Looking ahead with your feet on the ground

What do I present at my stand at the trade show? Focusing on tried and tested products will likely be interpreted by some as a sign of constancy, while others would see it as a lack of sustainability. If I present the company’s vision of the future, some will praise the company’s innovative strength, while others will see the presentation as being pretentious and unrealistic.

This year’s Messe BAU in January succeeded in the balancing act, as did many of its participating exhibitors. At the Trimble stand, for example, visitors were able to see how BIM software already now simplifies processes and how BIM can in particular be expected to fundamentally influence process understanding and maxims of action in construction-industry processes. At the joint stand of InformationsZentrum Beton, participating concrete plants and universities showed visitors, in addition to contemporary products for the construction site, future visions of concrete printing with demonstrations of two different methods.

It is good that there is room for both at Messe BAU: ready to-use products as well as visions of the future. As a concrete worker in talking with the editors of BFT put it: For him, as owner of a company, losing sight of the future in everyday business would be foolhardy. According to the credo: Looking ahead with his feet on the ground.

You will find a follow-up report on Messe BAU 2017 starting on page 50 in this issue of BFT International. We would also like to recommend clicking on the online version of the follow-up report on the BFT website – where you will in addition find three videos and a photo gallery.