Interview with Pilar Navarro, Director of Maquitec

Before opening Maquitec 2004 different representatives of companies and entities of the sector approved the proposal of Fira de Barcelona the celebration of the Hall to odd-numbered years. As Pilar Navarro said in the interview of the previous number of MetalUnivers, 2005 is considered an edition of transition, but "a good preparation of the 2005 open the doors of Maquitec final liftoff in the next call, within two years". In this edition Maquitec will have the direct and indirect participation of about 1,000 companies and will occupy more than 15,000 net square meters. Its new Director, Pilar Navarro, tells us more details about this new edition.

Recently, Fira de Barcelona has carried out a reform of its organizational structure. In its new organizational structure, Fira de Barcelona has grouped its events into three large groups: salons industrial and professional; Banquet professional and distribution; and public rooms. Maquitec is framed in the industrial and professional banquet group whose head is Gonzalo Sanz, who is in charge of different directors of rooms among which I am. In this group of industrial halls there are fifteen rooms.

I am also responsible for the banquet Expoquimia, Equiplast and Eurosurfas and commercial management of Fira de Barcelona has considered that between these halls and Maquitec there interesting synergies to enhance, why is it has seen fit to unify the management of these rooms in a single person.

The main innovation is that in this Edition, Maquitec changes take place in odd-numbered years. Maquitec maintains its biennial periodicity, but the Salon will take place on odd-numbered years, offering a new sectoral appointment to the Spanish industry in which check the evolution of the market and the momentum of the emerging metallurgical specialities

Indeed, there are different segments affected by the slowdown in sales and competition from other emerging markets in the metallurgical sector, and it has also moved to the trade fair area. Machine tool for boot sectors or cutting tools have reduced their presence this year in Maquitec, but we know that you it's an economic fact about the economic situation. However, the response of companies in other sectors such as the metal deformation or the contract when hiring the Hall space has been good.

Internationalization is the unfinished business of the majority of Spanish fairs. In the case of Maquitec, it should be recalled that its main area of influence is the Spanish market, above all from the peninsular Northeast, although in later editions is significantly increasing the percentage of visitors from other industrial zones of our country. At the same time, we have been three editions working in the international projection of the Hall in Italy, France and Portugal, as well as the Mediterranean countries, and we have managed to increase the presence of companies and foreign buyers. In this last section were also determinants activities such as the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Industrial cooperation or the European meetings of Industrial subcontracting.

In addition to the majority presence of Spanish companies in Maquitec 2005 also will be direct exhibitors from Italy, France and Portugal. Represented thus Maquitec will include companies from over 30 countries.

The existence of different exhibitions related to the metallurgical activity both in our country and abroad is a consequence of the market that supports his conclusion. With greater trade fair offer, businesses can decide where to go by their geographic markets, commercial interests of expansion and participation objectives.

The fairs are a marketing tool to promote and accelerate the sales process. A privileged means for the presentation of products and services to a large number of users, competitors, prescribers and media in a period of time and in a limited space. The metallurgical sector firms can obtain excellent results of their participation in trade fairs, provided they are very well defined its objectives of participation. These objectives will be crucial when choosing the fair in which to participate. In the case of Maquitec, which is that I know, its celebration is justified because 40 per cent of the demand is concentrated in the peninsular Northeast and the Hall attracts a demand for very loyal quality with power of prescription or purchase decision. This represents without a doubt, possibility of business for exhibiting companies.

On the other hand, I think that in a free market system it is good and necessary that there should be competition. All events are repeated as parameters: diversity of the offer with different levels of investment, reflection of the market, and plurality in demand that comes to the living room. The differences between them are the value-added activities. While some stagnate in the simple exhibition model, others as Maquitec enrich the celebration commercial, providing innovative content, of interest for the growth and knowledge of the innovation and the market of the metallurgical industry.

Fira de Barcelona is the organizing body of industrial and professional salons leader in Spain and is among the four first exhibition institutions of Europe in number of events of this kind. The majority of industrial halls which celebrates the Fira de Barcelona are references in its sector in our country and also occupy places in the European trade fair calendar of each specialty. However, it is logical that Fira de Barcelona turns in the growth of this type of rooms and devote efforts and resources to achieve maximum representativeness and to improve the internationality and value-added activities. The type of exposed product, industrial fairs need a logistically advanced venue to facilitate mounting and dismounting of the stands and to offer the best services to exhibitors and visitors. For this reason, Fira has opted for the venue Gran Via M2, currently in phase of enlargement, which is already one of the most modern in Europe.

As I explained in more detail in the previous issue of MetalUnivers interview, Maquitec will be an important forum of sectoral debate to reflect on the present moment and on the main trends that will mark the evolution of the metallurgical sector. It held the second edition of the Euro-Mediterranean Forum of Industrial cooperation under the title "globalization and its consequences, what to do".

On the other hand, the Barcelona Chamber will organize in Maquitec the Forum of subcontracting and the 5th European meeting for Industrial subcontracting. We also confirmed the Conference the Spanish Association of responsible of purchases and stocks will be organized in the Hall with the title "Vision of the new industrial economy and shopping". Finally, PIMEC innovation will present a day with the title "How to create own product and sell it".

Maquitec is a medium size as in the last four editions has gained importance in the calendar of Fira de Barcelona, demonstrating continued growth and attracting a demand for quality with high levels of satisfaction of exhibitors.