Got some questions on Fastener Shows
I noticed on several of the fastener news sites that they were reporting on upcoming fastener shows or expos. We are all aware of the Vegas Show, the All American Fastener Show (front cover of the latest LINK magazine), the MWFA show and numerous other table tops and regional shows hosted by various fastener associations. But, in particular, there was one that caught my eye. In May of 2013 there is a Fastener Fair in St. Petersburg, Russia.
I clicked over to the site to check out the show and found myself connected to a site for Fastener & Fixing Technology. I am not sure of the connection but on the Fastener & Fixing site they are promoting the following "Fastener Fairs":
Fastener Fair - Hanover, Germany - April 24-26, 2012
Fastener Fair - Bangkok, Thailand - September 6-8, 2012
Fastener Fair - Brazil - November 20-21, 2012
Fastener Fair - St. Petersburg, Russia - May 12-14, 2013
Fastener Fair - Mumbai, India - April 17-18, 2013
Global Fastener News has a tab for "Trade Shows", which lists a lot of upcoming trade shows including table tops, the STAFDA shows and other national shows mentioned above. I went to that site and found these shows:
International Hardware Fair- Cologne, Germany - March 4-7, 2012
Taiwan Fastener Show - March 13-14, 2012
10th International Trade Exhibition of Fasteners - Moscow, Russia - March 13-15, 1012
And, they mention another Fastener Fair, Eastern Europe for Autumn, 2012.
Anybody going to these?? That is a lot of shows!! And, I'm sure there are others that I did not even find in my 15 search this morning. I did go to a list of exhibitors for the Hanover Fastener Fair in April and scrolled down quickly to see if I recognized many exhibitors. Advance Components was listed near the top as it is an alphabetical listing. Other than that, there were surprisingly few U.S. based companies. Almost none. So, I'm wondering, do U.S. companies participate in these international shows? Check it out yourself. There are a lot of Chinese companies and several from other parts of the world, but few from the U.S. Do we ignore these markets? Can we not compete in these markets? Are these newer shows without track records or do we just not think they are worth the effort?
I would invite the folks from Fastener & Fixing Technology to share with us what they see at these shows. Should more U.S. companies be exhibiting? Are there business opportunities for U.S. companies at these shows? Daniel Rivalin, please feel free to check in on this subject as you offer a European (and global) perspective that we might be lacking. Fasteners Clearing House - do you have a lot of subscribers from outside of the U.S.? Any data you might share?
Everyone is looking to grow their sales. Sometimes we battle those people right in out own backyards to the detriment of gross profit. It is a big old world of fastener opportunities out there. Not sure if it is worth buying a booth for the Moscow show, but I bet I'd run in to a whole different group of competitors if I did.
Trying to finish this post early so I can kick back and enjoy the Super Bowl this evening. Just looking for a good game as my team is not (and has never been) in the Super Bowl. May the best team win. The playoffs, thus far, have been really competitive. One side note - do you realize that both AFC and NFC Championship games were affected at the end by plays made (or not made) by the Special Teams. Missed field goals, fumbled punts, etc. Sure, defense and offense were important, but in both games the the offense and defense pretty much played to a stalemate. The offenses and defenses, for all intents and purposes, were about tied. Special Teams decided the games - good or bad! Just goes to show you, you cannot ignore any part of the game. One last comment - why is there no football team that really uses the specials team personnel creatively? Why doesn't Devin Hester learn to punt so he could just as easily run with the ball as punt it. Why does no team practice the hell out of the fake field goal and use it more than once every 2 or 3 years. Sam Wyche (I believe, though I could be wrong) was the first to use the no huddle offense, other than at the end of the game as time was running out. Everyone acted like he was cheating or something. Today, it is commonly used. I say you teach a running back to kick field goals when they are within 25 years or so and it would open up the chance for fake field goals immeasurably. Let the ex-soccer player kick when they are out further. OK, OK, I'll stop now. Enjoy the game!
One last thing - Do you know where the 40 yard dash came from? It has an interesting history.
TS - Funny you raise this topic because we've been discussing it around the FCH offices lately. We've seen a rise in usage coming from Asia, and there's also a smattering of activity from pretty much everywhere else you'd expect, Europe, Mexico, and yes, New Zealand too. We're encouraged by this.
The next episode of Fully Threaded Radio features a fantastic segment with Jay Mont, of American Imperial Screw. During the conversation he mentions some of the international business he's attracted through the FCH Network. This segment with Jay is truly one for fastener aficionados out there, and I know you'll love it. That comes out on 2/9.
We're scheduled to hear from Rob Lucas, of Fidelis Fasteners, from the Taiwan show in March to get his impressions. That will be on FTR42. I was reading through the attendee list and the lack of American firms also struck me.
The Fastener+Fixing magazine website has the most comprehensive calendar of worldwide fastener-related trade events that I've seen, and Mack Brooks is clearly on a mission to dominate the worldwide fastener show business outside the U.S. I used to hear from those guys once in a while. Maybe we irritated them a time too many.
Since today is the closest thing we have to a nationally recognized holy day, I'll wish you a happy, peaceful and blessed Superbowl Sunday, and all the best in the off-season.
Eric
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Thanks TS for asking.
I will attend Taiwan show in march, hopefully Wire Düsseldorf, and will exhibit at Hanover Fair in April.
As Eric mentionned, Mack brooks is now dominating the fastener show business but for the US, China, Taiwan.
For China, several fairs can be organized, so it might change in the future.
For Japan and Korea, I don't know exactly the situation.
We are, at Bazibaza News, in close contact with Mack Brooks Organization, and will adapt the presentation of our Press Releases section accordingly.
From an european perspective, we need local fairs in each country. This the case in the UK.
In the other european countries, fastener and fixing exhibitors usually have to arrange booths in a couple of industrial shows, like the Midest in Paris.
International fairs are most important to push producers and distributors to exhibit abroad.
The last example with the 1st fastener fair in Brazil is very interesting :
Small italian producers like Dell'Era and Piloni, took part to the fair, where as, without Mack Brooks offer and Fastener+Fixing help, they would never have done it.
They are not afraid to compete far from home with local and asian exhibitors.
To the list of shows, you could add the machinery and equipment fairs, like "Wire & Tube" in Düsseldorf, end of march 2012, where visitors can see all big players in cold forming equipment showing their latest machine running : National Machinery, Sacma, Nakashimada, Carlo Salvi...
When requested for consulting services, I push my customers to send their teams visiting that particular fair, to learn the whole supply chain : from wire drawing, cold forming, threading, tapping, tooling, software, packing and sorting... better than any youtube videos. The show is just very big.
Learning how are produced our products, is most important for sales team, R&D, quality departments...
So for readers of this blog, don't hesitate to contact me if you visit those fairs, I will be glad to talk with you of our ever growing industry.
Daniel
Bazibaza Fastener News and Directories
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Daniel, I knew I could count on you! I always welcome your comments and appreciate your support. You ahve a global perspective that I lack although I am very interested to hear about the fastener business in other countries.
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Although I'm biased, being editor of the publication, I agree with Eric, Fastener + Fixing Magazine is a great place to find out where fastener shows are being staged around the world and to read reports on them. A full copy of the magazine is available digitally at fastenerandfixing.com
The organisers of the Fastener Fair are Mack Brooks Exhibitions (the magazine belongs to the same group but is managed independently from the shows) and fastenerfair.com is the place to visit for information on all the upcoming fairs you mention TS.
Fastener Fairs was bought by Mack Brooks two years ago from entrepreneur Jerry Ramsdale, who launched the first Fastener Fair in the UK some 17 years ago. In 2005 Jerry launched Fastener Fair Stuttgart which has grown to be the major European fastener industry show - last year featuring some 675 exhibitors from throughout the world, including, it should be said some, if not very many, US companies. Fastener Fair Hannover, this year, is a new show, currently with more than 300 exhibitors which will run alongside Germany's biggest industrial show, the Hannover Fair. FF Hannover provides a northern Germany show in alternate years to Stuttgart. It also, because of its co-location, is more fastener user/engineer oriented than Stuttgart, which is remains primarily a trade fair, with most visitors coming from the fastener industry.
Last year Fastener Fair successfully launched new shows in Mumbai, India and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Full reports on both in the back copies of Fastener+Fixing
We don't just report on Fastener Fairs. I shall be in Kaohsiung for the March Show, as well as in Cologne for the International Hardware Fair and Dusseldorf for Wire, which is the world showpiece for the fastener manufacturing technology - headers, threaders, heat treatment and other equipment.
Fastener Fair Thailand, this year, will be a new show developing a fastener event for that region. Fastener Fair Russia in St Petersburg next Spring will again be new - although Mack Brooks, together with its Russian partner Restec, already runs a successful sheet metal show there, alongside which the Fastener Fair will be staged.
To my mind what Mack Brooks is very successfully doing is leveraging a strong brand, established over many years by a small dedicated team, and now introducing dedicated fastener events to markets, where previously the fastener industry had to find a corner in another show.
There's plenty more to tell from Europe and the rest of the world, TS. Much of it your readers can find in Fastener + Fixing Magazine but I'm always happy to contribute to your blog, which (as you can tell) I read regularly. If any of your readers want to receive an email alert each time a new issue of Fastener + Fixing Magazine is published they can register at fastenerandfixing.com
Hope to see you at a Fastener Fair one of these days - why not start planning for Fastener Fair Stuttgart 26-28 February 2013?
All the best
Phil
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Thank you for taking the time to comment and provide us with some great information. You are welcome to contribute whenever you like.
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TS and All:
Yes, there are many fastener exhibitions across the USA and around the world . . . and everyone has to choose their best sales, marketing, resourcing and networking opportunities.
I submit that one of the best values globally is the National Industrial Fastener & Mill Supply Expo, October 10-12, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Exhibit space sales and interest in this event (North America's Largest) are running way ahead of 2011 and we expect a record-breaking expo.
Complete Expo information is currently available at www.fastenershows.com.
Check it out!
Jim Bannister
General Partner
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Welcome to the World of Fastener Convention, provide a platform where buyers and sellers should mutually discuss and exchange their views and business needs,
Fastener Convention provides an opportunity for all industrial and automotive fastener professionals to present latest products and technology.
Fastener Convention represents the entire supply chain of the fastener industry, it offers manufacturers and suppliers of industrial and automotive fastener
technologies to meet with, buyers, suppliers, distributors and industry experts.
The venue of Fastener Convention is the hub of automobile industry, one of India’s most prosperous business regions, to a broad and highly specialized audience of
OEM companies and engineering industry of Gujarat market. In Gujarat there is a major demand for fasteners, which is on the rise on the back of the bright outlook
of the major fastener users such as automotive, infrastructure, refineries, electronics, and airport industry.
The exhibition profile covers a wide product range, including industrial and automotive fasteners, fastener machinery and equipments, sheet metal components,
scaffolding.
At the event on October 6-7, at Sanskar Kendra, Paldi, Ahmedabad Gujarat INDIA, there will be 100 national & international exhibitors, numerous international
pavilions and at least 5,000 trade visitors from around the world which surely going to enrich fastener industry.
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All:
Just in case you are not traveling to India, let's not forget "North America's Largest Fastener Expo", October 10-12, 2012 at the Sands Expo & Convention Center,
Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
This tear's exhibition will be the largest since 2008 and will feature nearly 80,000 net sq. ft. of the latest fasteners, machinery & tooling, inspection, testing & packaging equipment and mill supplies such as plant & safety supplies.
Complete information and a current list of exhibitors and exhibit floor plan can be viewed at www.fastenershows.com.
For additional information contact Susan Hurley, General Manager at (614) 895-1279 or email info@fastenershows.com.
See you in 'Vegas!
Jim Bannister
General Partner
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