With over 25 per cent more exhibitors and visitors, the 4th PaintExpo registered record growth. 410 exhibitors from 24 countries experienced an excellent atmosphere thanks not only to the quantity but also the quality of the enquiries and concrete projects the 8,028 visitors brought with them when they came to the international trade fair for industrial coating technology in Karlsruhe (Germany) from 17 to 20 April 2012.

Nearly all of the 410 exhibitors were pleased with their trade fair attendance. Participating companies came from 24 countries and the companies presented their products and solutions for wet painting, powder coating and coil coating on a net surface area of 10,406 square meters - a plus of 28.8 percent. The number of visitors also rose by an impressive 25.5 percent to 8,028.

"You can tell that the PaintExpo was taken even more seriously by the industry this year and that it has become even more professional. Only trade visitors searching for solutions to their problems come to the fair. The fair has also become more international. Around one third of the enquiries and projects we received during the four days of the fair came from foreign visitors", reported Petra Schotte-Pirker, Head of Marketing at WIWA Spritztechnik Wilhelm Wagner GmbH & Co. KG.

It wasn't just the quantity and internationality but also the quality of the visitors coming to the event organized by FairFair GmbH that was positive. "We attended the PaintExpo for the first time this year and trade fair has been a real bonus for our company. In contrast with other trade fairs, this one is focused on industrial coating technology, enabling us to make lots of interesting new contacts with important companies and arrange concrete dates for further talks", enthused Claudia Vignati, Management Assistant of CHEMTEC Srl, an Italian manufacturer of pretreatment systems.

R?diger Strunz, Manager Sales and Marketing at CWS Powder Coatings GmbH, was also very pleased with the way the trade fair went: "For us, the PaintExpo has become the major international trade fair. All of our foreign subsidiaries are represented here and we've had many qualified inquiries also from Eastern Europe, the Benelux countries and Asia. We'll definitely be attending the PaintExpo again in 2014".

Karin Schumann, Marketing at ITW Industrial Finishing Oberfl?chentechnik GmbH is also convinced that they'll be back in two years' time. "It exceeded our expectations. We had a lot of international visitors to our booth from the automotive, metal processing and plastics coating industries. We've also made many new important contacts. Our management also came to the trade fair and decided that it is a must to be represented here".

The next edition of PaintExpo would take place from 8 to 11 April 2014 in Karlsruhe. Further, together with the Turkish partner Artkim Fuarcelik, FairFair GmbH is organising the 2nd PaintExpo Eurasia trade fair for industrial coating technology in Istanbul in Turkey from 12 to 14 September 2013. (For details, visit: www.paintexpo.com)