The strength of the company, opportunities for development, customer loyalty and access to new target audiences are due not only to the uniqueness of the product and production opportunities, but also to understanding industry trends and challenges, following trends and anticipating them, knowledge of the competitive environment and potential opportunities. Participation in industry exhibitions is an effective tool for addressing these challenges. We talked with the director of the exhibition Gulnara Markelova about one of these exhibitions - the international instrument exhibition MITEX

This year’s MITEX exhibition marks its 15th anniversary. Please tell us about the history of the exhibition. In fact, our exhibition is more than 15 years old. History began in 1998, when the exhibition was named InterTOOL. It so happened that at that time there were no platforms of this direction, and our attention attracted the leaders of the tool industry from around the world.

Since 2008, the exhibition has opened new opportunities for leaders of the tool market under the new brand - MITEX (Moscow International Tool Expo). Over the years we have gone a long way from a modest exhibition to a large-scale business event, which is an effective tool in product promotion, a meeting place to find new partners and conclude contracts. In 2009, we faced the first crisis, but many years of experience and strong business ties with our customers allowed us to overcome it, as well as subsequent ones, including 2020. We can say that these challenges have made us more resilient, and cooperation with participants is stronger. This is one of the reasons why year after year we maintain the status of the largest event of the tool industry of the international level.

How do you explain the loyalty of your exhibitors and visitors, because many of the participants visit it regularly? Indeed, the MITEX exhibition has a lot of loyal exhibitors, including such large companies as JSC «Plant «FIOLENT», «KLS-Trade», representing trade mark «Interskol», «LITE Trading», Patriot, TMK OpTorg, KOLNER, «STAVR», I.TP. Tools. (TURBO-TULS, LLC), «Northern Arrows», Russian production company «KORONA», «Optromborg», «URALBENZOTECH» and many others.

The year 2019 broke the record for the number of visitors and exhibitors. 558 companies and more than 20 thousand visitors from 21 countries met at one venue. As I said earlier, this is primarily due to the fact that MITEX is the only site in Russia that covers the full range of tools and equipment for professionals and amateurs. Therefore, it can be said that, as long as men will be fascinated by a quality instrument, the popularity to the exhibition will not disappear. It is also important to choose a strategic partner. Long-term cooperation with the industry association RATPE (Association of Trade Companies and Manufacturers of Power Tools and Small Mechanization) allows us to keep up with the times and adapt the exhibition and business program to current market needs.

That is to say that the exhibition is a mirror that reflects the situation in the market. What will be the exhibition this year? This year for us, as for many, has become a challenge. Many foreign companies have left the market, some have difficulties in supplying equipment. Professionals will be the first to experience the large shortages of the tools. In this category we include repair crews and companies, service enterprises, service stations, including in the heavy engineering sector. It is no secret that this category of our audience now has a special responsibility, as the withdrawal of foreign manufacturers has increased demand for the repair of machinery and equipment, ensuring their maximum life without capital replacement. It can be said that now, just, the best time is a quality professional tool. From our side, this year we are striving to provide our customers with a good assortment. This is helped by the interest of new members from China, Turkey and India.

In addition, we notice that gradually, even in normal life, people increasingly choose quality and functionality, spend more time searching for the necessary equipment, study its specs, look reviews, form a commitment to certain companies and models. On the one hand, this is due to the fact that professionals who are used to work on quality equipment, try to choose no worse for use at the home, and on the other - «amateurs» have also become more demanding. This year we want to move this trend to our exhibition and finally erase the distinction between industrial and household tools. We can say that we are moving into high quality, which, contrary to misconceptions, is available in any price segment.

Another interesting trend is - the decline in the age of visitors to the exhibition. We attribute this to the growing prestige of working professions and the efforts that are being made to shape them. For its part, our team tries to support this trend by building cooperation with universities and construction colleges, inviting to the exhibition teachers and students. Moreover, as visitors we also have school children with teachers of technology and work who are heartened by their work.

The business program is an important part of the exhibition, which serves as a meeting place for company executives, public authorities and final customers. What is worth waiting for visitors in 2022? Every year, within the framework of the exhibition, a program of business events is held, devoted to topical problems of the industry. MITEX-2022 will raise issues of changing supply chains, entering new markets and large industrial customers, coordination of supplies with state registration authorities, brand protection and intellectual rights of suppliers operating in the Russian market, from unscrupulous competitors. Also in the business block the traditional strategic themes - current market trends, new stages of growth and overcoming, marketing and promotion of technologies in the market.

All in all, it will allow participants to establish and maintain communication with clients, strengthen relationships with partners and use not the easiest period for the industry and the economy as an impetus for growth and development. The balance of power in the market is changing, there are free niches that can and should be taken.

We are looking forward to see everyone at the 15th anniversary exhibition MITEX in CCC «Expocenter» on November 8-11, 2022!
Interview on the website stankoinstrument >>>