LogiMAT 2022: “Expectations greatly exceeded”

LogiMAT 2022 has scored a big win in the post-pandemic era, re-emerging with a broad slate of exhibitors and a highly engaged visitor base. High-profile business deals and partnerships coupled with in-depth networking opportunities underscore the reputation of the International Trade Show for Intralogistics Solutions and Process Management as a leading communications hub where industry leaders come to do business.

As LogiMAT 2022 drew to a close last week in Stuttgart, it demonstrated there was stability across all leading indicators in the trade show business. The international trade show for the intralogistics industry was able to build on the success of its previous events with numbers edging back up toward pre-pandemic levels.

“A successful reboot after a nearly 40-month Covid-induced interruption,” notes Exhibition Director Michael Ruchty of EUROEXPO Messe- und Kongress-GmbH in Munich, which organises LogiMAT. “Adjusted for the pandemic-related restrictions, the results across the board show a continuation of the LogiMAT success story.”

“Smart – Sustainable – Safe” was the theme of this year’s three-day event, bringing together 1,571 registered exhibitors from 39 countries, including 393 first-time exhibitors and 74 big-name vendors from overseas – all showcasing their latest products, systems, and solutions for reliable automation and digital transformation. A wide range of new products, including some never before exhibited anywhere in the world, provided powerful inspiration for smart, forward-looking intralogistics processes. The Messe Stuttgart convention centre was once again completely booked this year, with exhibitors spread across 125,000+ square meters in all 10 exhibit halls.

After a pandemic shutdown of two-and-a-half years, 50,000 industry professionals seized the opportunity to explore and directly compare the latest technologies and their integration into intelligent, future-proof systems – live and in person. At peak times on the second day of the event, 3,000 industry professionals streamed through the turnstiles at the entrance within 10 minutes.

More than a quarter of the visitors work for large companies with 1,000 to 9,999 employees. Broken down by industry, 58.8% of visitors came from the manufacturing sector, 12.4% from wholesale, and another 4.3% from retail. Some 6.9% of visitors work in freight forwarding, with most (52.8%) holding a position of responsibility for purchasing decisions at their company. For them, LogiMAT is the primary platform for information on the latest solutions for efficient intralogistics.

Among all visitors, 55.1% came to learn about innovations and trends, while 27.7% wanted to make new business connections. There was particular interest in innovations in the product domains of material handling and warehousing technology (55.8%), industrial trucks (38.3%), and AGV/AMR technology (18.3%).

Some 36.5% of the industry professionals who came to Stuttgart also had specific investment projects in mind. The high number of sales contracts, business deals, and partnership initiatives signed at LogiMAT underscore the character of LogiMAT as a hub for information, education, and communication where people come to do business. A full 5.2% of the visiting industry professionals awarded a contract during the show, while 31.7% plan to do so immediately afterward. This naturally resonated well with exhibitors, all of whom emphasise the quality and sophistication of the contacts they made.

Some 38.5% of visitors travelled more than 300km to attend LogiMAT. The high level of interest among international industry professionals and exhibitors remained stable. Data gathered by the independent Basel-based market research institute Wissler & Partner shows that one in five event attendees came to Stuttgart from outside Germany. Of these international guests, 73.8% came from other EU countries, 7.9% from non-EU countries, and 8.3% from Asia, the Americas, and other areas overseas.

“We’re extremely pleased with the numbers for LogiMAT 2022 and how it unfolded,” concludes Ruchty. “LogiMAT 2022 continues online through the LogiMAT.digital platform. The 14 stimulating presentations from the high-quality accompanying program in the LogiMAT Arena spanning all three days will be streamed on LogiMAT.digital in the coming weeks.”

The organisers confirmed that LogiMAT 2023 will take place in Stuttgart on April 25th-27th, 2023.