(MENAFN Press) Sharjah, 06th February 2013:
The visitor footprint at STEELFAB 2013 is expanding. What started out as a show for the Middle East is now attracting visitor footfall from the Indian Sub-continent, North Africa and Central Asia. Visitor numbers at STEELFAB 2013 from the Gulf Co-operation Council states rose by 31% as compared to 2012. The rise was significant for visitors from Saudi Arabia, Oman and Qatar.
Indications of the show's global acceptance is now visible judging from the steady increase of visitors from Afghanistan, Algeria, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Egypt, Ghana, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Libya, Nigeria, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Central Asia (Azerbaijan &Kazakhstan) and India.
The growing confidences in the economy and a slew of new projects have given the much-needed boost to the market on a regional scale, which was clearly visible during the show.
HGG Profiling Equipment, a global leading supplier of high end tube cutting machines and robot profile cutting lines for beams and hollow sections, closed a deal with Azerbaijani company Azeri Steel for an SPC 1000 pipe cutting machine. The pipe cutting machine created a buzz at the show through enabling visitors to design and cut their own sample with precision detailing offering a diversity of advantages which comes with the machine.
"The SPC 1000 uses a three-jaw chuck for its pipe rotation during the cutting process, the SPC ensures ultimate accuracy. The machine is also versatile and can handle a wide range of pipe dimensions. At the Steelfab 2013, we demonstrated the SPC pipe cutting machine with a new concept called 'design and cut' to Azeri. The machine demonstration was so convincing that Azeri decided to sign the contract for an SPC 1000 pipe cutting machine at the stand" said Anil Kumar Gaddameedi
General Manager at HGG Profiling Equipment.
Mr. Rufat Sujayev, Chairman of the board of Directors at Azeri Steel said that "HGG perfectly fits our companies' philosophy and will help us grow and expand our business by drastically improving our production efficiency."
While several of the exhibitors from countries outside the MENA region sold most of their machinery that were on display, all the participants used the opportunity to enhance their sales pipeline and successfully demonstrate their products efficiency and cost-effectiveness to a discerning audience.
Germany and Taiwan pavilions at the fair helped visitors meet direct exhibitors from those countries, while Machinery Trade International's special pavilion for used and re-conditioned machinery too had many takers.
"STEELFAB 2014 will showcase its great potential to reach out to customers in a wider geographical area and will intensify our visitor promotion efforts to Central Asia similar to the last few editions" said Mr Saif Mohammed Al Midfa, Director-General, Expo Centre Sharjah.
"We are getting more visitors every year from Central Asia and the Indian continent which only encourages us to intensify our marketing in these areas" he added.
STEELFAB 2014 is set to take place on the 20th “ 24th January 2014 and will occupy 22,000 square meters of exhibition display; 37.5% increase in exhibition space from this year's event. The tenth edition of the show will feature the "Steel Showcase" inviting steel manufacturers, processors, dealers and traders to promote their products to the regional fabrication industry.
