METS 2015: Busy week for U.S. exhibitors at METS
The 2015 METS has been a show of superlatives, and particularly so for US-based exhibitors. The largest US pavilion in the show’s 27-year history has been attracting unprecedented levels of traffic, according to exhibitors and show organizers alike.
METS marketing and communications manager Irene Dros notes that Tuesday’s opening day attendance had topped 7,390 people by 3 p.m., easily surpassing the 7,116 people who attended on the first day of 2014.
“So far it seems to be trending above last year,” said Dros. “The feedback we’re hearing so far is that the exhibitors are happy with both the numbers of visitors and the quality of the business they’re doing. Overall it seems that business is starting to pick up, which is good news for everyone.”
Many exhibitors agreed that both overall traffic and the volume of business seems to be up a bit this year.
“It’s been solid, we haven’t really had an opportunity to sit down,” said Rick Reyenger, CEO and chairman of Maryville, Tennessee-based Marine Accessories Corp. “We’re seeing a lot of interest in our Monster Tower and Turbo Swing product lines, in particular. Traffic through the booth has been steady. We’re speaking with a number of our current distributors, as well as potential new clients from Europe, the Middle East and Africa.”
Gator Guards CEO Sue Smith reports buyers showing significant interest in a new emergency patching product called Gator Patch. “The show has been busy right from the beginning,” said Smith. “Tuesday was busy, and today’s traffic has been heavier. We’re seeing a lot of interest in the new products, in particular. We’ve been running almost non-stop.”
“We do a lot of work to help our members grow their export business, and it is gratifying to see them achieve success,” said NMMA and ICOMIA President Thom Dammrich. “METS is obviously an important event for manufacturers who export, and the fact we have about 180 American exhibitors at the show this year speaks to that. There are buyers here from throughout Europe, South America, the Middle East, South-East Asia, and all around the world.”
METS runs through Thursday at the Rai convention complex in Amsterdam, the Netherlands.
