It’s been six years since the last edition, but Intermat is back in true Parisian fashion – with plenty of style. We offer an overview of the event plus insight from the event director. To find out more about new vehicles and key supplier showcases, check out our 20-page deep-dive preview in the digital edition of iVT April
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Following an extended break due to the pandemic – the previous event took place all the way back in 2018 – the next edition of Intermat, the sustainable construction solutions and technology exhibition, will be held at the Paris Nord Villepinte exhibition centre 24-27 April 2024.
The biggest international manufacturers – around 1,000 over them – have already chosen the event to showcase their innovation which, since the last show, has significantly accelerated to tackle the challenges of the transition to net zero.
Focussing on the hot topic of low carbon construction and with a distinctly new feel, the 2024 edition aims to be the shop window for excellence, be it the latest technological solutions or the route to decarbonisation.
Showcasing innovation
“Trade professionals will be impressed by the 2024 demonstration area, which is integral to Intermat’s DNA,” says Christophe Lecarpentier, Intermat director. “Over four days, this area will showcase innovative equipment in real-world conditions. We’re going for a mixed offer, blending shared demonstration areas with set timings and dedicated spaces around the stands with packaged formats.”
The show format and offer have been thoroughly re-imagined, on the one hand to respond to new goals while, on the other, limiting the event’s own carbon footprint and deliver on the challenges of decarbonisation, digitisation and CSR commitments.
ABOVE: iVT editor Tom Stone offers his video preview of Intermat 2024
“Intermat 2024 will be a diverse and in-depth show for visitors to discover today’s most useful, relevant solutions, but also enabling them to see the new technologies coming down the road,” says Lecarpentier. “The event is a unifier, a discussion forum and a pathfinder on the transition to decarbonisation. Every visitor should leave with the answers to their questions so they can build a better tomorrow.”
Training, talks and awards
Alongside the exhibitor space, there will be an area dedicated to employment, training and apprenticeships along with a forum dedicated to presenting the apprenticeships. Organisers are working to partner with start-up incubators and schools. In fact, they plan to invite schools and students to come and meet leading companies in the construction sector.
“Of course, the talks programme will be one of the highlights at Intermat 2024,” says Lecarpentier. “The goal is to gather different perspectives from both users and producers and to bring in fresh eyes, not just from within the construction sector but also from other industries. Obviously, the trade federations
will feature in the line-up, each addressing different topics. A Central Sector area will address a different topic every day, these will be moderated by leading sustainability professionals from both French and
European organisations.”
2024 also means the return of the Intermat Innovation Awards, which recognise the equipment, technologies, services and products taking forward the construction industry, infrastructures and equipment and driving the major transitions across the sector.
Among the new content at this 9th edition, exhibitors are able to compete in the freshly-introduced New Technologies and Energies category, including electrical, hydrogen & natural gas energies; autonomous vehicles, and virtual engineering.
Reflecting seismic changes
The 2024 edition of Intermat is taking place in the middle a technological, ecological and social revolution. The environmental issues facing off-highway professionals are many and varied.
ABOVE: For a more detailed preview included major vehicle launches to look our for in Paris, visit the digital edition of iVT April
“Decarbonisation represents a major social challenge for the whole construction industry, provoking a revolution in the production model for everyone involved,” says Lecarpentier. “Buyers, domestic and international equipment and fittings manufacturers, material providers, hire companies and service providers will also see their business models profoundly change over the next 10 years.”
Event organisers are working with all the French federations and unions – Evolis, Seimat, FNTP, FFB, and DLR – as well as the European syndicates CECE, FIEC and ERA to develop the show’s content and to bring together the constructors and most of those who need them.
Intermat 2024 marks a turning point aligned with the transition toward an industry that puts the environment front and centre. Its objective is to better respond to the needs of construction professionals looking for innovative solutions, equipment and technologies with a lower carbon footprint.
“We are actively working to make the challenges of our sector clear to the public authorities in a way that will generate commitment on their part in supporting this transition,” says Lecarpentier. “We are planning to attract key actors from the political sphere to come to the show, as well as national, regional and local elected officials who will be invited to take part in some of the key discussions.”
See you in Paris!
