If sex sells, then the Australian forklift industry should have learned some valuable lessons at The Safety Show at Sydney's Olympic Park last week.

Free lollies and firm handshakes came a distant second to the scantily-clad "product experts" flogging safety belts, boots, glasses or whatever else to their glassy-eyed, almost entirely male, funnily enough, "prospects".

So is the forklift world missing something, or are materials handling products so interesting on their own that they don't need eye candy to attract attention? Personally, I think the latter.

According to the show organisers, more than 8000 risk, insurance, safety and trade professionals attended the three-day show, which ran from October 13-15. Last year's show drew 5500 visitors.

The Safety Show is the Australian industry's annual event, and features all manner of manufacturers debuting the latest in injury reduction, data management and other safety products.

Forklift companies were well represented among the 350-odd exhibitors at the show. Crown, Mitsubishi and Sumi, notable absentees from the recent Matex 2004 (Forkliftaction.com News #161), joined Toyota and Jungheinrich among the manufacturers represented, and several businesses supplying components, auxiliary and safety systems added to the mix.

Crown Equipment Australia marketing manager Craig Kenchington, who replaced Glenn Pulley earlier this year, said the Safety Show was Crown's exhibition of choice.

"There are plenty of related events we could attend throughout the year, but this one represents the most cost-effective for us," he said. "It's also paid really great dividends in the past, so we'll keep coming back as long as it does."

Crown's stand was focused on the company's Wave lift truck, with a moving display. The key to attracting show visitors was creating a visual spectacle, Kenchington said.

"Every so often, the truck starts beeping and lifts up to its full height and down again - it's guaranteed to turn heads, if not draw a crowd," he said.

"A show like this is a great way for us to access OHS managers shopping with the annual budget - forklifts play a big role in workplace safety, so our machines get a lot of attention and positive enquiries."

Safety shows, or materials handling-related shows are a good opportunity for forklift makers to market to their customers in a subliminal way.

"OHS professionals are looking for products to solve a specific problem, or correct a situation, and a forum like this allows them to browse around without the pressure of walking into a forklift dealership," Kenchington said.

Elliott Bichara, Sydney area manager with MLA Holdings Pty Ltd, which supplies Mitsubishi forklifts in Australia, said it was the first time his company had exhibited at the show.

"We're here sampling what the show can offer. We've had a lot of people through the stand this week, asking questions and having a close look at our trucks," he said.

"The traffic flow through the materials handling section has been just acceptable, but we'll analyse the costs and benefits and see how successful the show was for us."

Rob Williams, business development manager with TASK Australia, the OSKO factory dealer of the Sumi range of battery-electric trucks, said the 2004 event was "20 per cent" better than last year's.

"We judge the success of shows like this on the number of people who come to us with genuine, actionable enquiries, and this year has been very good for us," he said.

"Friday was our busiest day, strangely, as it was the last day of the show. It's an information supermarket for safety professionals, and this is where you need to be if you want to access that market."