Organizing Committee of Metal-Expo’2020 Discusses Exhibition Program
A scheduled meeting of Metal-Expo’2020 Organizing Committee was held on September 3 on VDNHa Fairground, Moscow. Members of the Organizing Committee visited halls 57 and 55 to assess the potential of the new platform. Due to the fact that hall 75, the Metal-Expo traditional venue, was transformed into COVID-19 makeshift hospital a decision was made to hold Metal-Expo’2020 in halls 57 and 55.
In his welcome address Mr. A. Romanov, Co-Chairman of the Organizing Committee and RUMSS President showed concerns over a tough economic situation caused by COVID-19. The economic trouble threatens to decrease the number of exhibitors. Despite the 2 halls and the adjacent outdoor space, the total exhibition space will decrease as compared to the previous years.
Mr. Romanov noted that Metal-Expo’2020 was a significant and long-awaited event for all the steel market participants longing for face to face meetings and establishing a business dialogue.
Good news became issuing a Decree of the Mayor of Moscow of resuming congress and exhibition activity in full.
The members of the Organizing Committee among them Mr A. Sentyurin, Executive Director, Russian Steel, Mr. V. Polkin, General Manager, Zinc Development Center, Mr. A. Alexandrov, President, Titanium Association, Mr. Yu. Raikov, General Manager, Tsvetmetobrabotka Institute, Ms. G. Salekhova, Prommetiz Association, Mr. I. Vodyakov, General Manager, Kucherenko’s TSNIIPSK, Ms. E. Ponurova, Deputy General Manager for Scientific Research, Melnikov’s TSNIIPSK, Mr. A. Danilov, General Manager, SCDA, Mr. B. Sivak, President, Metallurgmash Union, Mr. Yu. Podkopaev, President, Moscow Chief Welders’ Association, Mr. A. Petrov, Chairman, Committee for Foundry and Press-Forging and many more discussed the program of the exhibition and pointed out actual steel market trends as the main topics of the events. Mr. A. Sentyurin pointed out significance of Metal-Expo’2020 as a steel industry business platform. A. Sentyurin continued that in 1H 2020 Russian steel companies had suffered financial losses due to COVID-19 causing macroeconomic crisis. Some companies experienced 15 % fall down in April-May. Today’s marked requires rebooting and steel companies have enough new solutions and technologies to exhibit.
More than 40 conferences, seminars, roundtable etc. on the most pressing problems of the steel and steel-related industries will be held during Metal-Expo’2020. Many members of the Organizing Committee arrived at the conclusion that the fall down and restrictions will not significantly affect the number of delegates. “We all are longing for a face to face meeting. We have prepared an interesting program for our meeting this autumn and all the welders will arrive in a body”, said Mr. Podkopaev. Interesting topics will be on agenda of the workshop on mastering new types of steel products for the automotive industry. According to Mr. Petrov, Rosatom program on new materials will be discussed among the topics. In addition to their traditional events SCDA plans to hold a master class on green solutions to steel structures manufacture, while Titanium Association plans to hold a new event on one of the industry’s most pressing issue.
As before, winners of various contests among them contest for the Best Event in the Russian Steel Industry’2020, the Best Russian Steel Service Center and Steel Products Warehouse, the Best Russian Sales Network, contest for the best IT project among Russian and the CIS steel companies etc. will be awarded Metal-Expo’2020 gold and silver medals.
