Construction expo Bauma 2007 achieved a new attendance record with 500,000 people visiting the show at the New Munich Trade Fair Centre last week.

That was an increase of about 20 per cent from the last show (2004:416,000).

About 160,000 or 35 per cent of visitors to the International Trade Fair for Construction Machinery, Building Materials Machinery, Mining Machines, Construction Vehicles and Construction Equipment (Bauma), from April 23 to April 29, were from 189 countries outside Germany.

Organiser Messe München's chairman Manfred Wutzlhofer said the global boom in construction, especially in Asia, Latin America and Africa, contributed to the show's success.

Forklift parts supplier TVH Group marketing manager Lieven Pauwels said TVH exhibited forklift parts, scrubber and sweeper parts, mini excavator parts, and skidsteer loader parts, but primarily aerial platform parts.

"[Visitor response] was very positive because there aren't many alternative sources for aerial platform parts. Many international visitors who were professionals came and Germans, especially during the weekend."

Pauwels said there were few materials handling exhibitors but the number was increasing with each Bauma exhibition.

"The booths from materials handling exhibitors were quite busy," he said.

Linde Material Handling GmbH marketing services manager Manfred Höhn said Bauma was a success for Linde because the company "topped the number of customer contacts" from Bauma 2004.

Guangxi Liugong Machinery Co Ltd, which manufactures construction equipment and Liugong forklifts, also exhibited. The company's deputy general manager for overseas business, Huang Zhaohua, said Bauma was influential globally.

"We are pleased that all the representatives and customers we invited have come along. We also had [several] unexpected guests from south-east Asia and South America.

"This shows Bauma is not only influential in Asia but in the whole world," he said.

Other materials handling exhibitors included Ausa, Cukurova, Hubtex, Jungheinrich, Kaup, Hiab, Hinowa, Manitou, Palfinger, Still, Toyota and Zeppelin.

A high number of overseas visitors to Bauma 2007 came from Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, Korea, Mexico, South Africa, south-east Asia and the US.

Messe München provided 180,000 square metres of hall space and 360,000 square metres of outdoor exhibition space for its 3,041 exhibitors. The total exhibitor number consisted of 1,390 German exhibitors and 1,651 overseas exhibitors. The strongest exhibitor contingents came from Germany, Italy and Great Britain.