The White House has announced that President Barack Obama will join German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Hannover, Germany at HANNOVER MESSE to participate in the world’s largest trade show for industrial technology. President Obama will appear at the fair’s official opening ceremony on Sunday, April 24, 2016, and is also scheduled for the traditional opening tour of HANNOVER MESSE with Chancellor Merkel the following morning, Monday, April 25. For the first time, the U.S. is the partner country at HANNOVER MESSE. Approximately 250 companies from the U.S. will present solutions for networked industry on the show floor from April 25–29, 2016.
HANNOVER MESSE 2016 will attract approximately 6,500 exhibitors and 200,000 visitors from around the world. President Obama’s participation is the first time in the history of HANNOVER MESSE that a sitting U.S. President will attend. The White House states that President Obama’s participation offers a unique opportunity to showcase American innovation and ingenuity and to highlight the United States as a prime investment destination. While in Germany, the President will address efforts to advance negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership. President Obama’s visit to HANNOVER MESSE marks his fifth visit to Germany, underscoring the enduring political and economic ties between Americans and Germans. President Obama’s visit also highlights the U.S. commitment to trade and investment as drivers of job creation and economic growth on both sides of the Atlantic.
“President Obama’s participation sends a special signal about HANNOVER MESSE’s international appeal,” said Dr. Jochen Köckler, member of the managing board at Deutsche Messe AG. “The timing is perfect. In the midst of its reindustrialization, the United States has become a very attractive business partner for industry. For German machinery and plant (tool) manufacturers, the U.S. is once again the number one market.”
Approximately 70 countries will exhibit at HANNOVER MESSE 2016. For years HANNOVER MESSE has been the leader in promoting the digitalization of manufacturing also known as Industry 4.0. Modern manufacturing and energy technologies are core themes at the exhibition. With the motto “Integrated Industry – Discover Solutions”, HANNOVER MESSE 2016 will inform international trade visitors how to transform their production facilities into smart factories for the digital age and how to build intelligent, networked systems for energy generation, distribution and storage.
“We are thrilled that President Obama is attending HANNOVER MESSE 2016,” said Larry Turner, President and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA, the U.S. subsidiary of Deutsch Messe responsible for securing U.S. company involvement in the event. “Participating U.S. exhibitors will introduce the latest innovations in manufacturing technology and meet business partners from all over the world.”
From September 12–17, 2016 at McCormick Place in Chicago, five HANNOVER MESSE Worldwide portfolio trade shows and conferences will co-locate with the International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2016. The events organized by Hannover Fairs USA and the Association for Manufacturing Technology comprise Industrial Automation NORTH AMERICA, MDA NORTH AMERICA, ComVac NORTH AMERICA, Industrial Supply NORTH AMERICA, and Surface Technology NORTH AMERICA.
