Report from PaintExpo 2024, Karlsruhe
From 9-12 April 2024, the next edition of PaintExpo - the leading industrial trade fair for painting and industrial coatings technology - took place in Karlsruhe. This event attracted more than 431 exhibitors from 25 countries, who occupied an area of 31,500 m² in three exhibition halls.
Key data and atmosphere
PaintExpo 2024 was distinguished by its international character and high attendance. The fair was visited by 10,400 professional visitors from 76 countries, a marked increase in interest compared to the previous edition. Almost one in three visitors came from abroad and 45% of exhibitors represented international markets. Significantly, decision-makers - professionals and executives - dominated among the visitors, which increased the value of the discussions held at the stands.
Trends and developments
At this year's fair, the topics of sustainability and energy efficiency were particularly prominent. Exhibitors presented systems and equipment for reducing material and energy consumption, as well as solutions for minimising waste.
The second strong trend was automation and digitisation of processes. There was a lot of interest in paint robots, control systems, sensors and rapid colour change tools. There was also a lot of focus on new methods of quality control and real-time process monitoring.
Conclusions and outlook
Despite the global economic challenges, the paint industry is showing signs of recovery. Many companies are investing in new process lines and upgrades, with solutions that increase productivity and reduce operating costs being particularly popular.
Both exhibitors and visitors evaluated PaintExpo 2024 very positively. In surveys, 94% of exhibitors said they would like to participate again and 9 out of 10 visitors said they would attend the next edition. This proves that PaintExpo remains a key platform for the exchange of technologies, trends and experiences in industrial painting - for both local and international companies.
