Since taking on the Editor role at EPPM Magazine this summer, the focus for Autumn/Winter 2014 has been overwhelmingly skewed in the direction of Fakuma.
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Fakuma 1
The catamaran EPPM took each day to Friedrichshafen from our base for the week in Konstanz.
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Fakuma 2
The Ancient Greeks, who had been working on behalf of Moretto all week.
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Fakuma 3
Some of the composites on display at the DuPont stand, showcasing the exciting new performance plastics the company has developed for automotive applications.
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Fakuma 4
Moretto's eye-catching kitten-themed marketing at Fakuma 2014.
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Fakuma 5
A view from the show floor.
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Fakuma 6
It makes sense... we were in zeppelin country after all. Perhaps this is was an exhibitor's exciting commute?
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Fakuma 7
Arburg's enormous stand at Fakuma 2014.
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Fakuma 8
An idea of scale. This is just one tiny corner of Engel's enormous exhibit.
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Fakuma 9
An exciting water feature enraptures passers-by at Fakuma 2014.
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Fakuma 10
Another gorgeous sunrise for Team EPPM. A commute I shall miss.
Although not on the same scale as K in Düsseldorf - a topic of conversation that was almost impossible to avoid when asking exhibitors 'how's the show going?' - or indeed International CES in Las Vegas (the largest trade event I have visited in my career as an industrial journalist thus far), Fakuma is an industrial event on an industrial scale. However, the pace of this vast show is refreshingly European for the vast majority of the time. Businesspeople relax with their colleagues, clients, customers, affiliates and the press on spacious and well-furnished stands around coffee tables with playful centrepieces reflecting what they do. Friendly polyglot waitpersons ensure every relaxed meeting is fuelled with a steady stream of hot drinks and confectionary. In some instances, meetings are deliberately booked at lunchtime so passing acquaintances, affiliates, suppliers and customers can make a beeline for the stands with the best food, with entire kitchens stashed away behind the scenes in a much more elaborate get-up than the usual exhibition stand cupboard which tends to house little more than coats, spare business cards and the odd bottle of water.
Yes, Fakuma knows how to do business and demonstrates that the the frenetic pace of some of its rivals isn't necessary for success. Not that it was a casual affair for the entirety of the event, however. With so much to see, so many appointments to keep and with the thronging crowds and the vastness of the halls almost guaranteed to bamboozle just at the wrong moment ('I'm in A4, I need to be in B7. So when I cross the courtyard do I go left or do I go right?... And do I have time for a bratwurst?'), there was a little bit of rushing about - but that's par for the course.
From the behemoth stands of Engel, Sepro Robotique and many others, to the eye-catching but space-efficient offerings of the likes of Polyscope and Babyplast (who were popping out little mice and rabbits for passers-by), everybody was on top form for the event and according to news from organiser Schall, everybody made their effort count, as the show has recorded its 'best year ever'.
Schall said that there were precisely 45,689 expert visitors from no fewer than 117 countries and 1,772 exhibitors from 36 countries at 2014's outing, launching this year's edition into the history books.
These record numbers are anticipated to have peaked this month and organisers stated the number of visitors was "not anticipated by anyone". One-third of the officially-counted 45,689 expert visitors came from overseas, topping 2012's 31 per cent international contingent of delegates.
Spokesperson of Fakuma's exhibitor advisory committee Ulrich Eberhardt hinted to the secret behind Fakuma's success, which he accentuated as "a marketplace for innovative solutions covering all apsects of injection moulding, thermoforming and extrusion, as a trend barometer for the industry and as a lastingly important trade fair for suppliers and users of retaining Fakuma's distinctive character, charm and charisma, as well as its very personal and relaxed atmosphere, despite its outstanding, globally significant positioning".
It has not always been this way for Fakuma. The show - naturally reflecting the state of European industry - took a knock in 2009, but has since then found its footing once more on the global stage. Indeed, exhibition space for the show is booked out years in advance, with even spaces in the foyers being snapped up well in advance.
Functional integration, additive manufacturing and metal-replacement materials were significant themes at 2014's Fakuma, while many exhibitors used the show as an opportunity to unveil new machines, materials and services - and to catch up on all the news, click here.
So we have 12 months to wait until the next Fakuma, which will run from October 13th to 17th 2015, returning to the familiar showground of the Messe in Friedrichshafen where EPPM will hopefully see you all again. In the mean time, I would personally like to thank everybody who spent some time with the EPPM team at Fakuma 2014 and for your hospitality, interest and for making every visit, break, interview and meeting a joy. I'm genuinely looking forward to doing it all again.