Bangkok--23 Nov--Reed Tradex
Ms. Nichapa Yoswee
Group Vice President of Reed Tradex Company
for “METALEX 2006 Opening Ceremony”
November 23, 2006 at Grand Hall BITEC, Thailand
This is a landmark year for the METALEX exhibition because this year marks the 20th anniversary of the show that has been continuously growing and expanding for the past two decades and has continually made a difference to the industry in the region.
Some of you in this hall have been with us from the beginning, back when we humbly started our first edition in 1986 with a small space of merely 1,000 square meters. At that time, even though our space was small but our dream was big. That dream was to grow up to be THE platform our exhibitors think about when they want to reach their prospective customers, to be THE source of machine tools and metalworking technologies that our visitors will seek for, and to be a little force to help propel the industrial sector in the region forward.
For 20 years, we have been working hard to pursue that dream. We have been continually developing the content of the exhibition in order to create the most suitable environment and atmosphere for all our participants, exhibitors and visitors alike, to do their business and to achieve what they are here for; for the public and the manufacturing industry in general to get first-hand experience with the latest state-of-the-art technologies from all over the world as well as know-how and networking opportunities from many continents.
And as we pursued our big dream, our space grew steadfastly to match the dream. This growth is not only an indicator of our own success but an indicator of the bright future of the industry. It means that we have room to grow and potential to fulfill.
Today, METALEX 2006 is 45,000 square meters, covering not only the available 6 halls of the BITEC but also extending to a special addition called “SUPER DOME,” an additional 7,000 square meters which is hosting such exhibit profiles as Mold and Die, WIRE Tech, TUBE Tech, Machine Tools, and Tools and Tooling.
Besides these technologies, this year’s highlights include assembly technology, manufacturing software, machine tools, machining centers, EDM machines, sheet metal, welding technology, control measurement, and testing equipment.
2,500 exhibitors are joining us this year from 50 countries. 10 international pavilions are featured in the show. The total of 3,500 new machinery and technologies will usher in the next level of industrial development for our visitors’ benefits. And we expect that approximately 50,000 visitors will come to benefit from the new technological advancement as well as from the new knowledge and business network from 750 conference and seminar tracks.
In addition to the new technologies and know-how, we have also included several on-site activities into the content of the show, which we believe to make the visitors’ experience in the exhibition more rewarding and worthwhile. These activities include a “One-on-One Meeting,” a network stage connecting buyers and manufacturers to meet and deal business and a “Thailand Welding Competition 2006,” which has gone international with the support of the Asian Welding Federation and participants from 15 countries.
Ladies and gentlemen,Time does fly when you’re having fun. And the past 20 years have been a plane ride for us. But this plane cannot take off without the wind beneath our wings which are you all in this hall; our exhibitors, our visitors, and all our supporters.
So, I wish to take this opportunity to express our utmost appreciation to you all. As dreams do come true, dreams do grow. Today, our space has grown a little bigger but our dream has grown as well. That means that METALEX still has a long way to go to catch our next big dream.
So, I wish that as we try to catch our next dream, you will catch your own dream. May you all have the best experience in the show, have the best success during the show, and have the best achievement after the show. And I wish to see you all here again in the 21st of our exhibition. Thank you.