INTERSCHUTZ 2010 ends on positive note: More visitors from abroad - Investments planned by 50% of visitors - High marks for exhibitors' products and services

Hannover/Leipzig. Exhibitors and event organizers at INTERSCHUTZ 2010 - the International Exhibition for Rescue, Fire Prevention, Disaster Relief, Safety and Security - had an extremely positive opinion at the close of the show: "Companies consistently reported encountering investment-ready visitors who were equipped with decision-making authority. Fifty percent of attendees came to the event with firm investment plans," reported Stephan Ph. Kühne, Member of the Managing Board of Deutsche Messe, on Saturday in Leipzig. "Many of the outstanding leads generated at INTERSCHUTZ are going to translate quickly into concrete orders for exhibiting enterprises," he predicted.

More than 1,350 exhibitors from 46 nations showcased their products and services at INTERSCHUTZ, which is staged at five-year intervals. Occupying some 90,000 square meters of display space, INTERSCHUTZ filled the entire Leipzig exhibition center. 125,000 people attended INTERSCHUTZ over the six days of the show - 25% more than the organizers had anticipated. As Kühne commented: "Visitors have given INTERSCHUTZ 2010 the highest marks - with regard to the products and services showcased by exhibitors as well as the international character of the event and the themes it covered."

The President of the German Fire Protection Association (GFPA) Hans Jochen Blätte, noted "a light-hearted, yet focused atmosphere on the part of exhibitors as well as visitors, leading to a greater number of business deals." He continued: "Even the noncommercial exhibitors like the German Red Cross (DRK) and THW technical support service were highly satisfied. This demonstrates again that INTERSCHUTZ is an event which successfully combines emotion with commerce."

"From the point of view of the Firefighting Association, this has been a successful INTERSCHUTZ 2010," concluded Hans-Peter Kröger, President of the German Firefighters Association (DFV). "The response by exhibitors has been positive in every respect. We were especially delighted at the enormous amount of interest in political issues at this year's event. Elected representatives at the municipal, state and federal level - all the way up to Chancellor Merkel - took advantage of INTERSCHUTZ to find out more about the competence and performance of the professional and volunteer fire brigades."

"Exhibitors' expectations were greatly exceeded," declared Dr. Rolf Schildknecht, President of the Board of the German Association for Firefighting Technology within the German Engineering Federation (VDMA), adding: "A particular factor behind everyone's favorable assessment was the high caliber of the numerous trade visitors in attendance, which had a correspondingly positive effect on the quality of sales conversations at the show."

Exhibitors delighted at positive feedback

While Andreas Straub, Vice President Business Center Europe Central, Dräger Safety AG & Co. KGaA, noted "visitors from more than 50 countries" at his company's stand, Ewald Haimerl, Managing Director of HAIX-Schuhe Produktions- u. Vertriebs GmbH, counted "40,000 visitors without a doubt". Rüdiger Unger from the Saxony state chapter of the German Red Cross (DRK Landesverband Sachsen) praised the fine framework for noncommercial exhibitors: "At INTERSCHUTZ 2010 we were able to communicate the fact that rescue services are a key commodity for society. This makes our appearance at INTERSCHUTZ even more effective than within the conventional political framework," he concluded.

Highly international character

Nearly every fourth visitor at INTERSCHUTZ came from abroad. At a rate of 23% foreign attendance, the event succeeded in further increasing the percentage of visitors from abroad. Visitors came from a total of 53 nations this year, compared with 49 at the last installment in 2005. Around 75% of trade visitors reported having advisory to critical decision-making authority.

Rescue services assume added stature

There was a steady torrent of visitors from the rescue services and disaster relief sector this year. The composite display category of "Rescue and Emergency Services, Paramedical and Medical Equipment" boasted more than 100 exhibitors - twice as many as at the previous event, with the result that this category complex has now firmly established itself at INTERSCHUTZ. Another example of this trend consisted of the first-ever participation by leading manufacturers of patient transport ambulances this year.

INTERSCHUTZ underscores reputation as innovations show

INTERSCHUTZ was resplendent as a pageant of innovations this year - above all in the display categories of "Technical Fire Protection", "Rescue" and "Protective Clothing". Exhibitors took advantage of the ideal conditions to present their products and services for improving the level of security to a global audience. As Kühne put it: "INTERSCHUTZ was once again a showcase for innovations, drawing visitors from across the globe."

Tens of thousands of visitors witnessed the demonstrations on the open-air site, in a program designed by Deutsche Messe in cooperation with GFPA and the Leipzig Fire and Emergency Planning Authority (Branddirektion Leipzig). And the TFA competition - "Toughest Fireman Alive" once again proved an absolute spectator highlight.

INTERSCHUTZ 2015 has been scheduled to run from 8 to 13 June in Hannover, Germany.