Thousands of trade specialists from all over the world visited the 26th Spanish Machine-Tool Biennial, which closed on Saturday, June 5. Speaking to journalists José Miguel Corres, CEO of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre, stated that the event’s success had "defied the widespread crisis".

In all, the event received 35,263 visitors from 54 countries, including such strategic markets and major purchasers of machine-tools as Portugal, France, Germany, Turkey and Switzerland in Europe, plus India, Argentina, Russia, Brazil, the Maghreb countries, Chile, Israel, China and Mexico. On the domestic front, the regions of Spain that provided most visitors were Catalonia, Madrid, Castilla-León and Navarra, plus of course the Basque Autonomous Community itself. These visitor numbers reaffirm the leadership and outstanding quality of the BIEMH, and are just reward for the major efforts in commercial and financial terms made by the event’s organisers.

The presence of specialists from companies with great purchasing power proved conducive to a large number of significant contacts and commercial operations. These specialists came mainly from the following areas: production (21%), management (20%), department heads (17.6%) and heads of purchasing (16%).

BIEMH 2010 also attracted major names from the automotive, domestic appliance, aeronautics, wind power and railway industries, among others.

The event also received institutional support at the highest level. The official opening was chaired by Crown Prince Felipe of Spain, accompanied by Basque Premier Patxi López and other authorities.

The economic impact of BIEMH 2010 on the surrounding area totalled over €25 million. Apart from trade visitors, the BIEMH also featured 4000 people staffing the stands of the exhibiting firms and more than a thousand fitters and erectors whose job it was to install the machinery and erect the stands to welcome visitors. The event was also visited by students from more than 50 vocational training colleges from all over Spain.

Koldo Arandia, Chairman of AFM (the Association of Machine Tool Manufacturers) rated this 26th BIEMH as a great success in terms of both the standard of the exhibition and the response obtained from visitors. The event offered a technologically comprehensive showcase for the sector, with high value-added services. Mr. Arandia said that we stood at "a statistical turning point where an upturn is beginning to become evident". The factors contributing to that upturn include the "Renove" plan announced at the commencement of the fair by Basque Government Industry Minister Bernabé Unda, which gave a clear boost to commercial transactions throughout the event. The AFM Chairman also confirmed that 75% of the attending members of his association rated this 26th edition of the BIEMH as "positive".

A total of 1085 international manufacturers, importers and distributors exhibited state-of-the-art machinery and the latest new technology at halls 1, 2, 3 and 5 of the Bilbao Exhibition Centre from May 31 to June 5.

In terms of the number of exhibitors, the main sectors were forming machine tools (17% of the total) and cutting machine tools (16%). The other sectors represented were tools for machine tools, accessories, workshop and business services, metrology and quality control, and other machinery and equipment, welding and flamecutting, handling and robotics, CAD/CAM/CAE and hydraulic and pneumatic equipment.