Two days of industry meetings, presentations of the latest technologies and products, an expert conference on topics important for the fastener industry, the premiere of the Meeting Zone, the opportunity to find an agent on the Polish market and a new employer within the Career Zone. This is a brief summary of the 7th edition of the International Trade Fair for Fastener and Fixing Technology FASTENER POLAND®, which took place on September 25-26 at EXPO Kraków.
Substantive and international
The trade fair was attended by 153 exhibitors from 18 countries, 75% of which were foreign companies. In addition to Polish suppliers, manufacturers and distributors from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Spain, India, Malta, Germany, Switzerland, Turkey, Taiwan, Great Britain, Italy, China and the USA presented their products. This year, for the first time in Kraków, manufacturers from Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates presented their products. The statistics of visitors were equally international. Of the 2,856 guests, 46% came to Krakow from abroad. Europe was most represented by industrialists from Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania, but there were also contractors from the furthest corners of the world, such as Jordan, Japan, Kuwait and Israel.
Poland, a strategic player on the European market
The demand for specialised fasteners, in terms of quality and standards, is constantly growing. This is probably influenced by the most technologically advanced industrial sectors. Polish suppliers have specialised in supplying high-quality fasteners. Thanks to investments in modern technologies that are friendly to the environment and the continuous improvement in the qualifications of production staff, Poland is the third largest supplier of fasteners in the European Union, after Germany and Italy. The location of our country and well-developed transport infrastructure guarantee uninterrupted supply chains to the furthest corners of the continent. Although labour costs are also rising in our country, Poland still offers competitive prices compared to other European countries. All these factors make Poland an ideal place for investment in the fasteners industry. Exhibitors from all over the world know this, and every year at the only event dedicated to fasteners in our country they want to establish business contacts, find an agent or investigate the potential to open a branch. Simon Ward from TFC Ltd notes: "From our 3 European locations we have been working with companies across Poland for many years; now, as part of AFC Industries we are looking to expand our customer base and develop new opportunities. This was the first time TFC have exhibited at FASTENER POLAND® and it proved the ideal platform to showcase products and the TFC brand to new customers". Beata Snopkiewicz, the trade fair’s project manager, who has been observing the industry for a decade, looks into the future: "From my experience, I know that very often the move preceding the opening of a branch in our country is the presence of a company at FASTENER POLAND®. This has already happened with several foreign suppliers. I have been observing TFC Ltd for years and I was very pleased with this year's cooperation and their presence at FASTENER POLAND®. The company is developing dynamically, it already has branches in Germany and the Czech Republic. It will not surprise me if it opens a branch in Poland soon". The fact that Poland is a key sales market is also confirmed by Timo Scholle from the German company Achilles Seibert GmbH. "Customers from Eastern Europe are becoming increasingly important to us, especially from Poland, our developing market. We decided to exhibit here, in Krakow, because specific customers come to the trade fair. This was our first time at FASTENER POLAND® – the trade fair was very well organised and we won’t regret it."
New formula of B2B meetings
The organisers are closely observing the market and listening to its needs. A novelty of this year's edition was the Meeting Zone dedicated to companies that are beginning their adventure with participation in fairs and those that have not planned this form of promotion in this year's budget. In a dedicated area, with a small financial outlay, traders had the opportunity to present their offer and obtain orders. This project was enthusiastically received and will certainly be continued.
A dose of industry knowledge
An indispensable element of the FASTENER POLAND® Trade Fair is the industry conference. Each year, the most current topics for the industry are discussed. This year, it was held under the slogan "Fastening elements production – current challenges and forecasts for the coming years". The lectures were inaugurated by Dr Marek Łangalis from Olfor Ltd. He presented an analysis illustrating Poland as a key supplier of fasteners in Europe. Mrs Marzena Król presented the implementation of environmentally friendly technologies in pgb-Polska Ltd. People involved in industrial marketing could expand their knowledge and listen to the presentation by Mrs Małgorzata Dądela from MOKO Marketing "How to increase brand recognition and sales". Mr Sławomir Lasota from DSR Inc. talked about production optimisation using artificial intelligence in an automotive company. The conference ended with a presentation by Mrs Aleksandra Rachwał from TÜV Thüringen Polska Ltd on bolted connections as a factory production control process according to PN-EN1090-2. For those who were unable to attend the conference, materials were prepared that can be downloaded from the organiser's website.
The most important industry feedback
The event was aptly summed up by Mr Dariusz Białek from DG CORP POLAND Ltd. "Participating in FASTENER POLAND® is, above all, an opportunity to meet contractors directly once a year, with whom we only have daily contact by phone or email. For us, it is not important how many of these clients there will be, it is only important that the one, the most important one comes. We are not looking for hordes of people, but professionals who will see the need to use our offer". Mr Kapil Mohan from DEEPAK FASTENERS LIMITED has similar feelings. "We see that there is great potential on the Polish market. We are already doing good business this year. This is the first time we have set up a stand here and we cannot wait to discover more opportunities for our business here". Beata Snopkiewicz adds: "The promotional campaign of each edition is supported by market analysis and the opinions of our customers. The trade fair is addressed to buyers of components and traders from all branches of industry. It is not the number of guests that counts, but their quality, which is confirmed by exhibitors every year. We are pleased when previous exhibitors reserve stands for the next year during the event, and new customers approach the fair reception desk asking for an offer".