Light and shadow - looking back at BAU Munich

After each fair, organizers and exhibitors take stock. Thus, the organizers of BAU Munich looked back with satisfaction on an edition that received as many visitors as in 2017. At hinge manufacturer Dr. Hahn, they are limping on two thoughts. On the one hand, the number of visitors at the booth declined by about 15 %, but on the other hand, the quality of contacts was significantly higher.

BAU Munich continues to be a meeting place for professionals from all over the world. While Germans seemed to visit the fair this year mainly from the third day onward, visitors from the Far East and Asia were already present en masse on the first two days of the fair. Those Asians were particularly attracted to surface-mounted hinges, such as the new Türband 4 AT series, which will become available later this year. "In turn, our new Rollenband AT hinge was the draw for the German-speaking visitors," says area sales manager Tonny Maes.

"In itself, this is not a new fact either. Button hinges are very much on the rise especially in our traditional markets. In other countries, people are still mainly opting for surface-mounted hinges, although interest in Roller Strap hinges is gradually emerging there as well."

Disappointing figures on first and last day of trading

At Dr. Hahn, they particularly regret the disappointing visitor numbers on the first and last day of the fair. "It has been pointed out many times, that the organizers could easily cancel one of those days. If you note that some companies send staff home on Saturday already during the fair's opening hours and even close the booth, this surely says enough," Maes points out. "Internal statistics at Dr. Hahn show that 65 % of visitors on Saturday are not looking for information about the products, but just want to collect ballpoint pens and folding meters."

Quality over quantity

The number of visitors at Dr. Hahn's booth was about 15 % lower than at the previous edition in 2017, and this is a trend that was already evident at Polyclose as well. The quality of contacts, on the other hand, is increasing. "We prefer quality to quantity," concludes Tonny Maes. "We will also participate in the 2020 edition of Polyclose in Ghent again with our own stand, where visitors will be able to get to know the existing range and innovative developments."