Hundreds flock to DESMA House Fair

The 2022 event attracted several hundred delegates from around the world.

After a prolonged break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, footwear machinery and automation solutions provider DESMA Schuhmaschinen once again welcomed guests to its popular event from around the world.

More than 700 trade visitors, as well as representatives from DESMA’s partner companies and 150 shoe factories, attended the company’s latest ‘House Fair’, held on 26th and 27th September in the north German town of Achim. In addition to discussing the latest industrial developments with over 70 exhibitors, delegates had the opportunity to attend the ‘DESMAology Footwear Innovation Conference’ in which 28 lectures, presentations and panel discussions were given on such topics as 3D technology, the role of artificial intelligence in footwear production, PU recycling solutions, and ‘Industry 4.0’.

The last House Fair was held in 2018 and, with editions scheduled for 2020 and then last year having to be cancelled due to the pandemic, technical managing director, Christian Decker, was understandably delighted with the large number of visitors who had travelled to the event, saying: “We expected a lot of guests, but we certainly had not reckoned with such an overwhelming response to our invitation.”

As part of the Footwear Innovation Conference, DESMA’s vision for the future, entitled ‘Pioneering the World of Footwear Creation’, was presented by commercial managing director, Klaus Freese. This session was designed to show how the company can provide its customers with expertise in matters of automation, quality, efficiency and cost reduction.

Positive feedback

The conclusion of the event produced considerable positive feedback, including from Felix Willenbrink, marketing manager of BASF Polyurethane GmbH, who reported: “We have been attending the House Fair for years. It is a very special event, because it concentrates a vast range of expertise in a relatively small space. Another important aspect is the presentation of new technologies; you can sense the dynamic changes taking place in the industry.”

Johan van Dyck, global application manager for PU elastomers at Huntsman Corporation was similarly enthusiastic, saying: “Because we manufacture polyurethane and develop innovative applications, the DESMA House Fair is an absolute must for us. It gives us the chance to meet mechanical engineers and other market players and to enjoy top-level discussions.”

DESMA Schuhmaschinen GmbH was founded in 1946. With a staff of more than 230, it designs and manufactures production plant and machinery for industrial footwear production. Its core technology is direct soling, in which the sole is automatically generated underneath the pre-produced upper.

Publishing Data

This article was originally published on page 4 of the October 2022 issue of SATRA Bulletin.

Other articles from this issue »

---