Intermat 2012, held April 16-21 at the Parc des Expositions de Paris-Nord Villepinte in Paris, drew more than 200,000 visitors this year.

Se Intermat, Cisma and Seimat, the French professional association of companies that manufacture equipment for use in the construction industry, and Comexposium, France’s leading exhibition organizer, said attendance was a record for a business-to-business exhibition, including 145,082 identified trade visitors, which was up 15.8 percent over Intermat 2009, the last time the exhibition was held.

Intermat also had 1,350 exhibitors covering 355,000 sq. m. of exhibition area in addition to “Paris Demos,” an event within the event that provides exhibitors with a 20,000-sq.-m. outdoor demonstration area.

“The 9th Intermat confirmed the recovery of the construction equipment sector,” said Maryvonne Lanoe, exhibition manager. “The total value of the equipment on offer over the six days was estimated at $2 billion, some 5 percent of which translated into orders, an equivalent of approximately $100 million.”

Exhibition organizers also said that there was a large increase in the number of exhibitors from China this year, representing 9 percent of the total.