19.03.2011 Top result – ISH 2011 closes after welcoming 204,000 trade visitors

High level of internationality: proportion of visitors from abroad jumps to 35 percent

Good business: sanitation, heating and air-conditioning sector extremely pleased with the economic situation

The top results provide impressive confirmation of the function of the ISH trade fair as an economic barometer for the entire sanitation, heating and air-conditioning sector”, says Wolfgang Marzin, Chairman of the Board of Management of Messe Frankfurt. 2,355 manufacturers (2009: 2,336) from all over the world presented their latest products and trends for innovative bathroom design and environmentally-friendly building-services technology at a fully-booked up Frankfurt Fair and Exhibition Centre. The dominant themes at the fair were resource conservation, sustainability, efficiency and renewable energies. During the five days of the ISH, 204,000 visitors (2009: 201,000) made their way to Frankfurt am Main for the fair. There was also a significant increase in the proportion of trade visitors from outside Germany compared to the last ISH two years ago. It jumped six percentage points to 35 percent, which corresponds to approximately 71,000 trade visitors (2009: 58,000).

The increase in the number of visitors from outside Germany was fuelled primarily by the growth regions of the world – besides Central and East Europe, more decision makers made their way to Frankfurt from Asia and the USA. After Germany, the top visitor nations were Italy, France, The Netherlands, Switzerland, Austria, Great Britain, Belgium, Poland, China, Spain, Sweden, Russia, Turkey, the USA and the Ukraine.

According to polls conducted by Messe Frankfurt, both exhibitors and visitors from Germany are satisfied with the current economic situation – 95 percent responded in this vein. Two years ago, the figure was around 10 percentage points lower. Foreign exhibitors and visitors also see the current situation in a much more positive light than at the last ISH with 80 and 85 percent respectively saying they were pleased with the present business climate.

As in the past, the largest group of visitors to ISH 2011 came from the installation trade, which plays a key role in equipping buildings with building-services technology. Around 75,000 fitters passed through the ISH entrances during the five days of the fair. Also present in large numbers were representatives of the trade and industry, as well as architects, planners and engineers.

“In the opinion of the sector, ISH is the world’s most important trade fair for everyone wanting to modernise existing buildings or construct future-oriented buildings. Thanks to its economic efficiency and ability to offer the best possible solutions for using water and energy in buildings, the sector holds an excellent position. And it made good use of the fair to give this development a further boost, as demonstrated most impressively by our discussions and polls during the fair”, adds Wolfgang Marzin.

ISH is not only the world’s biggest trade fair for the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning sector. It is also the foremost export platform for German manufacturers who lead the world in many segments. The German sanitation, heating and air-conditioning sector is made up of around 50,000 companies, the vast majority of them small to medium-sized firms, which provide employment for more than 400,000 people. The annual turnover of the sector is approximately € 40 billion.

The overall rating for the fair given by ISH exhibitors was also better than two years ago. 85 percent of companies said they achieved their goals for the fair, an increase of three percentage points over 2009. Particular praise was given for the number of new contacts made, the volume of orders placed and the quality of visitors in terms of decision-making and purchasing authority.

For visitors, the most important product segment was formed by the combination of sanitation and heating technology. Other important segments were air-conditioning, cooling and ventilation technology and the use of renewable energies. ISH 2011 set a new record for the overall rating given by the 204,000 visitors, 96 percent of whom said they were satisfied with the range of products and services and were able to achieve their goals for the fair.

The associations supporting the fair also gave a positive review of ISH 2011:
Elmar Esser, General Manager of the Central Association of Sanitation, Heating and Air-Conditioning (Zentralverband Sanitär Heizung Klima – ZVSHK): “This is not a time for the sector to pat itself on the shoulder. ISH 2011 took place under the impression of the shattering nuclear disaster in Japan. In Germany, too, the consequences of this catastrophe will be far-reaching for the generation of energy and heat in the future. As intermediaries in the market, we from the sanitation, heating and air-conditioning installation trade expect clear and reliable orientation from the government. From the industry, we are looking for excellent technological answers and the commitment required to launch this technology onto the market – and to convince the extremely wary consumer of its benefits. The next two years until ISH 2013 will show the extent to which the sector is able to work together to make its products and service a success in the market place.”

Andreas Dornbracht, Chairman of the Association of the German Sanitation Industry (Vereinigung der Deutschen Sanitärwirtschaft e.V. – VDS): “From the point of view of the German sanitation industry, ISH 2011 reflected the positive economic climate prevailing in the sector. Business is booming. The exhibition halls were full, especially on the Thursday, which is traditionally the busiest day of all. Against the background of a stable number of visitors from Germany, we are particularly pleased about the significant increase in the number of international visitors. All those visitors who did not come to ISH 2009 because of the financial and business crisis were back this year. We were especially struck by the remarkable proportion of foreign visitors from markets that are set to become expanding export markets for the German sanitation industry. Additionally, we once again set new accents in an emotional form of communication with our ‘Pop-up-my-Bathroom’ trend forum, which was given a very warm reception by bathroom builders. In other words, the ISH represents an excellent start to the bathroom business in 2011.”

Horst Eisenbeis, General Manager of the Association of the German Central Heating Industry (Vereinigung der deutschen Zentralheizungs-Wirtschaft e.V. - VdZ) – Forum for Energy Efficiency in Building-services Technology: “The installation trade, planners, architects and investors once again experienced a successful fair showing a broad and impressive spectrum of innovative system technologies. In connection with the current energy discussion in Germany, the heating, air-conditioning and ventilation sector offers specific ways in which energy can not only be used efficiently but also, therefore, saved.”

Klaus Jesse, President of the Association of the German House, Energy and Environmental Technology Industry (Bundesindustrieverband Deutschland Haus-, Energie- und Umwelttechnik e.V. ¬– BDH) and Andreas Lücke, BDH General Manager: “Once again, the large number of visitors from the German installation trade combined with a further increase in the number of trade visitors from outside Germany leaves no doubt about the strength and preeminent position of the international ISH trade fair and the ISH Energy section. An impressive range of modern system technology and an innovative approach to technical problems underscores the leading position held by German industry in this field. We were particularly pleased by the positive response to the 3rd Technology and Energy Forum organised by Messe Frankfurt and BDH in cooperation with the German Ministry of the Environment and eight other trade associations.”

Prof. Ulrich Pfeiffenberger, Chairman of the Building Climate Institute (Fachinstitut Gebäude Klima e.V. - FGK): “The ‘Hall 11 experiment’ was a success. This is the unanimous opinion of exhibitors in the ISH/Aircontec section and the air of enthusiasm on the exhibition stands underscored this assessment. In the new setting, exhibitors were able to make outstanding presentations revolving around the themes of current interest to the sector, namely greater energy efficiency, an aesthetically appealing combination of architecture and air-conditioning technology and the integration of renewable energies. Another focal point was the maintenance of good interior air quality and level of comfort at the same time as making more efficient use of energy. Exhibitors were also very pleased with the high quality of the visitors, many of whom came to the air-conditioning halls with inquiries relating to specific projects. Particular interest was also shown in the Air Conditioning Forum, which developed into a busy information and communication platform in the course of the fair. 747 trade visitors attended the programme of lectures at the Forum.”

The next ISH will be held in Frankfurt am Main from 12 to 16 March 2013.