It must be noted that BAU is the largest German trade fair for construction industry and manufacturers of building products, taking place once every two years ever since 1964. This year the trade fair was organized in Munich from January 14-19. This trade fair is considered to be not only one of the leading trade fairs in Germany, but also across the whole Europe. The trade fair gathered around 2,300 construction companies from the whole world; moreover, there were around 250,000 visitors from more than 150 countries.
RIPO representatives shared their thoughts about six dynamic days at the trade fair, welcoming visitors of the fair to our stand C1.529.
Short video showing RIPO’s stand available here: https://youtu.be/fqkF0NBXUGA .
What are your impressions after six days at the trade fair?
First of all, we feel satisfaction about the fact that we were full-fledged members of the trade fair. We did not manage to do this in our first attempt and had to wait for two years to become listed among the members. According to the trade fair’s organizers, more than 500 business applications were rejected because the number of stands was limited. However, this simply shows how prestigious is the trade fair. Second of all, we take pride how interested were the visitors in the products presented by RIPO. Third, it is important to highlight that only events of this scale allow you to grasp the true possibilities of geographic cooperation.
Which products presented by RIPO attracted the most attention from visitors of the trade fair?
RIPO presented its latest aluminum railing series 100 designed based on the architectural trends in railing systems. We had noticed that latest projects in Germany appreciate vertical rails and, therefore, these railings had such a noticeable place in our stand. The most popular and admired element in the stand was our existing aluminum railing series with integrated solar battery model. This solution attracted enormous interest from the visitors. It is our intention now to develop our product in the same direction.
There are many different trade fairs available – why did you choose BAU 2019?
The trade fair takes place only once every two years and is one of the largest construction trade fairs in Europe in terms of number of visitors and covered area. The fact that throughout the trade fair the exhibition hall was full of visitors – professionals from the field – clearly shows the value of the trade fair. Until now, we were more focused on Scandinavia where we participated in Nordbygg 2018, the largest regional trade fair. After deciding that we need to increase our export directions, the next logical step was to participate in BAU trade fair in Germany.
What are the main benefits from participating in such a large and prestigious trade fair?
International appreciation of our products and better understanding of possible development directions because throughout the week we had a chance to communicate with other participants – professionals from the field – from many countries and even other continents. Trade fairs, of course, also allow you to get to know your competition and necessary improvements for development.
Do you plan to participate in any other trade fairs in 2019?
Participation in such international exhibitions costs a lot of money and we have to be willing to make sufficient contributions; therefore, it is crucial to capitalize on the chances given to you, turning discussions started at a trade fair into a real cooperation. So, we have no plans for other trade fairs in 2019. However, we might take a part in a domestic trade fair. That remains to be seen!
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We are grateful to all visitors who took their time to visit the RIPO’s stand at the trade fair. We appreciate your interest in RIPO’s railing and balcony glazing solutions. We hope for further cooperation!