of the fair (for more information on the winners please go to the start page of www.aluminium2006.com).

The results obtained in the visitors’ poll also demonstrate that ALUMINIUM 2006 was a success: here, 83.5 percent of those interviewed awarded the marks “excellent“ and “good“ to the World Fair. The vote of exhibitors that “this was a maximum of ALUMINIUM“ was also practically unanimous, says Britta Wirtz. On the last day but one of the fair, more than 80 percent of the stand area had already been booked again for 2008.

With the support of the institutional patron Gesamtverband der Aluminiumindustrie e.V. (GDA) and the partner European Aluminium Association (EAA) the fair trade has become part of the aluminium world. In addition to the these partners the ALUMINIUM 2006 got support from the main sponsor SMS DEMAG and the corporate sponsors SUAL and BWG.

Referring to a further internationalisation of ALUMINIUM, Hans-Joachim Erbel, Managing Director of Reed Exhibitions Deutschland GmbH, announced a new overseas undertaking: in cooperation with the Brazilian Aluminium Association (ABAL), ALUMINIUM will set up an international pavilion at EXPO ALUMÍNIO from May 22nd to 24th, 2007, offering the interna-tional aluminium industry the opportunity to present itself in South America. “Following our involvement in China which has already developed into a second event with growth rates exceeding 35 percent, we are thus supporting the international activities of the aluminium industry in the world’s sixth largest aluminium market“, Hans-Joachim Erbel said.

The next ALUMINIUM CHINA will be held from August 28th to 30th, 2007 in Shanghai. ALUMINIUM 2008, 7th World Fair and Congress, will take place from September 23rd to 25th, 2008 in Essen.

For the latest pictures from ALUMINIUM 2006 in printing quality on the internet, please go here.

Exhibitors’ comments:

“ALUMINIUM 2006 was extremely busy and even more successful that the previous event. We had a large number of international contacts.“
Joan Chesney, Director Communications, Novelis Europe

“For us this was the first time at ALUMINIUM: originally we had only planned to test the water but we had to jump in to cope with the crowds flocking to our stand. We are very sa-tisfied and hope that the Foundry Pavilion will continue to grow in the next two years.“
Bernd Voigtländer, Managing Director, Formguß Dresden GmbH

“We are extremely satisfied. The concept underlying the “World of Surface“ is magnificent. In 2008 we will again take advantage of the opportunity to present an even larger variety of innovative surface treatment processes.“
Michael Middendorf, Executive Officer, Verband für Obenflächenveredelung von Aluminium

“We are very satisfied with the response at the fair: both in terms of quantity and quality. We made a conscious decision to present a smaller number of products because we needed the space to hold talks with customers. We are happy about the big progress made in the presentation of the European Aluminium Award.“
Michael Peter Steffen, Director Press Relations, HYDRO Aluminium HYDRO

“Again we had a larger number and more selective customer contacts for medium and long-term projects.“
Hans-Joachim Pölking, Senior Executive Vice President Aluminum Products, SMS DEMAG

“We met our customers from the automotive industry here at the ALUMINIUM in Essen.“
Andrea Meister, Public Relations, aegrob

“We are satisfied with the large number of high-quality contacts and concrete talks.“
Christian Streitlein, Marketing Manager, Handtmann A-Punkt Automation GmbH

“ALUMINIUM is a success for us. We are very satisfied with the number and the quality of customers and contacts here in Essen and have again seen an increase in the number of international visitors. Since its beginnings, ALUMINIUM has developed from an exhibition to an international forum for doing business.“
Jasper van Zon, Manager Communications Benelux & Germany, ALCOA Europe

“To sum it up in one sentence: it is full of trade visitors and the mood I excellent.“
Heinz-Peter Schlüter, Managing Director, Trimet Aluminium AG

“This is our first time as exhibitors. We are thrilled and doing brilliantly in Essen. We have never had such a large number of good expert discussions at a fair before. The contacts we made here will keep our field force busy for many months.“
Christoph Deiters, Managing Partner, Gerhardi AluTechnik GmbH & Co. KG