SMOPYC Endures, Waiting for the Industry to Recover

The 16th edition of SMOPYC, the International Trade Fair for Public Works Construction and Mining Machinery, that ended last April 5 fulfilled the expectations of exhibitors. The number of undertakings that took part (720, from 28 different countries) and of visitors (48,000 professionals) confirmed that the leading fair for the industry in Southern Europe is still going strong.

SMOPYC 2014 has been a transitional edition strategically aimed at foreign markets that has sown hopes of a recovery of the industry. This could summarise the outcome of the sixteenth edition of SMOPYC, whose doors closed at the Saragossa Fair grounds last April 5, after five days of trading activity.

The fair was featured initially by a fall in the number of exhibitor undertakings, with little business expected to be done, yet it ended with widespread satisfaction among participants who finally were visited by 48,000 professionals interested in learning about the latest developments in an industry that has been facing difficulties for several years now. When the event ended, both the exhibitors themselves and the organization said the results achieved were better that expected, and were convinced that this edition “had become a turning point and a launch lever for an industry that drives the creation of new job opportunities and wealth”.

Among the positive aspects of this year’s edition we may highlight, on one hand, a clear opening up of the fair to world markets, by organizing 50 trade missions to 28 different countries. On the other hand, the loyalty shown by foreign exhibitors, with 60% of the undertakings having shown their trust in the brand by taking part once again. Another positive aspect -and an essential one at this time- was that practically all of the industry associations attended the event, having shown undivided support of the undertakings operating in the industry, which they stood by since the crisis broke out. Some of those associations form part of the Builders Federation and others belong to Confalq, in addition to IPAF, ANAGRUAL, AEXAR, SEOPAN and ANMOPYC.

We must also note the high technological level of the machinery, equipment and systems shown for all the branches of industry present at SMOPYC, a fair known worldwide for the protagonism of its technical innovations, always aimed at improving the performance and productivity of the equipment, cutting down costs, protecting the environment and worker safety.
Although perhaps the best aspect about SMOPYC 2014 has surely been “the courage of being a lively fair at a time of drastically reduced spending on public works”, as officials who attended the opening of the fair said.

Going global is the key
The undertakings that have survived have done so thanks to their ability to respond and adjust to the difficult environment, focusing on a strategy of boosting export sales as the only way to grow or to survive. This effort must continue over time, as export sales currently account for about 80% of the turnover of Spanish undertakings that operate in the Public Works and Construction Machinery industry. The percentage is expected to remain unchanged in the next few years. Therefore, always outward looking, SMOPYC has concentrated in this edition, described as one of “transition” into the world market, on accompanying and supporting the undertakings in the process of going global and penetrating new markets.

By organizing trade missions, hand in hand with the Spanish Association of Manufacturers of Construction, Public Works and Mining Machinery (ANMOPYC), the fair has enabled the undertakings to become aware of their own strengths and test their ability to do business throughout the whole world, building trade links with foreign countries on site, at the fair itself. The reverse trade missions organized by SMOPYC 2014 included representatives from Mexico, Chile, Colombia, Peru, Panama, Uruguay, Guatemala, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan, Oman, Ecuador, Indonesia, Russia, Belarus, Kuwait, Sudan, South Africa, Paraguay, Costa Rica, Bolivia, Vietnam, Nigeria, Tanzania, Namibia and Ethiopia.

Meetings of experts and associations as parallel activities
One of the new features of this edition of SMOPYC, held jointly with the sixth edition of Logis, was the 1st Construction and Logistics PILOT Conference, organized by the regional development agency Instituto Aragonés de Fomento y Feria de Zaragoza. During the Conference, experts from both industries attended different round tables to discuss the current picture in the fields of building, logistics and transport, and to exchange views and knowledge from their different standpoints. The subjects of these round tables were: “The outlook for the industry: the economic picture in the medium- and long-term”, “Worldwide prospects and opportunities in the building industry”, “Reflecting on the current picture in the infrastructure and public works construction industry” and “Prospects for the industry: assessment of the current situation and the future of logistics”.

The different industry associations, for their part, arranged for as many as 29 parallel activities to be carried out in the context of the Fair, that once again served the main players in the industry as a meeting point as well as a forum for debate and reflection. On the first day of the fair the Governing Board of CONFALQ held a briefing on the accreditation of rental firms. On the second day there was a meeting of the Governing Board of ASEAMAC and a conference of general rental companies, a meeting of the Technical Committee of AMOPYC, a meeting of the Managers for Machinery of undertakings, SEOPAN, and a meeting of the Governing Board of ANAPAT. On the third day of the fair there were meetings of the Technical Committee of ANEFHOP, of ANEFAR, of AEXAR and of the Training Committee of ANAPAT, as well as a conference of the association of cutting and drilling entrepreneurs AEDT. In addition, ANAPAT organized a one-day seminar to discuss different subjects of interest to rental firms, especially those relating to safety in using elevator platforms and different regulatory aspects such as the duties and liabilities of those who rent out machinery. On the same day, the Iberian Pipe Bursting Association ibSTT held a seminar on “Bursting Pipe Solutions”.

Lastly, during the fourth day of the Fair there was a meeting of the Governing Board of FANAGRUMAC (the National Federation of Tower Crane and Construction Machinery Rental and Installation Associations), the FERCD (Spanish Construction and Demolition Waste Federation) and the GERD (Spanish Construction and Demolition Waste Managers Association) were introduced, and there were conferences of AEXAR (Excavator Associations) and AEDED (Spanish Association of Demolition Entrepreneurs).
Other activities included meetings of the Pressurized Water entrepreneurs, AETAC; of the Association of Aggregates Manufacturers of Aragon, AFA; of the Prepared Concrete Manufacturers ANEFHOP, and of the Governing Board of ASEFMA.

SMOPYC 2014 figures
The exhibition area of 55,000 square meters2, of SMOPYC 2014 housed the stands of 720 exhibitors from 28 countries. The fair was arranged by branches of the industry among five pavilions where the latest innovations were shown in building, elevator and maintenance machines and auxiliary equipment, industrial and haulage vehicles, aggregates and concrete, as well as in earth-moving and road-building infrastructures, compacting and drilling as well as parts, spares, accessories and services. Of the total number of participant undertakings, 41.5% were Spanish and the rest, 58.5%, from other countries. There was a strong presence of undertakings from Italy (18.38% of the total), and Germany (10.31%), followed by those from the UK (5.60%), France (3.58%), Netherlands and the United States (3.36% each). In addition, there were exhibitors from Austria, Belgium, Netherland, Ireland, Slovenia, Luxemburg, Portugal, the Czech Republic, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Turkey and Ukraine, as well as from Australia, Canada, China, Japan, South Korea, India, Taiwan and New Zealand.
Next meet at Saragossa: SMOPYC 2017
Looking ahead with the conviction that the roughest part of the journey has been left behind, the SMOPYC Organization will be working non-stop for the next three years. The aim for the forthcoming 2017 edition is for the fair to achieve the growth it deserves after standing fast for more than 35 years by an industry that, at last, is beginning to show signs of recovery. SMOPYC will not take a complacent approach and will direct all its efforts towards giving the event a world standing, taking part in all international forums, tapping synergies and collaborating with others as well as redefining its strategy so that SMOPYC ranks once again among the prime specialist fairs in the world for the public works and construction machinery industry.
Source: Smopyc