Between 10 and 13 October, the latest biennial inter airport Europe show will be held in Munich. This stand-out event will build on the past successes of this long-running show, as Nicola Hamann, managing director of event organiser Mack Brooks Exhibitions explains
Were you pleased with how 2015’s inter airport passed off? Were there aspects of that show that you want to build on for this year?
The previous inter airport Europe was the 20th edition of the event, and it was, once again, very successful. For 40 years, our specialised exhibition for innovations in the airport sector has been attracting exhibiting companies and industry professionals from all over the world.
As an industry barometer the show has always reflected prevailing technological trends; and at inter airport Europe 2015 the evolving trend for further automation and digitalisation was in the focus of the show. Now, almost two years later, the interconnected airport has become a reality. Airport planners and operators all over the world have started to implement smart information technology across all airport facilities with the objective of seamless passenger travel and optimised operations across the entire airport and its user communities.
Do you think that the airport industry has changed over the last couple of years and, if so, will that evolution be reflected in this year’s event?
At present, airport operators are facing the challenge of implementing a comprehensive overall IT infrastructure that extends the usage of IT across all areas of the airport. The interconnected airport is the vision of the airport industry and will thus be a main focus at this year’s show. The solutions for this new concept range from apps for passengers as well as airport employees to cloud-based systems for the planning and forecasting of passenger flows.
The integration of IT interfaces with airlines and other service providers within the airport and, beyond that, across various airports, is the next step forward. The objective is the interconnection of all processes, including passenger handling, maintenance operations, cargo management as well as various other terminal and airfield operations.
Airport operators looking for the latest equipment and innovative services for ground handling, terminal operations, airport IT and airport design can discover and source all these innovations first hand at inter airport Europe in October.
Will there be any new features about this year’s show?
To highlight the dynamic development and innovation in the airport technology sector, the inter airport Europe Awards will be presented at this year’s exhibition. Prizes will be awarded in the four product categories of the exhibition: interTERMINAL, interDATA, interRAMP and interDESIGN. A special prize, ‘interCONNECTED’, will also be awarded for innovations in relation to the interconnected airport.
These prizes will be awarded during the official opening ceremony of the exhibition on the first show day. All visitors and exhibitors are welcome to attend this ceremony.
Furthermore, for the first time at this year’s event, there will be a demonstration area in the outdoor area of the show for vehicles and other large-scale ramp equipment – an exciting new highlight for all visitors to the show.
How many attendees and how many exhibitors did you welcome last time around?
The anniversary event was bigger than ever. For the first time, the show stretched across three exhibition halls as well as the extensive outdoor area. More than 650 exhibiting companies had booked more floor space than ever before, a total of 30,000 square metres. The show attracted 12,700 visitors from 110 countries, a 7% increase in visitor numbers compared to the previous event.
Are you expecting to have even more exhibitors and/or visitors this year?
Three months ahead of the exhibition, around 620 exhibitors from 43 countries had already secured their stand space. The most important exhibitor countries, besides Germany, are currently the US, France, Great Britain, the Netherlands, Italy, Denmark, Spain, Sweden, China and Switzerland.
With some 31,000 square metres of net exhibition space, inter airport Europe has once again grown by 5% in terms of stand space compared to the previous event. These figures reflect the strong growth in passenger traffic and freight volumes that have led to numerous airport planning, expansion and modernisation projects. We are, therefore, looking forward to a further exhibition that reflects this positive outlook for the airport industry.
What sets the show apart from other, similar, events in this market space?
inter airport Europe is clearly the leading exhibition for the airport industry, offering the most comprehensive range of airport equipment, technology and services. As the world’s biggest one-stop-shop it offers exactly what airport professionals are looking for: a targeted exhibition which covers the whole range of airport-related areas, whether for terminal, terminal-adjoining facilities, runway, apron or hangar.
The vision of the interconnected airport implies that the airport has to be seen in its entirety; and this is what sets inter airport Europe apart from other events that focus on individual sectors of the airport. The concept of our show is, therefore, more visionary than ever, as it comprises all aspects of the airport.
