As JIMTOF comes closer, it might be interesting to take a look at the trends of visitors who have participated in this exhibition before, and the outlook of what this year could look like. All data mentioned in this post can be downloaded from JIMTOF’s own website.
JIMTOF is the largest machine tool trade fair in Japan. The number of visitors to JIMTOF has been steadily increasing with each edition, and in 2014, the number of overseas visitors surpassed ten thousand for the first time. Further growth in 2016 is expected.
The new hall at Tokyo Big Sight is expected to be completed this October, adding about 5,500 extra booth spaces.
TREND OF VISITORS SINCE 2010
First, let’s take a look at the trend of visitors over the past three editions of JIMTOF.
The total number of visitors is increasing each year, and with the addition of the new hall at Tokyo Big Sight, more than 140,000 visitors is being expected.
While the proportion of overseas exhibitors seems to be relatively small (2% increase compared to 2014), that’s still about 3,000 additional overseas visitors expected!
BREAKDOWN OF OVERSEAS EXHIBITORS
We’d like to compare now where the overseas exhibitors are coming from with the charts below.
As can be seen in the above charts, visitors from the Asia regions have increased quite significantly. For Europe, although there was a drop of 4% from 2012 to 2014, in real numbers this only amounts to about 130 visitors. For the Americas, Middle East, Oceania, and Africa, the percentage has relatively stayed the same; however, in the real number breakdown you can see an increase from the Americas.
As mentioned before, the results of the previous JIMTOF show that over ten thousand overseas visitors attended the show with the Asia regions contributing greatly to this.
ASIAN VISITORS BY REGION
The number of visitors from the Asian regions from 2012 increased by 133%, let’s see where these visitors came from in the below graph.
The largest number of visitors from the Asian regions came from Korea in 2010 and 2012, and Taiwan overtook the lead in 2014. Comparing Chinese visitors, there was a two-fold increase from 2012 to 2014, which falls in line with with statistics from the Japan National Tourist Office (JNTO) that shows a similar growth rate of Chinese visitors in 2014 from 2013.
There are a couple of key points to consider here that is shared between the Asian regions: 1) the weakening yen and expansion of airmail, and 2) relaxation of rules to obtaining a visa to enter Japan.
Looking at the other regions, India, Malaysia, and Indonesia also saw a recommendable increase in visitors, with Indian visitors nearly reaching the level of Thai visitors in 2014. Particularly, India has been experiencing incredibly rapid growth recently, especially in the manufacturing sector. However, domestic suppliers are having difficulties meeting demand, and India therefore needs to rely on importing to meet demand. Whether you’re a Japanese supplier, or from another country, this appears to be a lucrative opportunity.
JIMTOF 2016 SUMMARY AND OUTLOOK
JIMTOF 2016 is expected to be the biggest ever, especially with the planned expansion at Tokyo Big Sight which will allow more exhibitors and visitors to participate!
The ratio of overseas visitors this year is not expected to significantly change from previous year. As the situation in Asia is is constantly changing, indicated by the previous year’s real numbers, the possibility is strong for further growth and opportunities.
As activity increases in Asia, especially from emerging and booming economies, the role of JIMTOF as an international trade fair for machine tools increases steadily. Keep this in mind as you plan for your own business activity during this exhibition.
Expo International Ltd. can help you with any of your booth needs at JIMTOF 2016. Please feel free to consult us if you need any assistance with your exhibition planning! Please contact us through our Contact page!
