Ifma: Against the Stream

Ifma: Against the Stream COLOGNE, Germany (20 September) – Mixed feelings: Ifma was spread over four halls, the organizers tallied exhibitors from 37 different countries, but 25% were from Germany, and Taiwan and China made it up to two-thirds of the show. There were 20,000 trade visitors, the surrounding program was excellent, and still... It must be short of frustrating for the Ifma organizers to see their show crumble. In spite of all effort, both business visitors and exhibitors are just a bit less keen not to miss Ifma, as they were in the golden years. As there was plenty of time to negotiate, the organizers are probably right when they claim that Ifma meant good business for many: if you go to a show with a trace of doubt, you can make up for that by coming home with business results So we suppose the Ifma organizers have done everything they could to pamper both the exhibitor and the visitor. Nevertheless, Ifma was again smaller than last year. On Saturday afternoon, one could shoot the proverbial gun, but Sunday was better with some 30,000 bike fans for the stands that were not closed. One can only hope that Ifma will find kind of a balance, a specific part of the technical market that will render the show a profitable venture for most parties.(OB)