LogiMAT exhibitors are waiting to hear about compensation arrangements in the wake of the cancellation of this week's event in Stuttgart.

A day after the cancellation was announced, exhibitors received an email briefly stating the organiser, EUROEXPO, wants "to handle LogiMAT 2020 properly in the interests of both parties".

"We will make every effort to inform you individually and in detail about the next steps as soon as possible," organisers said, asking for exhibitors' patience for any delay in communication.

As we finalised this newsletter, the event website warned that EUROEXPO was "currently unable to answer (enquiries) immediately".

At other cancelled or postponed events, organisers have credited any exhibitor fees towards the cost of participation the following year, but thus far, no such offers have been made to companies which weren't able to participate in LogiMAT.

Even if they do get their exhibition fees credited or refunded, that doesn't help with travel and marketing expenses incurred this year. Besides the costs of their participation and stand builds, many exhibitors from outside Germany spent tens of thousands of Euros on travel and accommodation. One exhibitor notes that his company's accommodation bill alone exceeded EUR18,000 - and it's non-refundable.

Some companies have insurance cover for their exhibition costs, but it is understood that most don't because this cancellation is unprecedented.

Exhibitors contacted by Forkliftaction News understood the need to cancel the event and some were surprised the decision had not been taken earlier. In fact, many had already cancelled or decided not to participate even before the official cancellation.

"Prior to the decision by LogiMAT show organisers to cancel, Cascade Europe had decided to withdraw our participation due to the rapid spread of COVID-19 in various European regions," says Charlie Mitchelson, managing director of Cascade Europe. "The health of our employees, our customers and their families is of greater value and higher priority than the monetary value lost. In addition, a majority of our show assets will be able to be reused or repurposed for another show or event."

UniCarriers also withdrew before the cancellation. In a statement prepared for Forkliftaction News, UniCarriers says: "We are very sorry that we will not be able to meet our customers and partners at LogiMAT this year due to the cancellation of the trade fair. But we will take the opportunity to do so at other times. At the moment, however, the safety and health of our employees and customers is our top priority."

The company is now "in close contact with the trade fair organisers about further plans".

What they didn't show
Toyota would have used LogiMAT to show its new BT Levio LWI160 powered pallet truck, the first ever pedestrian-operated truck that has been designed around a modular lithium-ion battery concept, making the truck very compact, light and energy-efficient, setting new standards in the industry.
"Another highlight would have been a new feature of Toyota's digital fleet management system, I_Site," says Jan Lorenz, CEO of Toyota Material Handling Germany. The stand would have also run 'Team Challenge', which will also be shown at Hannover Fair in July 2020.

Jungheinrich, one of the first to withdraw from the show before it was cancelled, citing concerns for its staff and customers, didn't let its preparation go to waste, staging a "virtual online trade show" which ends today.
The virtual stand showcases the future viability of warehousing, with virtual walk-throughs of stands, keynote sessions and chat rooms where guests can chat with online experts.
"The virtual Tradeshow we have created is one example of Jungheinrich's proactive, innovative and creative approach to what is a very challenging situation for all involved and demonstrates what extraordinary innovations can be created in a very short timeline. While the current climate presents challenges for global events to take place, we know this will be temporary, so we're looking forward to offering a hybrid of virtual and physical events in the future," says Christian Erlach, Jungheinrich board member for marketing and sales.

Clark Europe had planned to show a range of equipment with lithium-ion technology, a multifunctional order picker, electric counterbalance trucks and internal combustion engine counterbalance trucks, according to Rolf Eiten, president and CEO.
One of the highlights would have been the new order-picking vehicle, the COP1, featured here.
"Due to the cancellation of the fair, we were not able to present our new products to our customers personally. Moreover, we have costs without receiving any service in return. The only thing left for us now is to offer our customers the opportunity to take a virtual product tour on the Clark website to explore our new products," Eiten adds.

Hyster Europe had planned to show its 8 to 18 T big truck series for the first time at the show. As well as a focus on its newest products, Hyster Europe, with some of its local distribution partners for Germany, was also due to show the strength and capability of its range in warehouse and logistics applications.
Products which would have been in the stand included the recently added S1.2-2.0S series of Platform Stackers which can lift up to 2 T.
The show would have also provided an opportunity for cost-conscious buyers to check out the new Hyster UT series. According to Rob O'Donoghue, director solutions - Europe, Middle East and Africa for Hyster, "When matched with the right application and the right operating volume, businesses will find these trucks straight-forward, durable, reliable, and uncomplicated to maintain."

Sister company Yale had planned an all-electric truck line up at LogiMAT 2020, including the debut of the ERP15-35UX four-wheel electric counterbalance truck, which is a part of the range extension of trucks for low-intensity applications.
The display would have included a fully-integrated lithium-ion truck.
Ahead of the show, Yale brand manager Iain Friar said: "The logistics and beverage industries will be at the heart of our showcase, with our dealers and Yale industry experts on hand to discuss how our products can enhance productivity and efficiency in these applications and beyond."

Linde, with one of the largest stands at the show, also cancelled before the organisers called off the show.
The German manufacturer's exhibition highlight at the LogiMAT 2020 trade fair was supposed to be its new, fully connected IC forklift in the load capacity range from 2 to 3.5 T (Linde H20 to H35), which would have made its public debut in Stuttgart. The trucks have been completely redesigned and are delivered fully connected ex-works so that they are prepared for all Industry 4.0 applications.
Another focus would have been on the area of warehouse technology and the extensive range of 24 order picker models to meet every customer requirement. It was planned to show the latest addition of the range: the Linde V08 vertical order picker, recommended for use when regularly picking from the first and second rack levels (up to a height of 2.80 meters).
Linde had also planned to debut the cloud-based version of the "Linde connect" fleet management system, connect:cloud.


The cancellation of LogiMAT 2020 was a significant disappointment for BYD which had planned to launch its new dual-charging system, offering two charging ports for materials handling equipment. It allows to effectively double the charging speed when connected to a pair of charger guns, each offering 200A when plugged into a single compact, intelligent BYD charger.
Also intended for launch at LogiMAT 2020 was the second-generation BYD PTP20P Stand-On Pallet Truck. The completely re-engineered high-speed truck, with a driving speed up to 12 km/h, features superior stability, safety, a floating driving system for optimal traction, and cornering speed reduction. It is an ideal solution for cross-docking applications.
BYD had also intended to display the ECB16C for the first time with ATEX compliance, a result of having partnered with ATEX specialist Miretti SpA.
"Finally, our original plan included the next-generation of counterbalance forklift trucks, which we have now planned to present on a future occasion," says a spokesperson.

Bolzoni was planning to show its Easy Forks vision system consisting of fork cameras and laser systems.
"These innovative Bolzoni Easy-FORK Solutions help to boost the productivity of materials handling processes and increase the safety of the operations by preventing the risk of load damage and accidents," says global marketing director Carlo Fallarini.
The stand would also have shown Meyer's new G Series shaft-guided fork positioners with separate sideshift.
Other solutions which would have been on show are the Meyer Appliance Clamp with FORCE BALANCE Pad and Easy-MOVE Laser Sensors System and new Bolzoni Lift Tables.

Cascade's LogiMAT booth was designed to be a showcase of its versatile logistics-focused solutions, including a wide array of tools to help improve efficiency for intralogistics, warehousing, agriculture, and much more. Cascade had planned to showcase its Forks+ family, which function like standard forks, but with the added benefits of specialised attachments. The Forks+ display would have included the latest Sensor Forks, Weigh Forks and Telescopic Forks.
Other featured products would have included Cascade's next-generation N-Series Fork Positioner and specialised attachments such as the 20G Agriculture Rotator and an 18H Paper Roll Clamp.

Belgian battery specialist Battery Supplies had intended to show its new AQLith batteries. "AQLith is basically a custom-made battery solution based on pre-balanced strings of prismatic cells and equipped with our own developed and patented BMS (battery management system)," says Micha Denys, export sales manager. "The battery is assembled in our facilities in Belgium and we ensure a full technical and commercial support.
In addition, we were also going to highlight our lead carbon battery range. This technology is available in 6 and 12V battery blocks. These blocks are fully maintenance-free and make a nice alternative for gel and AGM battery blocks. Lead carbon batteries will almost double the life of gel batteries and cope better with intermediate charging. They also have a higher performance in extreme temperatures," Denys adds.

See Forkliftaction's Virtual LogiMAT show here.