Intertraffic Amsterdam – triumphant return after four-year absence

The 50th anniversary edition more than made up for lost time and both exhibitors and visitors looked back on a very inspiring and productive week. Intertraffic Amsterdam is organised by RAI Amsterdam and took place from 29 March to 1 April 2022.

Four-year absence due to the corona pandemic

There have been other traffic technology events staged over the last months, of course, but Intertraffic was genuinely the first one that felt “normal” again. Joyce de Winter, Director Intertraffic at RAI, is over the moon with how the event turned out. “We are very proud to have an in person show again. There was a great vibe everywhere on the show floor. Everyone was thrilled to see each other and meet up and do business face to face. The complete lifting of Covid restrictions by the Dutch government that came into force on 23 March certainly helped, with mask-wearing on the show floor now a matter of personal choice. One thing missing was Chinese exhibitors and groups of Chinese delegates but travel restrictions meant that was not possible. Attendance levels were encouraging, our halls were permanently busy and the constant hum of people reassuringly familiar. In terms of atmosphere it was undoubtedly the happiest of any trade show that I can remember.”

121 countries represented

The 2022 edition of Intertraffic Amsterdam exceeded expectations, taken into account that Covid restrictions are still in place for certain countries and business travel definitely has not yet gone back to pre-pandemic levels. Close to 800 companies from 49 countries exhibited, with the majority of Chinese participants taking part online via Intertraffic Connect. Over the four event days an attendee grand total of 23,526 from 121 countries worldwide engaged with 4,400 exhibiting industry specialists. The international attendance was 74% with an overall 20% originating from outside Europe (EU). 82% of attendees are involved in the decision making process, with no less than 62% as final/joint decision maker. Visitors appreciated Intertraffic with an excellent mark of 8.4 and over 90% plan to visit again in 2024. Exhibitors satisfaction goes to show in 70% of floor space already being reserved for Intertraffic Amsterdam 2024.

Exhibitors glad to be back

The exhibitor feedback illustrated the industry’s delight of being back face to face. “I hadn’t realised how much I’d missed being around people,” said one emotional exhibitor. “Zoom and Teams have been a godsend but this feels like a return to life in 3D.” It goes without saying that everyone was pleased to be back. “I got a pat on the back from someone on day one,” said Aimsun CEO Alexandre Torday. “Just to say thank you for a good collaboration – but it was worth 100 emails.” This positive reaction to the return of busy exhibit halls was reflected all around the RAI’s halls and theatres. “Being here and interacting with people is something that we really needed to do,” said Italian-based OpenMove CEO Lorenzo Modena. “We sell B2B Mobility as a Service solutions to large companies and in order to do that we need to build relationships and it’s just not possible to do that with someone that you have never physically met in person. We’ve been looking forward to this show for two years and it’s really important for us to be here in person.”

Many happy returns & Intertraffic Award winners

The 50th brand anniversary of Intertraffic gave the event an extra festive touch. The official opening was attended by ministries and dignitaries from the Netherlands, Israel, Curacao and Mexico, to name but a few. During the ceremony the winners of the Intertraffic Awards were revealed. The TraffiPole of Jenoptik (Germany) took home the Green Globe Award. Its innovative design which enables ITS hardware to function in hot climates without the need for air-conditioning impressed the judges as a simple, easy-to-deploy concept, with instant benefits in reducing energy consumption, and thus CO2 emissions. Acusensus Heads Up by Acusensus (Australia) came out as winner of the Intertraffic Inspiration Award. Acusensus was the first to introduce an automatic detection system that addresses the growing safety problem of mobile phone use at the wheel. The easy-to-use interface for parking facility owners and customers alike earned Toogethr Parking by Toogethr (Netherlands) the User Experience Award. The jury was particularly impressed by dynamic, demand-responsive interface that can also help to enable multi-modal travel and ridesharing. The solution helps organisations and parking operators make more efficient use of existing capacity. A special mention was given to SCReWS (Save Crash Reinforcing Weak Soil) by Aisico (Italy). More information on the award winners is available online at the Intertraffic website.

Summit programme and ITSUP

The Intertraffic summit with 120 sessions on the latest industry developments was highly appreciated because of its strong and varied programme with interesting authorities and speakers. The Intertraffic Summit Programme was powered by Be-Mobile. The startup event ITSUP gave 30 new kids on the block from 13 countries the opportunity to present their smart mobility solutions at a prominent location on the floor. All were invited to work out a number of challenges prepared by sponsors Swarco and Connekt. Swarco announced the winner of the ITSUP contest, the lucky one being MicroTraffic Road Safety Video Analytics winning an acceleration journey at Swarco.

Intertraffic global portfolio

Intertraffic events are staged around the world. Intertraffic Amsterdam is the flagship event with a global focus. Regional events are held in Turkey, Mexico and China. Next up is Intertraffic Mexico, running from 8 to 10 November 2022 in Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City. Intertraffic Istanbul and Intertraffic in Shanghai will take place in 2023. The next edition of Intertraffic Amsterdam is scheduled for 16 to 19 April 2024.

About RAI Amsterdam
Personal meetings continue to be a powerful form of communication, and exhibitions are the ideal medium for connecting worlds, people and markets. With a portfolio of top brands, including Intertraffic, RAI Amsterdam creates inspiring events that blend context, content and communities. The focus on quality and target group has made RAI Amsterdam the market leader in a significant number of sectors. Wherever in the world an event may take place, RAI Amsterdam’s focus is on generating business for exhibitors, visitors, sponsors and partners.