European Coatings Show: leading industry platform breaks new records

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From 21 – 23 April 2015, the European Coatings Show once again made Nuremberg the No. 1 meeting place for the international coatings community. With 1,024 exhibitors and 28,481 trade visitors, this year's European Coatings SHOW was bigger than ever, despite a national rail strike in Germany that made getting there difficult. Yet again, this event has reinforced its importance as the leading international fair for the manufacture of high-quality paints and coatings, sealing compounds, construction chemicals and adhesives. The main topics of conversation at the exhibition stands were protecting the environment, conserving resources and the functionality of coatings. The next European Coatings Show will take place from 4 to 6 April 2017 at the Nuremberg Exhibition Centre. As always, the European Coatings Congress will begin the day before.

Companies from 42 countries, 107 different nationalities of visitor and an exhibition space that has grown to more than 36,500 m2: a success story that testifies to the successful format and influential role of the European Coatings Show for the sector. All the major industry players, as well as specialist firms and start-ups, exhibited at the show. As well as raw materials for paint, printing ink, sealant and adhesive products, they also showcased the associated laboratory and production technology and measuring and testing equipment.

Sustainability and functionality were the buzzwords at the event. Numerous vendors, for example, presented solutions for bio-based coatings or water-based varnishes. But it was not only the exhibitor booths that were a source of information for visitors; there was also plenty of food for thought in the brief product presentations, in which exhibitors explained, for example, the technologies used to manufacture functional products such as those with antimicrobial properties. Surveys by specialist market research company NanoMarkets suggest that in the next few years, market growth for these smart coatings will be particularly high. Driven largely by demand from the building industry and medical sector, it is expected to rise from the current figure of USD 600 million to 5.8 billion by 2020.

International industry gathering
"The whole world meets here! The international focus and positive reception from Europe, Asia, North or South America are tremendous, " concludes Michael Bauer, Head of Marketing and Communications at Carl Schlenk AG, about the European Coatings Show 2015. The trade visitors reflected the global focus and diversity of the show itself: with an international visitor contingent of well above 60 per cent, the European Coatings Show once again proved a draw card for the specialist community of developers, raw material suppliers and industrial processors. The list of exhibitors had an equally international flavour; two out of three companies taking part came from outside Germany. China led the way with 187 exhibitors and several pavilions, followed by Italy and the Netherlands, while India had the biggest increase in exhibitor numbers.

Innovators enter the ring
Acid-resistant coatings and reversible adhesive bonds were just some of the new developments presented at the special pavilion for young innovative companies that gave some insights into the capabilities of up-and-coming suppliers in Germany. Nine firms took advantage of this opportunity to take part in the show thanks to funding from the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs.

Equally innovative, informative and entertaining was the verbal battle to win the inaugural "Innovation Slam". In a boxing ring at the heart of the action, five competitors attempted to win over the high-spirited crowd with a three-minute product presentation followed by a brief question and answer session. The winner was Dr Berta Vega Sánchez from Bayer Material Science with her presentation "First bio-based polyurethane cross-linker Desmodur eco N".

Highly satisfied exhibitors and visitors
The response from exhibitors and trade visitors was excellent: 98 percent of the participating companies polled by an independent research body stated that they were able to reach their major target groups at the European Coatings Show. Equally high is the proportion of visitors who can envisage attending the next event in 2017. Most of the trade visitors are in decision-making roles at their companies, while seven out of ten respondents are either responsible for or involved in making purchasing or investment decisions.

Overwhelming success for European Coatings Congress
The European Coatings Congress was held alongside the trade fair and provided an overview of current scientific and research developments in 144 specialist presentations. More than 700 delegates from 42 countries took the opportunity to learn about topics such as powder coatings & radiation curing and nanotechnology in a total of 24 English-language lecture series. Professor Rolf Mülhaupt from the Freiburg Materials Research Centre (FMF) at the University of Freiburg opened Europe's biggest coatings congress the day before the trade fair with a much acclaimed keynote speech. He argued that sustainable does not always equate to bio-based "green" products and instead advocated that the entire manufacturing process and the sustainability aspects of bio-based raw materials be incorporated into a comprehensive assessment. The congress was preceded by ten pre-congress tutorials that provided specialist knowhow on key issues and served as preparation for the congress.

European Coatings Show 2015:
Fred van Wijk from Nuplex Resins was delighted to receive the coveted European Coatings Award. The jury honoured his congress presentation "New, ultra-fast drying, low VOC, isocyanate-free technology for 2K coating systems'', in which he explored an approach for isocyanate-free chemistry as a substitute for conventional two-component top coats. The pot life can be extended thanks to the short drying time and fast curing process. In particular, the jury praised the high scientific standard of the presentation, in which van Wijk described a Michael addition and the possibility of dispensing with isocyanates.

Forthcoming coating industry events
21 – 23 January 2016PAINTINDIA, Mumbai/India
11 – 14 April 2016 American Coatings SHOW, Indianapolis/USA
11 May 2016 European Coatings SHOW RELOADED, online
4 – 6 April 2017 European Coatings SHOW Nuremberg/Germany

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