StocExpo Review: Reviewing the latest StocExpo Europe event in Antwerp 20-22 March.
With a slightly southward change of location and an upward change of size, March saw StocExpo 2007 go to the charming Belgian city of Antwerp for three packed days. Home to Europe’s largest chemical cluster, Antwerp was a superb choice for the third StocExpo Europe.
The event saw an exceptionally high rate of returnees in terms of exhibitors, visitors and conference delegates, and an impressive number of new faces, companies and nationalities.
StocExpo 2007 saw conference delegate numbers hitting a record 250, and the show generating 1,800 visitors. The range of countries of origin and nationalities of attendees – 78 in total – is proof that StocExpo has become the bulk liquid storage market’s event of choice, offering a great opportunity to meet existing and new customers and suppliers, debate the big issues driving the sector, display and demonstrate new products and services and, crucially, network. With people travelling to Antwerp from as far afield as Australia, Brazil, Saudi Arabia and Serbia, StocExpo Europe has quickly become more of a melting pot than an enormous Belgian chocolate fondue, and everyone’s dipping in.
More positive contacts were made during this show than at any other time, with quite a few companies managing to get deals signed on the spot.
One company which experienced particular success was UK-based tank equipment designer and manufacturer Emco Wheaton.
The company is still busy contacting potential customers, having made 64 firm leads from the event.
France-based vapour recovery supplier CarboVac experienced similar results. The company says it gained good business opportunities and definitely sees StocExpo as a meeting point between itself and its international agents and customers. ‘It is very important that we participate,’ says Guillaume Heurteloup, commercial engineer at CarboVac, who hopes that a future StocExpo will be held in Latin America.
The quality of the visitors to StocExpo pleased a majority of the exhibitors so much so that over 50% of the present exhibitors have signed up for StocExpo Europe 2008. So with its increased floor plan, it is looking to be another sell-out show.
