From May 31 to June 3, Kuala Lumpur hosted the 27th METALTECH metalworking exhibition. Held at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) in Kuala Lumpur until 2018, this trade show had already relocated to the new and more modern Malaysia International Trade & Exhibition Centre (MITEC) in 2019. The second event at this venue after the end of the pandemic-related hiatus was finally able to breathe a sigh of relief and return to its former greatness.

In 2022, METALTECH was still a lot smaller, since Malaysia had only allowed (fully vaccinated) people into the country again from April 1, 2022. As a result, exhibitors from abroad were forced to hold back. As this year's exhibitor figures show, this is finally over in 2023: the number of domestic exhibitors grew by almost 30 percent and those from abroad by as much as 86 percent. The increase in exhibition space was even greater: It rose by 58 percent among domestic exhibitors and by a staggering 377 percent among those from abroad. This means that booth space also grew faster than exhibitor numbers, which was also clearly visible at the trade show: Compared to 2022, there were more and larger machines on display in Kuala Lumpur.

Federal participation in the form of the German Pavilion also grew – from seven exhibitors in 2022 to ten exhibitors this year. However, the interest of potential future exhibitors in the German Pavilion (GP) was high this year. Of course, it has to be said that the GP was hardly known when it made its debut in Malaysia in 2022. Therefore, potential exhibitors first had to be actively approached to get them interested in the federal participation. In 2023, however, they came on their own – and in such large numbers that the representative of the implementing company even stated that he had never experienced such a high number of participation inquiries at any trade show before. So let's see what 2024 brings. Companies wishing to participate can contact the VDW or the implementing company Balland at any time. METALTECH will be held again in 2024 in Kuala Lumpur from May 15 to 18.

During the pandemic, annual exports of German machine tools to Malaysia hovered at just below 30 million euros. In 2022, however, it picked up to almost 45 million euros. Germans still have certain disadvantages in Malaysia, as Asian countries such as Korea, Japan and China are geographically closer to this market. In addition, there are far-reaching free trade agreements in Asia. However, if you want to sell machinery in Malaysia, it is difficult to avoid METALTECH. The geographically closest trade fair cities with suitable events are 1,000 to 1,200 km away. These include Ho Chi Minh City (MTA Vietnam, METALEX Vietnam), Bangkok (METALEX, MTA Asia) and Jakarta (Machine Tool & Manufacturing Indonesia).

METALTECH is co-produced with AUTOMEX by the trade show organizer Informa Markets. AUTOMEX takes up the smaller exhibition area. However, these are not really two different trade fairs, but rather two designations for different, but in the industry often interacting, product areas. Accordingly, AUTOMEX encompasses robotics and automation technology. The overall trade fair event was opened by MATRADE CEO Puan Sharimahton Binti Mat Saleh, who also paid a visit to the German Pavilion in this context. MATRADE is the "Malaysia External Trade Development Corporation".

The trade show consisted of five smaller exhibition halls, some of which were seamlessly connected to each other, thus merging into two large halls in total. Inside, there were nearly 400 exhibitors presenting products and services from almost 800 companies. Over 18,000 visitors from 48 countries streamed through the halls during the four days of the show, and there were a total of five national participations (in addition to Germany, Korea, Singapore, China and Taiwan). The product areas on display included machine tools and precision tools, industrial metrology, robotics and automation, and other industrial hardware and industrial supplies.

The exhibitors of the German Pavilion were generally satisfied with the outcome of the trade fair. For all participants, the existence of the German Pavilion was decisive for their participation in the fair. And this had it in itself: Not even the Korean national participation had a comparable quality with the German Pavilion, which was visible from afar. In addition, the catering for the exhibitors and participants was once again excellent. From stand construction to catering, the implementation company (Balland Messe-Vertrieb GmbH, Cologne) had provided perfect all-round care.

The VDW is confident – even after the many inquiries regarding participation – that it will again be able to gather the minimum number of 10 exhibitors required for the German Pavilion at the upcoming event (May 15 to 18, 2024). The only question is: Will your company also be there?

Picture source: VDW