Own app will guide visitors past exhibitors even easier

On Wednesday, September 11, Matexpo 2019 will kick off. If we guess the omens correctly, the 38th edition will be bigger and better than ever. Managing director Gregory Olszewski is happy to tell us what the latter entails: there is a new website, there will, of course, be its own Matexpo App, parking will change considerably and the Innovation and Green Award will have a little brother: the Safety Award.

Matexpo is the biennial international trade fair for construction equipment in Kortrijk Xpo. With over 40,000 visitors, it is now the third largest trade fair in Europe and a very successful one. This is quite noticeable now that the economy is at full speed. If 2017 was already a top edition, there is a good chance that records will again be broken in visitor numbers this edition. The list of exhibitors is also getting longer and longer and is starting to approach 400. Just about all brands will soon be encountered on the exhibition floor and the crowded outdoor area. "We still have a few months to go and already Matexpo 2019 is completely booked out," Olszewski can tell us the first piece of news. "And that's luxury because now we can focus entirely on other important things for exhibitors and visitors." That immediately brings us to the next piece of news: parking will be completely different.

We are going to park differently

During previous editions, parking was far from perfect. Now it will be safer, cleaner and clearer. No more traffic chaos on the traffic circle at Kinepolis and no more multiple, fairly far apart parking lots with soggy ground when it rains. It will now be more or less one very large parking lot. That may be a little further away and outside the trade show area, but it has a better surface, is more accessible and there will be many more shuttle buses running between the parking lot and Matexpo entrance. Olszewski is happy to reveal what that new spot will be: the Evolis Business Park. It is next to the E17 freeway at the Kortrijk-Oost exit. So from Ghent, we go down the road one exit earlier.

Managing director Gregory Olszewski: "Demo Days was a success and Matexpo 2019 is already fully booked out."

New website and proprietary app

What time does the fair open, where can I register, where are the free shuttle buses, who are all exhibitors and where can I find them on the grounds and/or in the halls? Just some of those frequently asked questions from visitors. The answers can be found not only on the renewed and once again beautiful looking website, but also in the Matexpo app. We are working hard on that so that it can be downloaded well before the start of the fair. "Making such an app requires a big investment, but it is definitely worth it. Soon you will be able to use GPS location on your cell phone to see where you are on the fair grounds and where the exhibitors to be visited are located. That will be very convenient. By the way, the traditional printed plan will still be available soon," he adds by way of reassurance.

Breakdown planning for the first time

They may not be spectacular changes, but the improvements make visiting Matexpo a lot more attractive. Olszewski also reports another piece of news for exhibitors. In addition to the usual build-up schedule, there will also be a tear-down schedule for the first time this edition. This too has to do with the growing focus on safety and working more efficiently.

Matexpo: the place for unexpected revelations.

Continuing Demo Days

Big news did come during the previous edition, with the exchange of the soggy demo grounds in the Ei against the successful Demo Days in Braine-l'Alleud. Those Demo Days held in 2018 were also a success. Olszewski is certainly not afraid of cannibalism: "The Demo Days are and will remain a form of service, because only companies that are exhibitors at Matexpo participate. We will definitely continue them, because they are fun to organize and companies love them." By the way, during Matexpo itself, a limited demo can still be held at the company's own booth as a crowd puller. 

Practical info

Where?

Kortrijk Xpo

When?

Sept. 11 through 15

Opening hours?

Wednesday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets?

Free with online pre-registration,

at the box office 15 euros

More info?

www.matexpo.com