Previous Attendees:
In total over 2,300 people were present at StocExpo 2006, with visitor levels up by a massive 111% on last year. Over 50 countries were represented, with attendees travelling from as far afield as Brazil to see the latest that the tank storage industry has to offer.
Exhibition floorspace was 65% larger than in 2005, covering more than 1,700m². A huge variety of services and equipment went on show from 139 different companies – 44 more than last year.
Exhibitors pulling in the crowds included Kanon, which had a highly visual display of loading arms on its stand, and Mess- und Fördertechnik, which had a “hands-on” display of terminal automation technology. The FMC Technologies Measurement stand was rarely without a clutch of visitors. Some of the other larger stands that attracted attention were those of aluminium roof and dome specialists CTS; Saab Rosemont Tank Gauging Division; Silea, the loading arm and equipment supplier; Verwater Group, the tank construction and total maintenance specialists; roof and seal company Tank Systems BV; tank gauging and measurement company Endress + Hauser; Global Storage Agency TankBank; the tank construction and repair company Motherwell Bridge Ltd; and Imbeba Cleton – a diversified equipment supplier.
Many other big names in the tank storage supply sector were present, including terminal automaton and gauging expert Varec, vapour control specialist John Zink, long-established US meter firm Brodie Meter Co, tank construction, maintenance and roof & dome company HMT, terminal automation companies Egemin and Toptech, loading arm specialist Emco Wheaton, tank management system and instrumentation expert Enraf, and aluminium dome supplier Vacono. Also represented were loading arm and equipment supplier Liquip, the OPW Fluid Transfer Group, tank cleaning companies Oreco A/S and Willacy Oil Services, tank construction companies World Bridge and Tradico, and leak detection specialists Silverwing.
One theme which was especially topical at the show was fire prevention and control. Exhibitors in this sector included Tyco Safety Products, Saval Fire Protection and TFEX Ltd, which also gave an interesting presentation on its fire abatement technology in the Conference.
Especially busy were the stands around the cafeteria area, where visitors stopped for a break before continuing to “take stock” of StocExpo.
Exhibitors, for the most part, were satisfied with the level and quality of visitors to the show – several saying that “exactly the right people” had attended. Quality steel producer Duplex said: “After the Expo we have had a lot of enquiries about [our new steel] LDX 2101 from terminal owners and also fabricators. The interest has been large.”
First-time exhibitor StockCentre (which can be contacted via TankBank) reported great interest in its new service, which offers a neutral platform through which stockholders can access inventory levels from multiple terminals. The company reported its first client - Simon Storage - and said that four serious inquiries received during the event are expected to be turned into firm contracts.
Visitors to the show – who came from as far away as Kuwait – were impressed with the variety of companies exhibiting. Those whose opinions were canvassed on the exhibition floor said they felt the show represented a wide spectrum of products and technologies, and that the event was worth travelling for.
There was an especially big turnout for the first presentation of the three-day conference, which featured John Mills, Assistant Chief Officer of the Hertfordshire Fire & Rescue Service, who talked about his team’s role in managing the fire at the Buncefield fuel depot in the UK last December.
A broad range of other topics was covered in the conference, including biofuels, terminal automation, security, tank maintenance, tank inspection and secondary containment. There were also sessions on underground storage, trends in strategic oil stocks, and regional focus sessions on the Mediterranean and Israel.
Contradictions and discrepancies in recent regulations were highlighted by Gert van Meijeren, Managing Director of CTS. The benefits of aluminium domes were discussed by Johannes Gönner of Vacono, while Andy East of HMT Tanks gave a talk on suspended internal floating roofs. The final session of the conference was given by Frank Van Bekkum, Business Development Manager of tank gauging company Endress + Hauser, who held attention to the very end with a discussion on the effect of temperature on inventory assessment.
Peter Patterson, Managing Director of StocExpo, comments: “Naturally we are absolutely delighted with this year’s show and are keen to build on the momentum to make StocExpo 2007 in Antwerp an even greater success. What people need to bear in mind is that this is only the second ever StocExpo and, as the word is spread, more and more companies will see the advantages of exhibiting and attending a dedicated, specialised trade show.”
StocExpo 2007 will span two exhibition halls in Antwerp with yet more growth foreseen for the show in terms of exhibitor and visitor numbers. “We have received many positive remarks about moving the show to Antwerp as this will open the event up to an even wider audience in one of the world’s largest petrochemical centres,” says Peter Patterson. “Advanced bookings are incredibly healthy and we are seeing exhibitors making greater commitments in terms of stand space they are taking. I really see this as a sign that they are meeting the right people in the right place at the right time.”
Article courtesy of Tank Storage magazine.
