"It demonstrated impressively that it is a clear indicator of the economic recovery." Many exhibitors confirmed that they were surprised by the crowds of visitors and the numerous detailed talks about projects and investments, in view of the long months during which customers were extremely reluctant to place orders. About 45 000 high-quality trade visitors from 26 different countries came to Düsseldorf in the course of the five days that METAV lasted (from 23. to 27. February 2010). For the first time in more than a year, 700 exhibitors from 28 countries put their new products, solutions and services for industrial manufacturing on show again in Germany, the biggest market for machine tools in Europe.

At METAV, the first major event for the metalworking industry in the current year, everything revolved around the question whether the slump in investment could be overcome and whether customers would start buying again. In the questionnaires distributed by the trade fair organiser VDW (German Machine Tool Builders' Association), 80 per cent of the visitors who answered said that they intend to invest in manufacturing technology in the next twelve months. The exhibitors received this message too: "We are registering increasing demand for machine tools and services", said Dr Rüdiger Kapitza, Executive Board Chairman of Gildemeister AG from Bielefeld.

Almost half of the trade visitors to METAV say that they have authority to take purchasing decisions. 5 per cent of the customers had already taken their investment decisions and had placed orders at METAV. Gisbert Krause, Director of the Hommel Group in Cologne, reports: "In the first three days, we already sold machines and wrote more than 1 000 high-quality customer reports, more than two years ago when we were in the middle of the boom."

All eyes are in particular on the two major customer groups for the machine tool industry: the car industry (and suppliers to it) and the machine manufacturing industry. Two thirds of the trade visitors came from these two industrial sectors alone. "It is becoming very clear to us that car manufacturing will be the driving force in the next few months. There is a considerably greater interest in projects again", says Jens Wunderlich from Profiroll Technologies in Bad Düben. This was reflected in the number of senior production specialists and buyers from the car industry at METAV 2010.

METAV is a platform for new approaches in marketing strategy

Every crisis can be turned into an opportunity. Companies are, for example, successfully adopting new approaches and took advantage of METAV 2010 to present this to their customers. Klaus Winkler, Director of Heller Werkzeugmaschinenfabrik in Nürtingen, explains, for instance: "Heller had a joint stand with a partner - Ingersoll - for the first time. Our customers from the car industry got to know Ingersoll as a result. We in turn were able to establish good contacts to Ingersoll's tool and mould customers." Both companies benefitted from this and helped each other.

Liebherr-Verzahntechnik participated in METAV for the first time ever. The aim was to present a new product segment - material flow technology - to potential end-users among industrial suppliers and machine manufacturers. Company Director Dr Klaus Finkenwirth is very satisfied: "We succeeded in doing this."

METAV 2010 a complete success for producers of manufacturing technology

METAV 2010 took place in a very difficult economic environment. "In view of this, we are particularly pleased that 90 per cent of the visitors indicated in our questionnaire that they were very satisfied with our programme and the event", says Detlev Elsinghorst. Hans-Jürgen Büchner, Director of Iscar Germany in Ettlingen, is one of many who reported: "It was the right decision to exhibit at METAV 2010. The trade fair was a complete success. "The next METAV will be taking place in Düsseldorf from 28. February to 3. March 2012.