WorldWide Drilling Resource

Record-Breaking Attendance at bauma 2019 by Ed Moranski, Chief Marketing Officer WorldWide Drilling Resource ® This year’s bauma Germany took place the week of April 8th, 2019, and it was the largest in the expo’s 65-year history. It was billed as the largest equipment trade event in the world, and after attending, I can see why. I think 95, if not 100% of the people on the flight from Atlanta, to Munich, Germany, were bauma attendees. Even at passport control at Munich International Airport, the official said, “Yes, I know, bauma” for the reason of my visit. Marcel and I arrived a day ahead of time so we had the opportunity to visit downtown Munich for some traditional German food and sightseeing. So much history and outstanding architecture in the buildings. After a bite to eat, we set out to explore the city. One stop was to Saint Peter’s Church which is the oldest church in the district. After a fire in which the building was destroyed, it was reconstructed and dedicated in 1327. Transportation to the expo included train, bus, taxi, bike, or on foot - just follow the crowd because all roads lead to bauma. This year’s expo had a record number of visitors with more than 620,000 atten- dees from over 200 countries. The equipment tow- ered over the area. As you got closer to the expo, you could feel the excitement in the air. This year’s bauma had about 3700 exhibitors from 63 countries. I’m glad I did my prep work on who and what exhibitors I wanted to see. I recommend this for anyone going to the show. Our first stop was to get our press passes and wait for the opening of the gates. There were so many peo- ple, I was glad we were not in that crowd and had the advantage of overlooking the sea of people from the press area one floor up (see above). Al though the weather forecast had predicted rain al l week, when the skies were clear, we took advantage of the break in the clouds and headed outdoors to view and visit with those exhibitors. With so many invitations to press events, we had to plan our time accordingly. It would be impossible to attend them all. Monday, the first day of the expo, Marcel and I walked just over seven miles. Oh, did I mention, comfortable shoes are a must! With many of the booths offering food and beverages, we knew we had to pace ourselves or we would be in need of an afternoon nap. When we did need some downtime, we knew who had the best espresso on the expo floor and managed to stop in for some good conversation and a needed beverage. C&G 32 JUNE 2019 WorldWide Drilling Resource ®