Sustainability, renovation and energy saving: at the Internationale BouwBeurs, the Dutch building sector has shown how important it finds these issues. The entire Jaarbeurs complex in Utrecht was buzzing with meetings between all the links in the building chain. Visitors met up with 847 exhibitors, came to the various themed plazas and participated in conferences and seminars. Three quarters of visitors indicated they were very tot extremely satisfied about what was on offer. After the event, three quarters of visitors indicated they would like to visit the exhibition again in 20113. The program at the exhibition was also rated highly. Around 10% of all visitors participated in one of the conferences or meetings.
A total of 105,827 people visited the Internationale BouwBeurs. Of the visitors, 53% was end or co-decision maker and 15% consulted in the purchasing process. 29% was director or owner of a business. Peter van Veen, director of Comelit, exhibiting at the exhibition: ‘I got the impression that the people who visited the exhibition are more focused now than they were before. Almost everyone we talked to, had a concrete question. The visitors really knew what they were looking for.’
Together we build
Exhibition manager Martijn Carlier is very satisfied about his first Internationale BouwBeurs. ‘The last year and a half, my team has worked very hard to make this possible. Our exhibitors rated the exhibition with a 7.4, a great score. I noticed that the sector is in a positive, constructive mood and is determined to beat the crisis with innovative solutions.’
At the exhibition this year, cooperation in the chain was the central theme. The motto ‘Together we build’ was seen and heard everywhere. Maarten van Hezik, president of the advisory committee: ‘The power of the Internationale BouwBeurs is that all the links in the chain are present and meet each other: Architects, corporations, engineering firms, contractors, knowledge centres and suppliers. The exhibition brings all these parties together, starts a dialogue and promotes cooperation within the chain.’
Special presentations
Combined presentations, such as the Durability Pavilion, the Renovation House, the VBI plaza and the Werkspot Freelance Plaza drew a lot of visitors. Carlier: ‘In cooperation with our partner Werkspot, we created a new meeting place for freelancers in the building sector, the Werkspot Freelance Plaza. The place was heaving with activity every day. Material Xperience, an exposition of new materials for designers and architects, had a completely different atmosphere and was specifically targeted at the creative sector. Proof that the BouwBeurs caters for all different types of target groups.’
Willingness to invest
A quarter of all visitors arrived at the exhibition with specific investment plans, while 22% came to the exhibition to get inspiration for new investments. Martin Koppenhol, communications manager at VBI, an exhibitor at the BouwBeurs, can confirm this: ‘We were at the BouwBeurs with our partners to present the EcoPrefab house. A house which conforms to the 2015 EPC norms and which can be adapted to a zero-energy house easily and without a lot of extra investment. During the week, we made 1,500 valuable contacts, such as a local council considering to build 200 of these houses and an architect with a plan to build 80 houses. As an A-Brand, you just cannot miss this exhibition.’
About the Internationale BouwBeurs
The Internationale BouwBeurs – held from 7-12 February in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht, the Netherlands – is the largest exhibition for the entire building sector. The motto of the edition of 2011 was ‘Together we build’. There was also an extensive activity program with events visitors could attend. For more information, go to www.BouwBeurs.nl. The Bouw & ICT exhibition, 8-10 February 2011, and the trade event Material Xperience, 7-11 February 2011, took place at the same time. For more information about these exhibitions, go to www.bouw-en-ict.nl and www.materialxperience.nl.
The next edition of the Internationale BouwBeurs will be taking place on 4-9 February 2013 in the Jaarbeurs in Utrecht.
