Retrospective exhibitions 2023
It was a busy exhibition season this year, with three of the world's largest mobility exhibitions taking place in the same month. After many exhibitions were cancelled or postponed due to COVID in previous years, it was clear that for the first time it was possible to organise events of this magnitude. The atmosphere at each fair was positive and forward-looking. It was an excellent opportunity for us to talk to the market, share knowledge and showcase our latest innovations in door systems.
For those of you who were not able to visit us everywhere, we have put together a short summary so you don't have to miss a thing. Also be sure to take a look at our 2024 calendar, which is full of trade shows around the world!
Busworld Brussels
We started in early October with Busworld in Brussels, where more than 40,000 visitors from 111 countries came to see 75,000 square metres of exhibition space. These figures make Busworld the largest bus-oriented trade fair in Europe. At the show, we launched three new products: a concept door system called 'Inward Gliding Seal', a capacitive sensitive edge and a multifunction button with LED display. The feedback on our innovations was great and will serve as input for future developments.
When opening the concept Inward Gliding door system, the door leaves are fully lifted by the system's unique kinematics. A simple lifting device provides a reliable lifting motion that ensures the door leaf does not touch the floor slope. On closing, the door leaf falls back to its lower position to make a perfect seal with the portal from the inside. The result of the improved sealing from the inside is the minimal noise level during driving and the minimal ingress of water or dirt due to the absence of flaps of deforming sealing rubber at the bottom of the door leaf.
Besides the innovations, the full product range was on display in our promotional trailer. Features such as the LED boarding communication system and safety functions were well demonstrated to the audience.
APTA Expo Orlando
Almost at the same time as Busworld, we were at the APTA Expo in Orlando, Florida. APTA EXPO 2023, the largest gathering of North American transport professionals, showcased more than 650 global suppliers and hosted more than 12,000 industry professionals from 88 countries.
The stand featured our full-size Inward Gliding and Plug Sliding door systems, the latter of which showcased our LED entry communication system. We also showed our medium-sized door systems to demonstrate the technology within the mechanism and give the audience a glimpse into the specific features of the door systems. The overall feedback was very positive and we had the opportunity to meet many industry professionals.
Japan Mobility Show
When it comes to visitor numbers, the Japan Mobility Show was the place to be for the Japanese public. More than 1 million people visited the former Tokyo Motorshow this year. Although the focus was on cars, there was also room for heavy vehicles such as trucks and buses. For example: EV Motors Japan showed their F8 series2-City Bus (10.5m) that has already been delivered to Osaka city. Visitors could enter the all-electric bus through our Inward Gliding door system at the front and Rapid Sliding door system at the rear.
At our stand, we showed our full range of medium-sized products. As we were relatively new to the market, we were overwhelmed by the audience's attention and interest. This resulted in good contacts with the Japanese industry and opportunities for future cooperation.
