I DO “Heart” EIMA

What the International Equipment Show has to Offer U.S. Journalists and Readers.

By: Martha Mintz, Corral Creek Communications and ACN Member

The Italian Trade Agency has toasted their fair share of Ag editors with their signature offering of champagne at the Ag Media Summit. Having recently been an ITA-sponsored delegate and one of the 327,100 attending the world exhibition of agricultural machinery EIMA in Bologna, Italy, I now raise a glass in return and encourage all U.S. Ag editors to make the trip at some point.

Don’t think because EIMA focuses on specialized Ag equipment and smaller equipment suited to European production that there’s nothing to offer for a Midwest corn farmer, a Palouse wheat farmer, a Minnesota hay producer, a Texas irrigator, or a California dairy producer. Here’s where I found gold at EIMA.

1. In the hotel and on the bus. EIMA is a trade show in every way. The first days are reserved for business. Distributors and equipment manufacturers from 80 countries take meetings in the designated Foreign Delegations Pavilion. There, companies come to pitch their equipment or components to potential international partners. I was able to meet delegates from the U.S. and Canada and pick their brains about trends in their markets, what companies were seeking North American distribution and more.

2. In the component pavilions. Away from the flash of the latest harvesters and planters that attract the most interest from the farmers are huge pavilions dedicated to just components. Drive shafts, hydraulics, sensors, irrigation, you name it. Here I learned about supply chain strategies and trends such as electrification, automation, reduced maintenance, and longer run life.

3. In the EIMA digital pavilion. Here I spoke to sensor developers about their latest advances and what they’re working on next, gleaned information about European investments in technology, and saw a variety of robots in stages from full commercial availability to prototypes of fascinating bots like the world’s first “granular” drone capable of burrowing through stored grain.

4. With my fellow media delegates. On the bus, in the hotel, in the media room, and at outings like “Eataly” (a food theme park) I was able to interact and bond with journalists from Kazakhstan, Thailand, India, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Columbia, Kenya, Uganda and more. Those connections are already yielding fascinating collaboration opportunities.

I could go on about programs, Tractor of the Year contests, innovation awards, and the best fair food I’ve ever eaten, but you get the idea. The next chance to visit EIMA in Bologna, Italy, will be in November 2024. I hope to see you there!