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SAMOTER PREVIEW
IRNAPRIL-MAY 2014
Samoter jump-start
Showdetails
WHEN
8 - 11May, 2014
TIMES
Thursday toSaturday9.30am – 6.00pm
Sunday9.30am – 4.00pm
WHERE
VeronaExhibitionCentre, Verona, Italy.
TICKETS
Theexhibition isexclusively for trade
visitors, with registration required.
Online registrationopens inApril 2014.
ORGANISER
Veronafiere, Vialedel Lavoro,
8 - 37100Verona, Italy.
Tel. +390458298111
Getting there
Verona isat the crossroadsof theVenice (115
km) -Milan (160km)motorwayand theBrennero
(220km) - Bologna (140km)motorwayand can
beeasily reachedby roador rail.
TheExhibitionCentre isabout 3kmout of the
city centre, anda fewminutesdrive from the
Verona sudexit (Venice-Milanmotorway).
Adual carriageway connects theExhibition
Centre to the local Airport (ValerioCatullo).
W
hat is certain about this year’s Samoter –
at least at the time of writing - is that it
will take place. In early March there was
speculation that the very poor state of the Italian
construction equipment market would lead to
its cancellation. However, a meeting on 17 March
between Samoter’s organisers, Veronafiere, and the
many supporting industry associations - including
UnaceaandAssodimi – confirmed theevent.
After the meeting in March the organisers said
there was no hiding the difficulties facing the
industry “but noone iswilling to throw in the towel”.
Veronafiere’s managing director, Giovanni
Mantovani, said the organiser believed in the show,
with its 50-year history, and that themanufacturers’
associations were supporting it. The exhibitions
company said there was a feeling at the 17 March
meeting that Samoter represented an opportunity
for the sector and government to identify areas for
investment and development plans to jump-start
constructionactivity.
So the show is going ahead, but will look
different from the 2011 event when around 100000
visitors attended and 900 exhibitors took part. The
exhibitor list at the end of March stands at about
300 companies, which still makes it a significant
exhibition, although there appears to be some high-
profile absentees, including Caterpillar dealer CGT,
Volvo CE, JCB and Merlo. In addition, the exhibitor
line-up has almost no aerial platform suppliers –
although Samoter’s focus has always been general
constructionandearthmoving rather that access.
Assodimi participation
Assodimi had been scheduled to attend Samoter
and to organise a rental ‘mini-show’, although the
organisation told
IRN
that it was still undecided
about exactlyhow itwouldparticipate.
Better news for Samoter came after the 17 March
meeting when Komatsu confirmed that it would
takepart.
Enrico Prandini, Komatsu’s managing director in
Italy, said the companyhadmade thedecision “after
considerable thought” and for three main reasons;
“First of all, becausewe buildmachinery in our own
production plant in Italy and it is crucial for us to
givea signal to themarket and the country.
“Second, becauseSamoter is themain Italianevent
for earthmoving and buildingmachinery sector and
part of the trio of European exhibitions [supported
by] CECE, and taking part is strategic for our
distribution network. Third, for the historic status
of the event and our constant attendance: this year
is the 50th anniversary of the first edition and we
want to stress that the relationshipwithVeronafiere
and Samoter has been a milestone in our history.”
Mr Prandini said Komatsu would present “important
previews” inVerona.
Samoter has indeed been unlucky in its timing,
with Italy’s construction equipment market falling
by 18% in unit terms last year to 6192 machines –
the sixth consecutive year of declining sales from a
pre-crisis high of more than 30000. Sales of tracked
excavators were down 20% and unit sales of road
building equipment – compactors and pavers – fell
by 32%.
Komatsu’s Mr Prandani is also vice president of
Unacea, the main earthmoving suppliers body in
Italy. He said of the 2013 statistics; “I would like to
say there is nowhere to go but up, but it is probably
tooearly to trust that. The recoverywill alsodepend
on thegovernmentactionson the re-launchofpublic
works aswell as countermeasures for [flooding and
landslides].”
If the show will be a trimmed down version of its
usual self, but there are still somemajor companies
attending. In addition to Komatsu, taking stands
will be Bobcat, Doosan Infracore, Fayat (owner of
Bomag), Hatz, Kaeser, Leica, Terex Compact and
Wirtgen (owner of Hamm).
The absence of some of the bigger nameswill give
visitors a good opportunity to focus on Italy’smany
innovative, small and medium sized manufacturers,
many making interesting niche or specialist
products. Examples include Guidetti, Hinowa,
Turbosal andVarisco.
And of course, Verona must be the one of the
most attractive host cities of any of the major
construction shows in the world. There will still be
plenty to see, both inside and outside the exhibition
centre.
■
The Samoter exhibition is
to go ahead on 8-11 May
despite the very difficult
construction equipment
market in Italy.
IRN
reports.
Veronafiere’s managing director, Giovanni Mantovani; “no one is
willing to throw in the towel”.
Komatsu attends Samoter as usual and said it will
have new products to show. Pictured is a Komatsu
machine at the 2011 show, featuring anMB crushing
attachment. MB also attends the show.
