The global reach of ECS continues to expand as well in terms of both exhibitors and visitors. The presence of international exhibitors grew from 57% in 2005 to 60% at this year's show. The largest exhibiting nation was China with 90 exhibitors, followed by Great Britain (60), the Netherlands (40), Italy (39) and France (34).
In addition, several technical conferences were held, including the ninth Nürnburg Congress, which drew over 770 participants from 41 countries.
On the show floor, companies featured raw materials, processing and testing equipment and new technologies for the paint and coatings industry. As is the case with most trade shows, large and small exhibitors with selected ranges of products and services used the show as a platform to launch new products or discuss modifications of existing product portfolios.
The European Coatings Show truly is a microcosm of the paint and coatings world. Compressed into five exhibit halls for three days, activity at the show reflects the larger trends occuring in the industry globally on a daily basis. Topics that seemed to be at the forefront of discussion were VOC issues and the influence of emerging markets.
With REACH legislation going into effect this month, many exhibitors used the show as an opportunity to discuss the ways they are dealing with environmental regulations in terms of both new technology and business strategy.
In terms of the influence of emerging markets it was hard not to notice the increased presence of companies from the growing regions of the world, particularly China.
Please stay tuned next month for a more in depth report of the 2007 European Coatings Show.
