January 2020 Interview with Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, Global Portfolio Director for Metals and Flow Technologies, in the run-up to wire 2020 and Tube 2020

Question:
In late March 2020 the world’s No. 1 trade fairs for wire, cable and tube, wire and Tube, will once again open their doors in Düsseldorf.

What’s new about the two trade fairs?

Kehrer:
There are a number of new features at our industry highlights wire and Tube but also at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre proper.

We will be able to follow on from the good registration results obtained at the previous 2018 events with some 2,600 exhibitors from 65 countries. Again 16 exhibition halls will be occupied extending over a net total of over 120,000 square metres.

We will have not one but two premieres and new campaigns in 2020:

Exhibition halls 16 and 17 will see a premiere: for the first time, the complete value chain for fasteners and springs will be presented here. In addition to production machinery and equipment, finished products in the form of fasteners, connectors and technical springs will now also be show.

This means that from 2020 wire will be the new information and order platform for the producers, marketers and buyers of screws, fasteners, construction elements and fitting parts, all types of springs and bent wire parts.

ecoMetals Campaign to run for the wire and Tube trade fairs for the first time:

For the first time, we will be running a large-scale eco-Metals Campaign for the entire duration of wire and Tube 2020. Exhibitors who are particularly committed to the areas of energy-saving production, material and resource efficiency, climate-compatible use of renewable energies or optimised energy controlling can join in the Campaign.

Their stands will be specifically labelled by a corresponding sticker, they will be highlighted by accompanying press liaison and marketing measures and can become part of the daily ecoMetals trails.

ecoMetals trails are guided tours stopping by these exhibition stands. Participating exhibitors are given the opportunity to personally provide detailed information about their company’s innovations at their stand for a fee.

Interested trade visitors can register online for participation in an ecoMetals trail in the run-up to the event. Spontaneous participants on site are also welcome, of course. The meeting point is the ecoMetals information counter at entrance “Nord”.

A stage for start-ups:

The new generation of entrepreneurs will decisively impact the future of these industries. Which is why young companies are given the opportunity to present themselves here with innovative products, services and optimisations. They will prove their skills at a pavilion organised by the Federal Ministry of Economy and Energy. Their stand fees will be co-funded by the Ministry.

June 2021 will see the holding of a trade fair specialising in sawing and alternative separating technologies entitled Saw EXPO in Friedrichshafen. The location in Southern Germany seems ideal since it is home to many manufacturing companies with a key focus on sawing and alternative separation technologies.

We plan to firmly establish Saw EXPO in Friedrichshafen long term holding it every other year to alternate with Tube. At this location it can grow – and what’s more, its themes perfectly complement our international Metals and Flow Technologies portfolio.

At Tube 2020 in Düsseldorf the exhibitors of saws and alternative separation technologies will already be highlighted by accompanying press liaison and advertising measures and a special stand design.

Premiere of the New Exhibition Hall 1:

Premiere for Tube exhibitors from the tube production, tube accessories and tube trade segments in the new exhibition Hall 1. 158 metres long, 77 metres wide and offering more than 12,000 square metres of floorspace it corresponds to roughly the size of Halls 8a and 8b.

In technical terms the new Hall 1 lives up to the high standards of the whole exhibition centre. It can be accessed via seven gates, suspensions from the hall ceiling are possible as is the supply of stands with power, water and compressed air from the hall floor.

For visitors the hall is connected with Congress Center Düsseldorf (CCD Süd) via a footbridge on the 1st floor. In addition to its access to Halls 3 and 4 there is a direct walkway from the South entrance to the rest of the exhibition centre.

Question:
How have the industries developed? Which innovations will the exhibitors present to make a statement?

Kehrer:
The exhibitors of wire – the most important international trade fair for wire and cable – as well as Tube – the international No. 1 trade fair for the tube industry – present their technology highlights to an international trade audience. The leading trade fairs are therefore must-go events for the whole industry.

wire and Tube regard themselves as pacesetters – also and especially in these times of heightened uncertainty caused by trade tensions between the USA, China and Europe and the UK due to Brexit.

According to the “Deutsche Wirtschaftsvereinigung Stahlrohre”, the energy industry, the automotive sector and mechanical engineering remain the key users as before.

The challenges are also accordingly high for the wire and cable industry: economic unpredictability in the wake of increasing protectionist tendencies put a burden on the industry, according to Germany’s “Eisendraht- und Stahldraht-Vereinigung” (German Iron and Steel Wire Association).

However: more cables, more lines and more wires are the positive consequence of the constant and rapid changes affecting mobility. The demands made on the industry in terms of innovations and flexibility are rising, new drive technologies, autonomous driving or e-mobility determine the thinking and decisions taken in boardrooms. Demand is also driven by more and more artificial intelligence in vehicles and users’ rising multi-media requirements.

Question:
What does wire 2020 have to offer?

Kehrer:
wire 2020 covers a comprehensive spectrum of themes ranging from machinery and equipment for wire manufacturing, wire processing and finishing, spring and fastener technologies and their finished products, auxiliary materials and process technology tools through to glass fibre.

Glass fibre is a highly topical theme of growing significance because ultra-high-speed fibre optic links are expanding worldwide.

Furthermore, the latest developments in test engineering and specialist areas will be on display. Exhibitors provide information on trends in measuring and control technology. Additionally, materials, special wires and cables will be in focus.

Question:
What does Tube 2020 offer?

Kehrer:
The leading international trade fair will cover the complete spectrum of the industry – from tube manufacturing and finishing to tube processing and tube trade.

The ranges at Tube cater to all crucial aspects of the tube industry – profiles and machinery, test engineering and specialist areas, pipe manufacturing machinery as well as second-hand machines.

Just as indispensable to the sector are measuring and control technology as well as raw materials, tubes and accessories. Tube also addresses the trade with pipes and tubes made of FE-metals, NF-metals, plastics, glass fibre, glass, ceramics, concrete and fibre cement. On top of this, process technology tools and auxiliaries will be on show.

Question:
What countries do the exhibitors and visitors of wire and Tube hail from?

Kehrer:
Our exhibitors primarily come from Italy, Great Britain, France, Turkey, the Netherlands, Belgium, Spain, Switzerland, Sweden, Austria, Poland and Germany. Companies travelling to Düsseldorf from overseas come from the USA, India, Taiwan, South Korea and China.

To the tune of 70,000 trade visitors are again expected over the five days of the trade fairs. Most guests will come from the strong production and buyer countries such as Italy, Belgium, Great Britain, France, the Netherlands Spain, Switzerland, Austria, Russia, Turkey and Germany. From overseas we expect many visitors to come from the USA, Brazil, India and China.

Question:
How are themes at wire, cable and tubes developing on an international scale?

Kehrer:
Very much in line with exhibitors and visitors – and always with an eye on regional needs and interests: This is the hallmark of our global network of trade fairs and satellites for the wire, cable, tube and pipe industries.

Our international trade fairs include wire China/Tube China in Shanghai, wire India/Tube India and METEC India in Mumbai, wire Russia/Tube Russia, Metallurgy Russia, Litmash Russia in Moscow, wire Southeast Asia/Tube Southeast Asia in Bangkok, wire South America/TUBOTECH in Sao Paulo as well as the Tube & Pipe Producers and Suppliers Pavilion at FABTECH in Chicago.

Personal Details:

Friedrich-Georg Kehrer is Global Portfolio Director for the complete metal trade fairs division, the so-called Metals and Flow Technologies, at Messe Düsseldorf GmbH. He is responsible for some 30 national and international trade fairs revolving around this theme across the globe (photo attached).

Friedrich-Georg Kehrer, Global Portfolio Director, Messe Düsseldorf GmbH

Source: wire Düsseldorf