“Finally, Interlift!”

The trade fair’s 2022 return exceeds expectations

After a two-and-a-half-year hiatus, Interlift 2022 took place on April 26-29 at Messe Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany. Originally scheduled for fall 2021, the trade fair was delayed six months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even as the event approached, concerns lingered about it taking place and how certain aspects, like attendance, would compare with Interlifts past. Only 350 exhibitors were expected, far fewer than the last few iterations. It was also known that all Chinese exhibitors and visitors would be absent because of COVID-19 restrictions in that country. Other regular non-European exhibitors were either unable or had made the decision not to attend because of COVID-19 uncertainty. COVID-19 protocols in Germany and around the world remained in flux throughout the planning of the event. Despite these and other concerns and challenges, Interlift organizer AFAG Messen und Ausstellungen GmbH, along with partner VFA-Interlift e.V., strongly felt the show must go on in 2022. The hope was to welcome 10,000 visitors; showcase new products; share new technology, code and market trend knowledge through the VFA Forum; and give industry leaders a chance to do business face to face after so long apart. 

In the end, Interlift 2022 welcomed 11,800 visitors from 87 countries, most of whom reported positive results from the event. So, after much worry, there was reason to celebrate because, as European Lift Association (ELA) President Roberto Zappa said during the Interlift opening ceremony, quite simply, “Finally, Interlift!”

“Luck is with the brave,” said Achim Hütter, president of VFA-Interlift e.V., continuing:

“We are indeed very happy that we stuck to the decision to hold Interlift 2022. [The show featured] far more visitors than we had hoped for, top-class discussions and good business. I think everyone’s expectations have been clearly exceeded.” 

Henning and Thilo Könicke, managing directors of AFAG, shared Hütter’s sentiments:

“We are absolutely grateful to all exhibitors and visitors of the Interlift 2022. With our strong partner, the VFA-Interlift e.V., we have created a great industry event, and many members of the international lift family have followed our call.”

Show survey results reveal that Interlift 2022’s visitors hailed primarily from Europe, the bulk of them from Germany, followed by visitors from Italy (9%), Switzerland (7%), Spain (6%), Great Britain/Northern Ireland (6%), The Netherlands (6%), Sweden (6%), Poland (4%), Austria (4%) and Finland (3%). Thirteen percent of visitors came from Asia, 4% from North America, 2% from Africa and 1% from Australia. Forty-two percent of visitors belonged to the lift construction sector, 37% to lift installation and 25% were concerned with maintenance/repair. 

Survey results also revealed that 86% of Interlift visitors were decision makers or involved in purchasing/procurement decisions in their company, something event organizers have always believed to be one of the most important factors in Interlift’s success since the beginning. Eighty-three percent of 2022 visitors rated Interlift exhibitors’ offerings positively. Nearly nine out of 10 visitors were completely satisfied with their visit, and 93% stated that their willingness to visit Interlift in the future was very high. 

During the show’s opening ceremony, Henning and Thilo Könicke acknowledged association leaders, upcoming VFA Forum speakers, exhibitors and visitors. “This is a big family affair,” said Henning Könicke. “Welcome to the Interlift. Welcome to Augsburg. The trade fair after COVID-19 is an emotional affair.” Zappa, during his welcome, said, “There is no better place than this to tackle the issues of the day and the world.” 

The opening ceremony culminated in a keynote address by motivational speaker Cristian Galvez, who discussed the concept of the hero. “You followed the call of the Interlift,” he said. “This is a journey of heroes. It’s about the industry changing, growing and enlarging.”

Galvez’s words rang true once the exhibition opened and in the days that followed. Visitors witnessed numerous new products, including Gustav Wolf’s FlatTrac^TM, a polyurethane-coated flat belt for elevators with traveling height up to 50 m; ACLA’s new generation of buffers of AUTAN® XL; and Cobianchi’s electric safety gear releaser. Talk among exhibitors and visitors was wide-ranging and covered everything from how busy everyone was to how the challenges of the day — such things as shipping delays, supply chain issues, raw material costs, politics and war — were affecting the global elevator business. There was a lot to discuss and to see after nearly three years apart, and those in attendance took full advantage of their proximity to colleagues, their knowledge and their innovations.    

More knowledge was shared in the VFA Forum, a free four-day program run concurrently with the exhibition. This year, more than 40 presentations were delivered by experts from around the world. Popular topics that drew big audiences included market trends, which featured “The Indian Elevator Market” by TAK Mathews of TAK Consulting; “Global Market Elevators and Escalators – Key Trends and Themes” by André Kukhnin with Credit Suisse; “The North American Elevator Market” by John Tolar, representing the National Association of Elevator Contractors; “The German Elevator Market” by Achim Hütter; and “Lift Industry in Turkey: Capacity and Opportunities at a Glance” by Suleyman Özcan of Liftinstituut B.V. COVID-19-related topics were covered by a variety of speakers, including Matthias Block from D+H Mechatronic AG, who presented, “Shaft Ventilation, Is it Possible Without It?” and “Global Accessibility, Security & Hygience Standards for VHT Systems in Public Buildings” by Krishna Kumar with PAPL. Safety, codes and standards, new technology, education and training, and new products also were explored in depth during the Forum, where visitors could listen to the speakers in either English or German, thanks to the on-site translation service. 

Because so many couldn’t be present at Interlift 2022, a new virtual service was made available. The first edition of “Lift Match” took participants on a virtual tour of the trade fair and allowed them to view product presentations. Over the course of the week, hundreds participated in this service. 

At the closing press conference, organizers stood pleased with the event’s outcome and the plans for its next iteration in 2023, which are already underway. According to Interlift Project Manager Joachim Karlsdorf, “Almost 100 companies have already booked their participation for the upcoming [2023] trade fair at Interlift 2022, among them Orona, Meiller and Schmersal. … The two Italian collectives of ANICA and ANACAM will also be present. There will be a substantial participation from China, for which 1,500 m² has already been reserved.” 

Interlift 2023 is planned for Oct. 17-20, 2023, at its usual location of Messe Augsburg in Augsburg, Germany. For more information, visit Interlift web site.