EuroBlech, Day 3: Part 2

Today, Thursday, in Hanover, while the Asian stock markets are plunging 5 to 7% in reaction to very negative news concerning potential global recession, the crowds entering EuroBlech seem oblivious. Whether because attending trade shows is a cultural thing in Germany or because trade shows everywhere seem to engender optimism, you would be hard pressed to believe the world economies are in peril.

Sharing the giant fairground here, 30 halls, is InFA, an annual German home show that is also drawing record crowds to six halls loaded with consumer goods. The UBahn trains to the Messe are jammed with smiling shoppers, intermingling with smiling sheet metal processors. Nobody, even those checking the financials on their Blackberries, seemed worried that possible peril lurks in the East.

Here at EuroBlech, executives I interviewed remain confident of their companies' ability to weather the economic storm. One, citing the strength of his Asian markets, specifically stated that his company fully expects to meet an 8% growth this year. Mind you, that was yesterday I spoke with him.

Another voiced a confident opinion that an unanticipated boost from EuroBlech sales will lead his company to meet publicly stated revenue goals for the fiscal year, an issue that was apparently in question due to a slow quarter prior to this week. However, he did express wonderment about the sucesses of IMTS and FABTECH, the latter being the buzz in Hanover. That, coupled with the strong success here, leaves him slightly bewildered when he checks the latest world financial news.

The words, reality check, are constantly being bandied about among exhibitors, as in time for.

After attending three very successful capital equipment trade shows, we are left with one thought: attendees and exhibitors seems to have left the real world at the door and it is business as usual in the halls.