18.01.2010 News: Swissbau 2010 A brilliant start to the new year for the construction and real-estate sector
Swissbau in Basel has emphatically confirmed its position as the leading exhibition and most important meeting place for the construction and real-estate sector in Switzerland and its neighbouring countries. The 1211 exhibitors from 21 countries had only positive things to say about the successful staging of the exhibition. They highlighted in particular the high quality of the 108269 visitors and their investment plans. Given the current challenging economic climate, this has ensured that everyone involved starts the new year with a sense of motivation.
was held from 12 to 16 January 2010 in the Exhibition Center Basel. During the course of the five days the exhibition was attended by a total of 108269 visitors from the fields of planning, construction, real-estate, investment, education and research, together with private property owners. The percentage of professional visitors in the primary visitor segments increased to 78%. In particular, the proportion of planners (architects, interior designers, engineers and specialist planners) grew by 5%. This fulfilled the wishes of many of the exhibitors, because planners often have a major influence on investment decisions.
The initial results from the representative visitor survey and the opinions of exhibitors indicate that not only the proportion of professionals, but also the quality of the visitors as a whole, in other words, the number of visitors with decision-making authority, increased significantly.
Although the number of visitors was below the record levels of 2007, when the economy was at its strongest, Swissbau 2010 received top marks across the board from the exhibitors. The proportion of foreign visitors remained unchanged at around 9%. Swissbau has once again highlighted its European focus.
The President of the Swiss Confederation, Doris Leuthard, referred in her opening speech before an audience of prominent figures from the fields of politics and business to the importance of the construction and real-estate sector for economic growth and stability in Switzerland. “Every company which invests in climate protection today will be one of tomorrow’s world market leaders. The strategy should bear fruit, because an efficient and effective climate policy involves more than just protecting the environment. It is also about promoting economic growth. Specialist fairs such as Swissbau are the ideal platform for presenting and discussing the opportunities of tomorrow.”
Visitors to Swissbau this year were interested not only in the areas of Building Shells, Technology and Building Site, Interior Finishing or Concept and Planning. They also focused increasingly on overall solutions and new developments in the field of energy efficiency and sustainability. Many of the exhibitors were able to satisfy visitors’ requirements in this respect, together with the three impressive specialist shows – Woodstock, Global Building and EnergieSchweiz – which brought the latest technologies and processes to life and gave an overview of current education and training opportunities.
One of the many high-quality accompanying events focused on the subject of urban development. Trend researcher Matthias Horx and philosopher Peter Sloterdijk presented and discussed a futuristic and historically-based look at the city of the future, with publicist Roger de Weck acting as moderator.
The Swissbau Future Forum once again went beyond mere quantitative forecasts and gave an interesting insight into the human, social and societal developments which will influence the city of the future.
Wide aisles for visitors to stroll along, stylish, luxurious product displays and soft lighting created the perfect atmosphere. For the first time this year, the industry’s leading companies exhibited their latest products over an area of 6000 m2 in the new Bathroom Trends section. They presented the bathroom as a special part of the living environment, as a private refuge and as a place of relaxation and recovery. The new concept received an enthusiastic response from visitors and exhibitors alike.
Within the Concept and Planning section, for the first time the exhibition provided an integral platform for the real estate sector in the form of the Swissbau Real Estate area. Numerous symposia and presentations about different projects and companies attracted many architects, investors and real estate service providers to visit the exhibition in Basel.
The Swiss Environmental Prize was presented at Swissbau by the pro Aqua-pro Vita foundation. With a prize fund of CHF 50,000, this is one of the largest awards of its kind. The winner of the “Technical Innovation” category was Cobiax Technologies AG from Zug which impressed the expert panel with its innovative invention. Entrepreneur Walter Schmid received the “Ecopreneur” award for his many years of service in the field of environmental technology. The panel’s special prize went to topten.ch.
The Swissbau Design Award was presented for the first time this year. The expert panel, chaired by Köbi Gantenbein, editor-in-chief of Hochparterre magazine, assessed the stands of the 1211 exhibitors on the basis of the criteria of impact, craftsmanship and presentation. Walter Meier (Klima Schweiz) AG won the gold award in the over 80 m2 category. In the under 80 m2 category the first prize went to Schaerholzbau AG. The audience prize was awarded to Bodenschatz AG.
The strategic decision to hold Swissbau in the even-numbered years, rather than staging it in parallel with Germany’s large construction fairs, has paid off. This year an additional 136 German companies exhibited at Swissbau for the first time, which corresponds to an increase of 50%. Swissbau will be held every two years at the Exhibition Center Basel. The next Swissbau will take place from 17 to 21 January 2012.
ProKlima, the leading Swiss industry association for the air conditioning and ventilation sector, has joined suppliers from the plumbing and heating industry in supporting the integration of Hilsa into Swissbau in 2012. Rudolf Pfander, Swissbau exhibition manager, is pleased about the decision because it meets the needs of the market for increased networking across the different segments and target groups.
From now until the next Swissbau, information about exhibitors, products, innovations and contacts is available on the interactive industry portal www.swissbau24.ch. The portal has had 563757 page views since the beginning of October and meets a genuine need among customers for clear, up-to-date information about the construction and real-estate sector.
MCH Messe Schweiz (Basel) AG
Postfach I 4005 Basel I Switzerland
T +41 58 206 22 57I F +41 58 206 21 88
www.swissbau.ch
