30.10.2012
Apex announces 2014 dates
Apex the access equipment exhibition has announced a change of venue and dates for its 2014 event, the eighth so far.
The company has decided to move from Maastricht where the show has been held since it was first established in 1996, to the RAI centre in Amsterdam.
In addition to a change in venue the organisers have moved the show from its traditional September dates to June 24th to 26th 2104– the same dates as Vertikal Days in the UK.
The move from Maastricht was mandated, say the organisers, by a low satisfaction rating from exhibitors after the last event in 2011. It seems that the principle objections revolved around the Maastricht location and the limited and divided outdoor space at the venue. The space at the rear of the halls was popular but limited, while the larger outdoor space at the front drew very few visitors.
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The outdoor space at the back of the halls was good in terms of visitors but limited in size and therefore very congested
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The outdoor space at the front was reportedly quiet during much of the show
Until recently the RAI centre had even less outdoor space, but that has changed with the conversion of an older hall to a parking area. At the same time the organisers are moving their Rental Exhibition, which is traditionally held at the RAI in early June to the later June date in order to run alongside Apex.
The organisers of Vertikal Days have said that their primary focus is on ensuring that the seventh Vertikal Days scheduled for June 26th/27th 2013 is as good as it possibly can be and will then consult with exhibitors and supporting organisations to decide on how to deal with the 2014 clash.
At the same time Platformer Days in Germany, which only recently moved its 2014 dates from September in order to avoid a conflict with Apex, will now move back to its usual dates.
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APEX 2011
Vertikal Comment
With many manufacturing and service suppliers – the principle exhibitors at industry events – having cut back on staff and resources during the slow-down, it is unrealistic to imagine that they will simply go along with two events held at the same time. Many will struggle to staff two simultaneous shows, let alone find the equipment needed.
On top of this some visitors will be split between which show to attend etc… all in all such a thing is bad for any industry. The two organisers are now talking and while a simple solution is proving difficult, June 2014 is still a very long way off in the current economic climate.
Mark Carrington
Sadly a European event like Apex will get priority with most exhibitors time, so the sooner Vertikal Days recognises that it has been shat upon and finds a date a few weeks earlier in May (that doesn't clash with other mechanical handling type shows) the better for it's continuing growth. Keep up the good work Leigh.
accessboy
Thank you Murray but shouldn't you have talked before?
MurrayPollok
Hello Spinky,
Just for clarification, KHL had nothing to do with Haydock or SED - they were run by other companies.
KHL has absolutely no desire to kill Vertikal Days. The clash in dates was not deliberate, but is clearly not desirable. The organisers of the two shows are talking,and I hope that the final arrangements for 2014 will allow both events to flourish.
For background, APEX is moving from Maastricht to Amsterdam because that's what the exhibitors wanted, but there is very little flexibility on dates at the RAI where the show will take place and the usual September dates were not available. Remember also that APEX is every three years - not an annual event like Vertikal Days.
accessboy
This has happened before with SED moving dates to crowd out Haydock, it killed Haydock off. I stand to be corrected but isn't KHL the common denominator here and it is using the same tactic to kill off Vertikal Days?
There needs to be a good UK show for the man in the street to visit, we can't all get the time off or the budget to swan off to foreign countries.
I think Vertikal Days will suffer because the manufacturers will go with KHL.