There from the start – for good reason
We decided to exhibit at PaintExpo right from the start because, in 2006, it was the first trade fair dedicated exclusively to industrial coating technology. For us, it was the ideal stage to present our technologies to an international audience. From the outset, PaintExpo brought together the relevant market players from all sectors, thus offering a comprehensive overview of the entire process chain in surface technology. This also fits in with our corporate culture: our founder Josef Wagner was a visionary with a keen sense for future trends and new technologies. This legacy continues to shape Wagner to this day. A trade fair like PaintExpo is the ideal place to identify developments at an early stage and set new trends. It brings us into direct contact with customers and partners, enables us to exchange ideas with experts, and keeps us up to date with the latest developments. That's exactly why we've been there from day one.
Personal contacts are our top priority
We hoped that PaintExpo would provide us with many qualified technical discussions and new contacts - and that is exactly what the trade fair delivered. We are particularly impressed by the number of top decision-makers, specialists, and executives who attend the fair. Even in today's digital world, the personal trade fair experience remains simply irreplaceable: you meet existing customers, make new contacts, discuss trends and future technologies – all in one place.
Over the years, the number of conversations at our booth has increased steadily. Initially, visitors were mainly from German-speaking countries, but the audience has now become much more international. In 2024, we welcomed visitors from all over the world to our booth, from Argentina to Japan. This shows how influential the trade fair has become. Added to this is the enormous range of industries from which visitors come – and often the inquiries are so specific that they directly result in real projects. Our expectations have been absolutely fulfilled. That's why PaintExpo has been an integral part of our trade fair planning since 2006.
This is what we remember most
The design of our trade fair booth has naturally changed significantly over the past 20 years, as has our brand design itself. Our booth has always been an eye-catcher, not least because of our striking brand color yellow and the large shared booth area with Walther Pilot. In 2024, our booth was the largest at the entire trade fair. A real visitor magnet – modern and open, with touchscreens, video screens, and live demonstrations of our products.
We also remember the special promotions at our booth, such as the AirCoat competition in 2008, where visitors had to maneuver a ball into the target using a spray gun. The winner enjoyed a wellness weekend at Lake Constance. Or the 2014 competition, in which we raffled off a Zeppelin sightseeing flight (at the time, it even flew with the Wagner logo for one season).
But it was above all the personal encounters that made PaintExpo so valuable for us: loyal customers who have been with us for many years, exciting discussions with experts from all over the world, and lots of new contacts, which often formed the starting point for successful partnerships. Nothing can replace this direct exchange within the industry.
After the cancellation in 2020 due to the Corona pandemic, the return of the trade fair in 2022 was a real highlight. The atmosphere was special - you could feel how happy people were to be able to talk to each other again. A very personal moment was the visit of our Argentinean distributor in 2024, who came with his whole family to celebrate the 40th anniversary of our partnership. Encounters like this make PaintExpo something very special for us.
What has changed at WAGNER
Looking back over the last 20 years, we have seen enormous change. Of course, we still have products in our portfolio that have proven themselves over the years. At the same time, we have continuously expanded our product range. Topics such as automation, digitalization, ease of use, and sustainable processes have become increasingly important. We have made significant innovations with solutions such as Coatify, IPS, and, most recently, Flowsense. In addition to new products, we have also developed in other ways: for example, we have expanded our company building in Markdorf and established the Wagner Academy, which offers our customers and partners a wide range of training courses. And we have become much more present internationally: with new locations – most recently in Southeast Asia and India – we have expanded our global network. In short, we are now more global and innovative than ever before.
What does the future hold?
Energy and resource efficiency, sustainability, and digitalization are the major drivers in surface technology. Automated processes, intelligent equipment, and networked systems are becoming increasingly important - not only to reduce costs, but also to increase quality and process reliability. At the same time, customers expect solutions that are easy to use and respond flexibly to different requirements. With our technologies, we are helping to ensure that coating systems will work even more efficiently in the future, consume fewer resources, and provide optimal support to users – whether in terms of operation, data management, or integration into complex production systems.
These are our highlights at PaintExpo 2026
We will be bringing a whole range of exciting new developments to the next PaintExpo. In the liquid coating sector, for example, we will be showcasing the innovative Activeflush process, a new generation of high-speed rotation atomizers in combination with modular control systems, and tailor-made industry solutions in collaboration with Walther Pilot. In the powder sector, the focus will be on automation and digital features – including our Sprint 2 manual system, robot-assisted coating, and an update to our Coatify IoT platform. There will also be exciting live demonstrations and hands-on activities at our booth. We don't want to give away too much at this point... but it's definitely worth stopping by! You'll find us in Hall 3, Booth 3330. But as always, you won't be able to miss us. ;-)
Source: JOT Journal für Oberflächentechnik “PaintExpo - Aussteller der ersten Stunde (Teil 1)”, 12/2025, pp. 14-17
