19.04.2021
JLG joins bauma exit
JLG has decided not to attend bauma next year, joining JCB and Volvo.
JLG says that it has based its decision on concerns regarding the ongoing pandemic and environmental considerations, coupled with changing patterns of staff working patterns and technological improvements in virtual meetings. While it has not ruled out a return to the big international shows sometime in the future, for now it says that it will focus on smaller local face to face events and virtual technology.
European regional general manager Karel Huijser said: “The global pandemic inflicted a change in behaviour among our employees, our partners and our customers. Technology accelerated and improved virtual experiences. Online collaboration, engagement and sharing of information is allowing us to build a 'new perspective’ and made us reconsider some of our more traditional marketing efforts. As a result, we have and will continue to leverage and invest in these new and evolving technologies to showcase JLG products in innovative and exciting ways, to engage and collaborate with our global customer base.”
“We will take this opportunity to feature JLG work site solutions and evolve our line of low-level access solutions, as well as our newest electrified and sustainable technologies. With that in mind, we will invest in digital engagement that we can continue forward into the future. We will pair this with smaller, local events, minimising our carbon footprint. This approach and our ‘new perspective’ will give customers the flexibility to engage with us face to face, digitally or both.”
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bauma 2019 - will this absence of social distancing ever return?
Vertikal Comment
JLG was the second major telehandler manufacturer to pull out of bauma with JCB saying last week that it will not attend bauma or Intermat, while Volvo Construction also announced that it was pulling out of bauma, citing a new marketing approach and changing customer behaviour.
Companies like Liebherr need around six months for stand build up alone, so given the third wave of the pandemic and slow vaccination rate in Germany it must also be concerned over the 2022 show?
We are however still almost a year away from the big show and much is likely to change by then. One hopes that the pandemic will be well and truly behind us by then, which would certainly encourage attendance to see the big equipment in the iron, you simply cannot replicate the in person experience virtually. And if you are in the market for big equipment, organising visits to multiple factories is time consuming, inconvenient and not exactly environmentally friendly.
While we believe that the trend towards small local shows like Vertikal Days, JDL, Hoogwerkerdagen or Platformers Days will continue, we also think that one mega show every three years or so will still have a very important role to play.
Time will tell.
Sherm
IMHO, exhibitors and visitors, alike, will probably evaluate the benefit of time and expense to bring to the fore their current product lines. Visitors who usually went to expos, Bauma, fairs and festivals to study new products and technology will find other ways to reach the market. The best benefit of doing an expo is the advertising. But I read last year that only half the money spent for advertising is effective. The challenge is to find which half will be effective.
......
Many others will likely follow suit now. Most companies only attend shows to avoid the gossip that would arise from their competitors by not being there. None of these shows generate business. The real business is done eleswhere. Shows are elaborate costly events, with no real return, and I applaud JLG, JCB and Vovlo for being brave enough to be the first ones to step out.
Bill G
Hardly a surprise, big is not always beautiful and Bauma over the years has become something of a rip off, given hotel costs etc., Stay safe and stay local.