Meet the world at Interlift. This is the hope of the organisers of the Augsburg fair which remains the most important in the lift sector, despite the diverse international exhibition scene. Numbers confirm this trend. In 2015, there were 20,440 visitors from some 100 different countries; there were 541 exhibitors and, in October, 600 exhibitors are expected.
In order to be prepared for this important date, we asked a special guide with some advice and a special preview. Here are Achim Hütter’s answers. Mr Hütter has been president of VFA-Interlift for almost thirty years.

 

 

Elevatori: Can you outline some of the market trends?
Achim Hütter: “Digitisation has also reached the lift industry. The Internet of Things (IoT) is used to smarten up lift systems and to integrate them into a network. In the future possible problems can be identified in advance by analysing lift data and using big-data analyses, and preventive measures can then be taken before a standstill occurs. Failure times can be significantly reduced and the lifespan of lift systems and their components extended. The electronic M2M (machine to machine)monitoring of the systems makes it possible to assess the condition of the systems at any time and to detect problems even before disturbances occur. Thus systems become not only safer but can also be serviced at larger intervals.”

E.: As an Interlift expert, what do you think is the Interlift peculiarity? What makes Interlift so special (as there are a number of other sector national and international fairs)?
A.H.: “In 30 years, the interlift has become the world’s leading trade fair for the lift industry. The contacts to the international lift industry are continuously expanded and our long-standing trade fair partner, Afag, organises the fair excellently. The quality is the main in topic. We are aiming at quality, not quantity. Lift companies from all over the world are keen to present their innovations in Augsburg since the quality of the trade fair visitors with international top decision-makers is by far the highest compared to other lift exhibitions.”

E.: Can you give us a preview of the most interesting Interlift topics?
A.H.: “With the Vfa Forum Interlift, we again offer very interesting presentations on innovations, international lift markets and current developments in the regulatory framework. The audience may use the opportunity to exchange directly with the speakers. Numerous presentations by renowned experts will be held on various topics such as “Megacities – habitats of the future”, “Lifts as a style element in architecture”, “Smart Elevators 4.0 – Digital integration of lifts into the building”, “Occupational safety” and “Qualifications as the key to producing and recruiting young talents” – and a visit is highly recommended. In 2015, 10 % of the trade fair visitors listened in to the highly topical lectures.”

E.: Most of the visitors and exhibitors at previous Interlift events came from Italy. Is the situation the same also this year?
A.H.: “For the Interlift 2017 we are expecting a new exhibitor record with more than 600 international exhibitors. The largest foreign participation with currently 13% of the exhibitors and almost 18% of the exhibition space is once again from Italy and we are very pleased with this development. Also, approximately 8% of the visitors will come from Italy again.”

E.: Any advice for new visitors coming to Augsburg for the first time? How to take full advantage of a day at the exhibition?
A.H.: “Visitors should plan the visit of the Interlift carefully in advance. For booking overnight stays the best way is to contact Regio Augsburg Tourismus GmbH (www.regio-augsburg.de). The different shuttle options from the Munich airport and the Munich train station to the trade fair should also be checked in time. The Interlift website supports visitors in finding out which companies they can visit; exhibitors can be searched as well as industries so that visitors can prepare their visit in the best possible way. Appointments should be arranged with specific times and sufficient time buffers should be considered.”

E.: As Interlift president, are you still excited when cutting the ribbon at the opening?
A.H.: “Even after the 13th Interlift, I am quite thrilled about the Interlift ´17, and I´ll be very happy when the fair opens its doors in October. It will again be the biggest and the most
important meeting of the worldwide lift industry in Augsburg.”

Federica Villa