Certainly the best tire industry show. SEMA could learn a few things…570 exhibitors and more than 18,000 attendees from some 40 countries, totally focused on the tire industry…
There were separate halls for different disciplines, one for the major tire brands, one for all things retreading, one for tire service equipment and tools and so on…The remarkable thing was how quiet and business-like the show floor was. No loud banging music, overly flashy displays or dozens of half-naked models (there was one body painting job floating around, courtesy of a German wholesaler)…Most booths were placed on short risers, forcing you to step up slightly. The floor was uncluttered and clean. Halls were brightly lit and easy to maneuver. Barely any carpeting anywhere, so walking about was a little harsh after about four hours…
Among the major names, the award for the largest booth space has to go to Rema Tip Top, whose space was larger than some towns I have driven through. The multi-sectioned booth had live demonstrations of seemingly everything Rema sells, and had a comfy sit-down restaurant…Smallest booth among the big names? Had to be Cooper, whose 20×10-foot booth was wedged against the wall in the main hall…All of the familiar names were there, save for Bridgestone and Avon…Continental, our hosts for the visit, had a beautiful space and a restaurant where you could order freshly cooked food from a short menu…
Conti’s next door neighbor (whose name will be withheld as they have been embarrassed enough) suffered massive damage when large sections of their booth suddenly collapsed. Fortunately (and remarkably) no one was hurt, but the noise made when the booth shattered was tremendous and scary…Tiremaker booths were focused on tires, lots of tires. And lots of winter tires. Very few cars (and certainly no flashy, over-the-top rides like at SEMA)…Pirelli’s booth was quite cathedral-like and had a really cool rally simulator…Kumho showed its fragrance tire and a 32-inch diameter model…Goodyear affiliate Premio constructed a complete tire/service depot outdoors, featuring three full bays, showroom and all of the necessary equipment. Workers did live demos there all through the show…Goodyear was touting its German version of its Highway Hero program…
TIA president Peggy Fisher and government affairs vice president Paul Fiore were there and shared their booth with TRIB’s Harvey Brodsky…There were more than 100 exhibitors from China, including all of the familiar names…Vredestein had a beautiful large space, but Russian partner Amtel was no where to be seen…Sibur-Russian Tyres was there, though…The few booth models at the show were elegantly dressed (and I do mean dressed)…Most attendees were well-dressed, as well, with plenty of suits and ties to go around…Speaking with exhibitors, all remarked how technical Reifen Essen is; buyers (wholesalers, retailer sand retreaders) come prepared, having made purchasing plans, then go about gathering detailed information before making a final decision…Great to spend some time catching up with industry friends I hadn’t seen in awhile. Despite how small the world has gotten, physically visiting with people is still tough…
Coolest thing: rode the high speed train from Frankfort (where we were staying) to Essen. Smooth ride but the 160 mph speeds made your ears pop. More on the show and our other stops in Germany in upcoming issues of Tire Review.
If you have comments to share, send to me at [email protected].
– Jim Smith
