From 27 February to 3 March 2018, the R+T 2018 in Stuttgart – the world’s leading trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems – was definitely at its best. 1,027 exhibitors (2015: 888) from 41 countries packed the entire 120,000 m² exhibition area in the ten Messe Stuttgart halls. Over 65,500 visitors from Germany and abroad were delighted by the high innovation capacity of products and services on exhibition.
The top-class accompanying programme also helped R+T 2018 write another chapter in the success story of the world’s leading trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems. The fair kicked off on the eve of the first day with the awards of the well-known R+T Innovation Prize. Established items such as the Young Talents special exhibition, the R+S Update, the Doors/Gates Forum, the ift special exhibition and the ES-SO Workshop took place with the backing of partner associations and were supplemented by new items on the programme for specific target groups – such as the Outdoor Ambiente Living special exhibition, the R+T Smart Home Forum and the 2nd International Congress – Automatic Doors. “The large number of interested visitors clearly shows us that the accompanying programme agenda touched the industry’s nerve at the right spot,” says Ulrich Kromer von Baerle, Messe Stuttgart President.
Positive feedback all-round
All in all, R+T 2018 was a total success from start to finish. “We saw smiling faces on every day of the fair,” says a delighted Sebastian Schmid, Department Director of Technology Trade Fairs. “And that applies to both exhibitors and visitors.” All fair stands were well visited – in all the halls. With over 65,500 visitors, R+T again topped the figures for 2015 (2015: 59,057). Visitors came to Stuttgart from over 140 countries. 97 percent of them confirmed the key importance of R+T and showed the need for personal contact and exchange between visitors and exhibitors. 60 percent came from abroad, which is impressive proof of how international the world’s leading trade fair has become. The quality of visitors in 2018 remained at the same high level. Nine out of ten visitors are involved in purchasing and procurement decisions. There was an increase in investment and/or purchasing intentions: over 80 percent of decision-makers have definite investment intentions.
Focus on trends
The R+T 2018 again set international standards. “And that applies to all trend sectors such as building automation, energy efficiency, security and convenience,” says Sebastian Schmid. Roller shutters, for instance, are now dynamic, smart and automatic – and faster than ever. Sebastian Schmid: “Top exhibitors from around the world showed their drive and control solutions for the coming years.” Demonstrations showed how roller shutters combined with smart drive solutions can effectively protect buildings from intruders and combine an energy-efficient design with all-round convenience in houses and flats.
“Doors and gates are definitely more energy efficient, more secure and more convenient than ever before. Visitors to Stuttgart were especially interested in the refined technology of drive systems and wireless systems,” reports Sebastian Schmid. The trend here was towards custom solutions which feature both security and high quality. R+T 2018 also exhibited many different products and possible applications in the doors/gates sector, which focused on key issues such as fire and smoke protection, security, energy and sustainability.
In the sun protection sector, one notable feature was the combination of appealing design and pioneering technology. The focus here was also on saving energy: whether sun protection on the outside or the inside – the top companies in the industry showed their approaches to greater thermal comfort and energy efficiency. The trade fair offer was rounded off by the latest solutions on topics such as automation, façade integration and networked systems. Sebastian Schmid: “What clearly emerged was the diversity of designs and constructions which open up entirely new creative opportunities in planning and implementation.”
New concept well received
The overall hall concept was optimised by the new Paul Horn Hall (Hall 10) and the extension to the Entrance West. “This helped us provide the best possible exhibition layout for R+T and allowed us to focus specifically on the needs of our exhibitors and visitors. These changes were received with a generally positive response,” reports Ulrich Kromer von Baerle. The door and gate industry obtained its own entrance with the Alfred Kärcher Hall (Hall 8) and the Paul Horn Hall (Hall 10), and this made it even more compact than ever. Sun protection systems were also exhibited in Hall 4 and the Oskar Lapp Hall (Hall 6). “The acquisition of new target groups for our exhibitors played an important role in this respect,” says Sebastian Schmid. The Oskar Lapp Hall (Hall 6) also became the meeting place for the catering and hotel sector. “In addition to traditional R+T visitors, this concept was also specially geared towards everyone involved in making decisions on investments and the expansion of catering areas,” says Sebastian Schmidt.
Expectations exceeded
“By extending the exhibition area and aiming at new target groups, we admittedly had very high expectations when it came to exhibitor and visitor figures. But then we were of course all the more delighted when the results exceeded our expectations,” says Ulrich Kromer von Baerle. So the first analysis of R+T 2018 in Stuttgart is entirely positive without exception. “We were the meeting place of the global industry for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems. Without any doubt at all, R+T again lived up to its reputation as being the annual industry highlight and an innovation platform per se,” says Sebastian Schmid in conclusion.
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