Column: Intra Logistics
But there was ONE highlight at LogiMAT
So, the trade fair in Stuttgart is now over. It was great, as always! And I experienced something I will never forget: On entering the trade fair, a public ticket inspector greeted me. He literally said: "Good morning!" And as if that wasn't enough, after scanning my ticket he added: "Have fun and have a nice day!" That shattered my world view.
I've been going in and out of German exhibition centers for X years, I'm already there during set-up and often stay until dismantling - after all, logistics isn't just for looking at. But nobody has ever said anything like that to me. Not in Munich, not in Hanover and certainly not in Stuttgart. Where would we end up? A good mood in Swabia? A short etiquette course? And what time it costs! If this sets a precedent, the queues of cars won't just stretch as far as Ulm, but as far as Augsburg! Anyone could come! What happens next? That you get served at the Media Markt? Why don't you stop?
Then I figured it out too: The guy made fun of me and is now still mocking the stupid face I made. No way! Because in the evening, the public parking enforcement officer says to me: "Have a nice evening!" What's going on?
Otherwise, everything was as usual: full halls, full aisles, visitor numbers that coincidentally just passed the five-thousand mark again: This year there had been 61,740, 2018 exactly 55,300, 2017 none less than 50,000.The exhibitors were euphoric, had beautiful stands, Jungheinrich announced that it had the biggest one, the visitors were a bit rushed, and you do wonder how long the organizer itself will continue to believe in the "working trade fair" and the "trade fair of short distances" - or whether there hasn't been overheating for a long time. The set-up situation was a little more relaxed if you had to dig deep into your pockets for it; there was a kind of allocation roulette for the exhibitor parking spaces that nobody really understood and for which nobody felt responsible. The exhibitors were churning out familiar innovations, calling everything that moved "intelligent", and everything that moved automatically was "artificial intelligence" - where sometimes you just long for human intelligence.
Speaking of which, there is a new trade fair in Hanover that could have something to do with logistics: Pick, Pack & Send will take place on July 4, 2019. This will be a mega event on Independence Day. Four exhibitors have already signed up. And there are even more to come. I'm looking forward to it.
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