New division of Aquatech exhibition floor well received at 2006 event

• Aquatech Amsterdam draws nearly half of attendees from outside Netherlands; ITT becomes "Gold Sponsor" and Norit grabs largest exhibitor status.

AMSTERDAM, Oct. 5, 2006 -- Aquatech Amsterdam 2006 was held from 26 to 29 September in Amsterdam RAI. A fully booked Europa complex (22,700 m^²) welcomed 871 exhibitors, more than 135 innovations and new products, and numerous lectures and seminars in the two AquaStages. The world's most renowned exhibition in the field of process, drinking and wastewater was visited 20,086 times, 47% of the visitors came from outside the Netherlands.

This represented an increase of 4% over the past edition, underlining once more the international prominence of Aquatech. A lively and positive atmosphere on the exhibition floor demonstrated that the show met the expectations of visitors and exhibitors alike. Visitors were also treated to a segmented division of the exhibition floor for the first time at this edition of Aquatech Amsterdam.

Exhibitors were exceptionally pleased with the trade fair. "We have used Aquatech to present our strong product brands under the corporate ITT brand," says Bjorn von Euler, Director of Communications at ITT Fluid Technology. "We have had many interested visitors at our stand and the show was a great success for us. We collected more leads than we had anticipated and are quite satisfied with the quality of visitors to which we spoke."

The representatives of Norit, the largest exhibitor at this edition, were also very pleased with the results. "We can look back on a successful Aquatech, which allowed us to profile our company and innovations to many first-class visitors," comments Norit CEO Rene Kuipers. "We were also pleased with the new segmentation of the exhibition floor by application. This division, implemented by the organisers for the first time this year, has made it easier for visitors to make a targeted visit. Aquatech Amsterdam has shown once again that is an extraordinary international platform for the process, drinking and wastewater industry."

More international
The number of international visitors to Aquatech Amsterdam was 4% higher than the previous edition in 2004. The non-Dutch attendees hailed from some 100 different countries. Countries that were particularly well represented among the visitors were, next to Holland's nearest neighbours, Italy, Spain, Russia and the United States.

Ningbo Hydrotek, a Chinese company active in the field of water treatment that exhibited at Aquatech Amsterdam for the first time, gave a very positive reaction. "Aquatech is a large and extremely professional show," Gu ChengTao explains. "As the most international water exhibition I have been to, it has given us the chance to meet customers from Europe and even as far afield as India. I am truly happy with the opportunity it gave us to present not only our products but our entire company. This is why we have already signed up to participate again in 2008."

Award winners
Walter van der Meer, chairman of the international jury of experts, announced the winner of the International Aquatech Innovation Award during the opening of Aquatech Amsterdam on 25 September. The first prize was awarded to Krohne's Waterflux 2070 product, while CEPAration CeraCep by Hyflux CEPAration was declared category winner.

Joost Timmerman, managing director of Krohne, was delighted to win the prestigious prize. "Winning the Innovation Award has generated a great deal of interest and publicity from both Dutch and international water companies. While the exhibition has certainly become more international, I was still addressed by plenty of Dutch people whenever I came to the stand. But then, the Waterflux 2070 is a pure Dutch product, developed and produced in the Netherlands, and we are proud of that."

Aquatech in 2008
The 22nd edition of Aquatech Amsterdam will be held from 30 September to 3 October 2008 in Amsterdam RAI. The following Aquatech exhibition is scheduled to take place in Orlando in the United States between 27 and 31 March 2007.

Aquatech is the world's leading exhibition for the process, drinking and wastewater sectors. The programme provides an extensive overview of the latest developments in the field of water treatment, transport and storage, process control and automation, and points of use. Aquatech targets professionals from all sectors of the water industry and appeals to both Dutch and international policymakers, specialists, and other parties who apply the technology in practice. More information is available at www.aquatechtrade.com.

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