Dr Ioannis Ioannidis is the new President of GIFA and NEWCAST
Preparations for the world’s largest technology trade fairs – GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST – are now well and truly underway. On 21 February 2022, the executive committee of the Düsseldorf trade fair quartet convened for its first meeting. The new President of the foundry trade fair GIFA and of NEWCAST, the world’s leading trade fair for cast products, is Dr Ioannis Ioannidis, CEO and Spokesman for the Management Board of Oskar Frech GmbH + Co. KG in Schorndorf. Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Management Board of the SMS group in Düsseldorf, was re-elected by the trade fair committee as President of METEC, the International Metallurgy Trade Fair, which includes the ESTAD and EMC congresses. Dipl.-Ing. Till Schreiter, Managing Director of ABP Induction Systems GmbH in Dortmund, was elected President of THERMPROCESS. All three candidates were elected unanimously.
Dr Ioannis Ioannidis, who also holds the positions of Chairman of VDMA Metallurgy and President of the European association CEMAFON, thus succeeds Heinz Nelissen, former Managing Director of Vesuvius GmbH, who retired last year. “It is with great excitement that we look forward to the world’s leading trade fairs, GIFA and NEWCAST, so that we can all meet in person again on an international stage in June 2023 in beautiful Düsseldorf. Our pioneering industry – metallurgy – will once again prove its high level of innovation and impressively demonstrate the continuation of its pioneering work in sustainability. In doing so, it sends a clear signal regarding the industry’s appeal,” said Dr Ioannis Ioannidis with regard to the upcoming events.
Burkhard Dahmen, Chairman of the Management Board of the SMS group and a member of the Executive Board of the German Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations, was re-elected as President of METEC by the entire trade fair committee. He emphasised the great importance of the trade fair for the sector: “I am delighted to be able to play a proactive role in shaping METEC, our sector’s leading trade fair, for the second time as its President. Never before has it been so important to highlight and discuss the far-reaching changes taking place in our industry towards climate-neutral production and the careful use of resources. I look forward to meeting people in person and to the professional exchange of ideas.”
Till Schreiter, who brings over twenty years of national and international experience from the electrical and metal industries to the trade fair and symposium on thermal process technology, explained: “For anyone who wishes to play an active role in shaping a sustainable, future-oriented Europe that safeguards prosperity, a visit to GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST is an absolute must. There is no other event in our sector that offers this opportunity to exchange ideas in person with global experts and decision-makers. Especially following the pandemic period, which saw limited social contact, GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST will be a source of inspiration.” The 55-year-old, who is actively involved in organisations such as the VDMA and CECOF (The European Committee of Industrial Furnace and Heating Equipment Associations), will actively support Messe Düsseldorf in the further conceptual development of THERMPROCESS.
With the first meeting of the Executive Committee, the strategic course has been set for the four trade fairs. Messe Düsseldorf will use the coming months leading up to the start of the fair in June 2023, together with its sponsoring organisations and partners, to further drive the successful development of the “Bright World of Metals”. In this context, dialogue with experts and opinion leaders among manufacturers and users plays a significant role, particularly in these challenging times of industry transformation.
These world-leading trade fairs focus on megatrends such as decarbonisation in the metals industry, as well as innovative processes in steel and metal processing, such as additive manufacturing. AI and digital processes in foundries, and the ‘Industry 4.0 steelworks’ are also much-discussed focal points. Messe Düsseldorf’s ecoMetals campaign highlights the industries’ commitment to environmental sustainability and promotes exhibiting companies that invest in innovative, environmentally friendly and sustainable technologies.
The quartet of trade fairs – GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS and NEWCAST – will take place in Düsseldorf from 12 to 16 June 2023. Interested companies can register online at:
GIFA
METEC
THERMPROCESS
NEWCAST
GIFA, METEC, THERMPROCESS, NEWCAST 2023
Larissa Browa
Tel: +49 (0)211-4560 549
mailto:BrowaL@messe-duesseldorf.de