BouwBeurs 2019. Plenty of hustle and bustle in Utrecht

Energy transition proves to be one of the most popular topics at the fair

It was good to be in Utrecht at the BouwBeurs. Over 75,000 visitors descended on the largest construction event in the Netherlands from February 4 to 8. Early in the morning all nearby parking spaces were full. That immediately turned out to be a good sign. It was "busy, busy, busy" almost at every hour of the day! Visitors rated the fair with a 7.3. 'Valuable and interesting' was the most heard feedback from the participants.

Providing total solutions was a major recurring theme. This was reflected at the majority of the 640 booths as well as at the construction site of the future where digitization, industrialization and circular construction were linked.

Wood Pavilion
A large number of activities took place during the fair. The best attended and also best rated activity was the Wood Pavilion. This was a collaboration of eight companies operating in the woodworking segment. The R&D program that had its first edition this year was well attended and appreciated. More than half of the intended target group (architects and structural engineers) visited the Techforum where ambassadors and other speakers gave substantive sessions.

Finally, the knowledge sessions related to energy transition and sustainability are also worth mentioning. All sessions were completely full. The great interest in energy and sustainability did not appear to come out of the blue, as it turned out, because in addition to interest in construction and building materials, the survey of visitors showed that insulation scored high as the second area of interest.

Gathering knowledge
The main purpose of the visit for 81% of the visitors was to gain knowledge. They visited the fair to keep abreast of new product and industry developments. This was confirmed by the exhibitors of BouwBeurs who gave feedback that they received many specific and substantive questions. Where their own knowledge and expertise was not sufficient, visitors were referred to colleagues at other companies.

With this, BouwBeurs' theme of "Time to join forces" was thickly embraced, proving its relevance more than ever. "As the construction industry is becoming increasingly specialized and the knowledge required is becoming more detailed, it is nice to see companies joining forces and also working together to achieve great results," said Marian Verheij, brand manager BouwBeurs. Besides gaining knowledge, for a third of the visitors maintaining their network was an important reason for visiting BouwBeurs. For a quarter, gaining new contacts was one of the reasons for visiting.

Construction is on the move
That construction is on the move is evidenced by the number of new visitors who attended BouwBeurs 2019 this year. As many as 21% of the visitors experienced the fair for the first time.  Most of these visitors are self-employed workers, executives and directors who visit the fair in new formations. Notable is the enthusiasm among students, who are orienting themselves in the construction world and want to get acquainted with potential new employers. New and old were present for an average of over 4 hours during this edition of BouwBeurs. An indication that BouwBeurs 2019 had plenty of interesting things to offer every visitor.

Trade magazine Profile was also at the fair!
Of course, we were also present at the BouwBeurs for several days. We too noted large crowds. And, there was remarkable interest from the education sector. Already on the first two days we saw motivated students - with specific assignments - wandering around the fair, not hesitating to engage in intensive discussions with the many exhibitors. A good development, we think!

On our own tour, we also spoke with a number of exhibitors. The general tenor; one is satisfied. The quality of the visitors was judged to be high. Below is an overview of the organizations and companies we spoke to.

Text: Jerry Helmers   |  Image: Jaarbeurs Utrecht