The first APEX Asia exhibition in Shanghai was a resounding success with thousands of visitors viewing what was the largest single concentration of powered access equipment ever assembled in China.

The show took place on 31 October to 3 November as part of the well-established CeMAT Asia exhibition, the material handling and factory automation show that is held every year in Shanghai.

CeMAT Asia attracted more than 95,000 visitors, with all these visitors having free access to the new APEX Asia hall. In addition, several thousand delegates registered specifically to attend APEX Asia. The exhibition was busy on all four days.

“Even though the access market in China is still relatively small, the pace of growth of around 40% is attracting companies to the industry”, said Mike Zhou, chairman and CEO of Eastman Heavy Machinery, one of the APEX Asia exhibitors.

“The visitors are a good mix of rental companies from inside and outside China, including Singapore and Malaysia and other South East Asia countries. For a show to attract this level of attendance first time around is a real sign of success.”

Shirley Li, Vice General Manager of Chinese access manufacturer Mantall, said; “I have noticed there are a good number of European customers visiting, which is a goal for Chinese manufacturers as it means they trust the Chinese product and want to learn more. We have been doing a lot of work in this area and I am very confident.”

APEX Asia is a new sister show to the European APEX, which since its launch in 1996 has become an established event in the access industry calendar. APEX Asia was created in response to the rapid growth in the Chinese and wider Asian access market, to provide a showcase for new products and technology in a convenient, single location.

Chinese access equipment suppliers at APEX Asia include Dingli, Mantall, Sinoboom, XCMG, Runshare and Liugong. They joined major western OEMs such as JLG Industries, Haulotte, Skyjack and Snorkel. Other exhibitors include Airo, TVH, Skyclimber, MCS and PG Trionic.

The exhibition also benefitted from being held alongside the International Rental Conference (IRC) on the first day of the show. IRC attracted more than 450 delegates, including many of China’s largest rental companies and representatives from major rental companies worldwide, including Shanghai Horizon, Zeppelin Rentals, United Rentals, TVH, Kennards Hire, Modern (Access) and others.

APEX Asia was used by several manufacturers to promote major initiatives in China. Snorkel, for example, has established an assembly plant in the country for the first time, while Chinese business group New United promoted its new access equipment subsidiary, Jiangsu New United Equipment. Liugong, meanwhile, premiered the first fruits of its new joint venture with Italy’s Isoli.

The exhibition was supported by the International Powered Access Federation (IPAF), the non-profit body that represents the interests of users and manufacturers of aerial platforms.

IPAF’s CEO and Managing Director, Tim Whiteman, said; “IPAF is delighted to have been the official supporting organisation of the first edition of APEX Asia, which has brought the same professionalism and expertise to this rapidly growing market as its sister event in Europe. It was astounding to see the range of equipment on show. Our members look forward to the next!”

The show was organised jointly by B.V. Industrial Promotions International (IPI), KHL Group (publisher of Access International magazine), and CeMAT Asia.

Tony Kenter, Managing Director of IPI, said; “We are really delighted with the success of the first show. Feedback from the exhibitors has been extremely positive, with some already asking to book larger stands for the next edition.

“We knew that there was demand for a showcase like this – we saw the same thing in Europe more than 20 years ago – but the success of the first APEX Asia has surpassed our expectations.”

James King, Managing Director of KHL Group, said; “A fast growing market needs an exhibition that brings buyers and suppliers together, and that is exactly what APEX Asia did.

“Holding APEX Asia alongside an established, successful show like CeMAT Asia also exposes access equipment to a very broad and large audience, with the 95,000 CeMAT Asia visitors given free access to APEX Asia. It is a formula that worked and we were delighted with the first show.”

APEX Asia is likely to be held alongside CeMAT Asia every two years, so next taking place in late 2019. CeMAT Asia is an annual show, but APEX Asia will not be held in years in which Bauma China is organised. See www.apexasiashow.com for updates.