Agreements worth several million euros signed at International Fair of Technics in Belgrade – Fewer visitors, more quality

From the history of television in Serbia to the latest 3D design machines and robots – all this could be seen at the recently held International Fair of Technics and Technical Achievements in Belgrade (May 21-25). Under the slogan “A Step into the Future”, 600 local and foreign exhibitors took part in the five-day event, and judging by their comments, the fair was a success. Bonds with existing clients were strengthened, new deals were made, contacts were expanded, client networks were enlarged... One of the conclusion of this year's fair is that there were fewer visitors than in the past years, but that there was more quality.

The total value of the jobs contracted during the event is several million euros, the media report. Still, the main contracts and business connections, according to representatives of the companies eKapija talked to, are signed and established after the event itself. The fair, as they say, is an opportunity for them to meet with their current clients, but also to reach new ones.

Still, during the event, some of the exhibitors managed to sell everything they had brought to the halls by the Sava.

According to the website of the Belgrade Fair, some of the most expensive machines sold “on spot” are the sheet metal punching machine TruPunch 5000, shown at the stand of the company S. V. Line and Messer's Omnimat. They were sold for half a million euros each.

BTS SER Company sold all the machines it had exhibited, whereas Kaldera Company from Laktasi contracted the sale of around 120 anti-hail systems APGS.

As said on the website of the Belgrade Fair, among others, Croatia's CHI-TECH sold all the exhibited machines, as did Varstroj-S from Smederevo and Lorsel from Belgrade.

Expansion of client network

Ivan Stevanovic, director of CWG Balkan from Belgrade, which produces systems for industrial and drinking water, points out how satisfied he is due to the new contacts established during the five-year event.

– We didn't contract new jobs, but we had new contacts and there's a possibility of signing new contracts after the fair, so we are satisfied with our participation in this year's event – Stevanovic says for eKapija.

The Croatian company Topomatika, which already has numerous clients in our country, also established new business contacts. According to the company's director, Tomislav Hercigonja, the fair is not a place for making new deals, but a place for getting to know new potential associates.

– We are trying to understand the needs of our clients and to provide them with the best solutions possible, which is not something you can make an agreement about at a fair. We don't sell at fairs. Instead, we present our products, make new contacts and try to present the best solutions to the visitors for the job they do. We have been present for 7-8 years in the market of Serbia and this fair and since the Technics Fair in Belgrade is always held after the fair in Stuttgart, there's always the opportunity to present the world premieres from that fair here as well. It was the same this year – Hercigonja points out.

The company sells systems for 3D optical measurement, and their biggest client in Serbia is Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. Although he is satisfied with his presentation, Hercigonja believes that the fair's activities should be promoted more in order to attract more visitors. He adds that the fair is too long.

– Five days is at least a day more than is desirable. Fairs are usually held from Tuesday till Friday. This way, when they take five days, they also encompass two weekends, as everything has to be set up and then packed after the fair ends.

Fewer visitors, better contacts

Topomatika shared its stand with Tehnoprogres, with which it also shares membership in 3D Grupa.

This company says that, compared to past years, there were fewer visitors, but that they made very good contacts.

– This fair is often visited by those who would want to learn something more about this technology, as this is the trend now and fits in with Industry 4.0, but the most frequent visitors are our clients, of whom there are already a lot in Serbia. We talked to very serious potential partners, people were informed of the technologies we offer and they came to us with very concrete questions. We didn't sign any concrete contracts, but these are our potential clients and there were plenty of them – says Zoran Marenic, director of Tehnoprogres.

In Serbia, Tehnoprogres cooperates with companies from the automotive industry and the arms industry and, according to Marenic, they are satisfied with the cooperation and the amount of work so far.

In addition to fairs in Serbia and the countries of the region, they also exhibit at some of the largest European fairs, such as the event in Austria, and our interviewee says that these fairs cannot be compared.

Another 3D company agreed new potential jobs at the fair. According to Mladen Bogicevic, Marketing Manager at Solfins Belgrade, the fair was similar to last year's, with fewer visitors, but with better quality.

– People who attended the fair knew what they needed, they were looking for solutions to concrete problems and weren't there just to see what's new. There were perhaps fewer visitors than before, but the number of meetings we had was equal. We contracted new jobs, expanded the cooperation with the companies we are already working with and established good foundations for new clients as well – Bogicevic explains for eKapija.

The International Fair of Technics and Technical Achievements closed several days ago, the impressions are being recollected and we will have to wait at least a little while longer to see which of the agreed jobs will be realized.

Katarina Stevanovic

Beogradski sajam doo Beograd

Međunarodni sajam tehnike i tehničkih dostignuća Beograd

S.V. LINE d.o.o. Beograd

Messer Tehnogas ad Beograd

BTS SER Company Beograd

Kaldera Company d.o.o. Laktaši

Solfins d.o.o. Beograd

CWG Balkan d.o.o. Beograd

VARSTROJ-S Smederevo

Lorsel d.o.o. Beograd

Chi-tech d.o.o. Samobor

Topomatika d.o.o. Zagreb

FCA Srbija Kragujevac

Tehnoprogres d.o.o. Zagreb

A Step into the Future

TruPunch 5000

SV Line

Ominmat

anti hail systems

Ivan Stevanovic

Tomislav Hercigonja

3D optical measurement

3D printing

3D printers

3D scanning

3D scanners

Industry 4 0

Zoran Marenic

arms industry

automotive industry

car components

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Fiat Serbia

FCA

Mladen Bogicevic