More than 100 exhibitors have already confirmed their presence at the 5th edition of the show, which is becoming the key meeting point for Italian users of lifting, industrial and port handling equipment and heavy transport vehicles.

The event, which will open on 1st October at the Piacenza Expo fairgrounds, has already become the largest ever, both in numbers of participants and exhibition space allocated.

In addition, more and more Italian industry associations have confirmed their support of GIS this year: their members are among the most regular users of machines and equipment on display at the fair, and this confirms the growing interest in the innovative formula of this exhibition.

"Italy is still the second largest manufacturing country in Europe" says Mr Fabio Potest? - GIS organiser - "with production centres located up and down the country and the resulting logistical issues related to the lifting, handling and transportation of goods, especially of heavy loads. Also, Italy - in terms of geography - has a large number of port and intermodal terminals, whose efficiency obviously relies on machines and equipment operating well in these environments."

"For this reason," continues Mr Potest?, "our goal is to strengthen further the role of GIS as a One Stop Shop, where everyone with needs ranging from lifting to industrial port and handling and heavy transport can find a variety of solutions to their problems."

Italy has also recently made compulsory periodic inspections of lifting machines and equipment and training of operators, so GIS 2015 has arranged special exhibition areas dedicated to companies from the above sectors.

In fact, excellent machine operation and maintenance are essential elements required to optimise the 'supply chain' and, for this reason, all manufacturers must be able to offer their customers a 'network' of workshops throughout the regions of Italy, providing utmost reliability.

For this reason, more and more exhibitors (including some international ones) operating in the OEM components and spare parts markets, and also manufacturers of tyres for these types of machines, are attending the GIS show.

GIS's position as the primary Italian event in the lifting and heavy transport sectors also provides foreign operators with a strategic opportunity to network and use this ideal meeting point to negotiate commercial agreements with Italian companies.

From a product-related point of view, the main national and international manufacturers of mobile cranes, truck loader cranes, access platforms, telescopic handlers, as well as forklift trucks and reach stackers, overhead travelling cranes, hydraulic jacks and heavy transport vehicles have already confirmed their participation at GIS 2015.

Similar to the 2013 edition of GIS, alongside a full programme of technical seminars and conferences, two gala dinners (organised with the support of important Italian industry associations) will be held in the beautiful Farnese Castle in Piacenza. These are:

• Thursday 1st October: ITALA-Italian Terminal and Logistic Awards 2015 to award the Italian port/intermodal/terminal and logistic contractors which have put themselves in the spotlight during the past 18 months (see www.italawards.it), and
• Friday 2nd October: ILTA-Italian Lifting & Transportation Awards 2015, during which Italian lifting and transportation contractors will be awarded for the projects they finalised during the past 18 months in Italy and abroad (see www.ilta.biz where you can also watch the stunning video of the 2013 edition of the event).

For further information on GIS 2015, please visit www.gisexpo.it.