TVH's Frederik Lempiere and Sanjoy Roychoudhury at CeMAT India 2008

An exhibitor is calling for a change of venue for CeMAT India, saying organisers should move the event to a location that allows for better visitor access.

Sanjoy Roychoudhury, TVH Group Middle East territory manager, says TVH participated in CeMAT 2007 and was more satisfied with 2007's result after the TVH reseller network received more regional end-user customers than 2008.

Roychoudhury says CeMAT 2007 was a much better event from the company's perspective. "CeMAT 2007 was held in Hall 2, which was logistically a better position than 2008 in Hall 3."

"Hall 2 is in there middle of the exhibition ground and is a better position to attract visitors," he says, "where Hall 3 is in the far corner of the exhibition ground; the main gate was never used and only a side gate was used by visitors for entry and exit."

Roychoudhury says TVH raised these issues with CeMAT. "The criticism should not be viewed in a negative way," he explains. "It is to help with better planning in future."

TVH also suggested the event should not be run back-to-back.

"In 2007, CeMAT organised the first material show in India and all major manufacturers were present," he says. "But due to the global economic crisis and also due to the Mumbai terrorist attack, some like Baoli and Hyutsu did not participate."

"However, the last two days, the visitor response was much better. In my opinion, in general, there are fewer visitors in the whole event."

Delegates at CeMAT China late last year also questioned the viability of annual events, saying visitor numbers would increase if the show was held on alternate years.