LogiMAT 2013 attracted 1,003 exhibitors from 26 countries.

LogiMAT, the German annual trade fair for distribution, materials handling and information flow, has attracted more visitors and exhibitors this year than ever before.

Held from 19-21 February at the Stuttgart Trade Fair Centre, the 11th instalment of LogiMAT attracted 1,003 exhibitors from 26 countries, a 9.5% increase from last year. Among them were 310 first-time exhibitors.

For the first time, LogiMAT used six exhibition halls in the north and south wings of the expo centre, using a total of 74,000 sqm (796,529 sqft.) of exhibition space. This is 16.5% more than the previous year. Almost one in five exhibitors (181 companies) came from outside Germany. After Germany, the countries that were strongly represented were the Netherlands, Switzerland, Italy and Austria.

"The fact that now LogiMAT is increasingly coming into the sights of exhibitors from overseas is evidence of the importance that is being attached to LogiMAT as a platform for presentation of companies, products and services and as a forum for forging international business contacts,"
says exhibition director Peter Kazander.

Despite adverse weather conditions and strikes at a number of airports from which participants were departing for Stuttgart, LogiMAT attracted a total of 29,500 trade visitors over three days. This is a 1.5% jump from 2012.

"The number of visitors arriving by plane this year was 8.9% lower than last time - this is a big drop," Kazander says. However, according to the results of a survey by Basle-based independent market researchers Wissler & Partner, around one quarter of trade visitors had travelled more than 300 km to get to the show.

Show organisers say 86.2% of visitors rated the fair as "very good" or "good".

The next LogiMAT will be held from 25-27 February 2014.