The SIMA show organisers have caused quite a stir on the international farm machinery circuit by moving the timing of the next event to November.
Traditionally held in February in odd years, from now on SIMA will be held in November in even years. The dates of the next show, which will still take place in Paris at the Villepinte exhibition complex, are Sunday November 8 to 12, 2020.
These dates overlap with EIMA, which runs from November 11 to 15, 2020, and the announcement has come as a bombshell in Italy. FederUnacoma, the federation of Italian manufacturers, describes the move as both hostile and harmful.
Why move the show dates I can hear you say? Well, the end of February timing of SIMA is when farmers in many European countries are busy with spring field work. Plus, most new tractors and machines are bought in the autumn/winter for delivery in the spring.
The message from the SIMA organisers is that the change is in response to exhibitor and international visitor demand, and that the new dates fit in more logically with the business decision cycle.
The clash of dates between SIMA and EIMA is unlikely to upset British visitors because few attend both events, and we suspect that the bright lights of Paris will remain a more popular option for some than Bologna. However, the timing of the French and Italian shows is a logistical nightmare for exhibitors that traditionally attend both events. Some smaller companies will probably be forced to choose between the French and Italian shows and it is suggested that there will probably be fewer Italian exhibitors at the next SIMA.
We will have to wait and see but one thing that is quite clear is that November 2020 is going to be a busy show month. EIMA and SIMA are not the only events. EuroTier, the German livestock machinery show, takes place from 17 to 21 at the Hannover Fairgrounds, followed at the end of the month by the Danish Agromek (27 to 30).
Looking even further ahead, SIMA will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2022 and the dates for this milestone event have already been released. This show will take place from Sunday 30 October to Thursday 3 November 2022, one to two weeks earlier than EIMA.
