2,174 exhibitors and 435 world premieres make for a fantastic show
The 67th IAA Commercial Vehicles, under the slogan “Driving tomorrow,” fully lived up to its billing of being the world’s most important trade fair for transport, logistics and mobility. The fair proved that an entire sector is anticipating change! The strategic orientation of IAA, organized by the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), was right on the button. On all exhibition days the focuses were the megatrends of electric mobility, digitization and urban logistics – at manufacturers of commercial vehicles and buses, in the trailer sector and at the many suppliers.
A total of 2,174 exhibitors from 48 countries outstripped the already very high figure of 2016. There was also a new record of 282,000 square meters of exhibition space. And at 435, the world premieres exceeded the very high level of 2016 by 31 per cent! The number of visitors was also very high, despite the sometimes inclement weather. Yet the response of attendees at IAA was definitely positive. The mood was excellent everywhere – among the exhibitors and the visitors.
The central messages of this year’s IAA: electric mobility is now appearing on the roads, and the models are going into series production. This applies above all to the e-vans, and increasingly also to urban buses. And the medium-duty distribution trucks are also being electrified. Many stands had e-cargo-bikes on display for the first time, which provide a smart, environmentally friendly and affordable solution to the question of the “last mile.” The innovation trend of digitization could also be experienced at IAA, from producers of trucks and buses to the trailer industry, all the way to the large, medium-sized and smaller suppliers and telematics providers.
Another difference from 2016 was that now the products are coming onto the market in large numbers. IAA positioned itself again as the marketplace for the experts in the commercial vehicle sector. The proportion of trade visitors was well over 80 per cent and many of them were decision-makers. In addition, more purchasing agreements were concluded at this IAA Commercial Vehicles than at any other – business is booming in Hannover. One logistics company alone bought 2,500 trucks from three manufacturers, and another 1,000 trailers.
The New Mobility World offered a platform where the automotive industry and new target groups such as technology firms, mobility providers, start-ups and digital businesses met with one another and with high-ranking representatives from politics, academia and society for controversial discussions of the future of mobility, to present innovations and to make the mobility of tomorrow something that can be experienced.
IAA also attracted a lot of online visits. There was much discussion of IAA’s new developments and industry highlights in advance of the exhibition. In all, since the middle of August there have been over 75 million contacts worldwide, 60 million of them during the trade show itself. Half of the over 10,000 posts were written in English – which is more evidence of the international significance of IAA. And more than 95 per cent of posts and comments about IAA were positive. IAA has, therefore, truly established its regular place in the digital world.
