Intelligent. Insightful. Intermat!
The French construction equipment extravaganza returned after a six-year absence and was a heady mix of "joie de vivre" and "je ne sais quoi" that was "tres magnifique".
It could have been very different. In the six years that the Intermat exhibition was away, so much has changed. There was the global pandemic that prevented the planned 2021 show from going ahead. There has been conflict and political instability around the world, and the global economy has been a roller coaster.
There was a possibility that, in its absence, visitors might have fallen out of “amore” with the Parisian plant-fest; that the market had grown accustomed to fewer exhibitions; that equipment manufacturers might choose to keep their new equipment powder dry until next year’s Bauma extravaganza; and that - even though the organisers had built it - the visitors might not come.
Any such fears were unfounded, however. From the moment the doors were opened at the Parc des Expositions, it was clear that exhibitors and visitors welcomed the show’s long overdue return.
The aisles were packed with people; the car park was filled with cars; and the train journey back into Paris each evening was standing room only. Intermat didn’t just come back; it came back with a bang.
Prior to the show, the organisers spoke of their desire to focus on two key industry pillars - Decarbonisation and Digitisation. Of course, the exhibitors themselves were under no obligation to abide by those pillars. But they did, which just goes to prove that Intermat 2024 has its finger pressed firmly on the pulse of the sector (unlike some other shows).
Electric machines were, not surprisingly, a standout feature of the show. It seems that, despite growing industry uncertainty over the viability of an electrified future, any equipment manufacturer worth its salt now has an electric solution of some kind in its armoury. And for those that are looking even further ahead to a hydrogen-fuelled tomorrow, Volvo took the opportunity to show off a hydrogen fuel cell powered articulated dumptruck. Yes, the machine is a prototype. But, based on recent experience, if anyone can make hydrogen work, Volvo can.
The show also offered a glimpse of an autonomous future; a future exemplified by the Bobcat Rogue X2 electric machine. It looks vaguely like a skid steer loader and yet it is unlike any skid steer loader you have ever seen. And, since it is designed to work autonomously, there is no cab nor is there a gap where the cab should be. It is fiercely futuristic and yet it is fantastically functional. If this is the shape of things to come, the industry of the future will look amazing.
As for Intermat itself, the exhibition did a fine job in staking its claim as the third must-see international exhibition, joining Bauma and ConExpo at the equipment show top table. Of course, it IS hosted in France; but Intermat 2024 proved beyond a shadow of doubt that the organisers were looking way beyond their domestic market. Just for a week or so, the Eiffel Tower, the Louvre and Notre Dame cathedral weren’t the hottest tickets in Paris. The city of love became the city of construction equipment. And for an equipment enthusiast, it was all the better for it.