From February 2nd to the 5th was one of the biggest global roofing shows called the Dach und Holz held in Stuttgart, Germany. The show starts at 9am and goes all the way until 6pm for 4 straight days which is a bit longer than American trade shows. There were 5 main halls each having their own dedicated trade such as woodworking, roofing, and sheet metal. There are over 550 exhibitors and over 50,000 people in attendance. This is the 2016 trade brochure.

I arrived on Wednesday and was amazed at how big the show is. It took about 15 minutes to walk from one end to the other without even stopping to look at booths. My main focus was in Hall 9, the sheet metal roofing section, where a lot of our vendors were exhibiting. It is important to meet face to face with the people you do business with to develop trust and learn the inside information on their products. Here are a few pictures I took.

The feel of the trade show is also different from here in the States.

• The companies exhibiting not only use this time to share their products and services but also to enhance their current relationships with customers. Beer and food flow freely as exhibitors go all out to ensure everyone is having a good time. It feels more like a party than a trade show.
• There is an air of excitement that is noticeable among the crowd. Tradesmen from all over Europe come to see the latest trends and talk with fellow craftsmen. This isn’t just “another trade show.” “Journeymen” and “Compagnon’s” are found all over the show and add to the aura.
• Demos were frequent ranging from torches for flat roofing, saws for woodworking, and detailed sheet metal work. There is a noticeable attempt at further educating the people within the industry.