APEX and IRE Strengthen Global Footprint with Amsterdam 2027 Launch
- APEX and the International Rental Exhibition (IRE) will enter an exciting new chapter in 2027, with the exhibitions moving to RAI Amsterdam and becoming an annual event for the international access and rental industries.
Taking place on 22–24 June 2027, APEX and IRE will bring the global access equipment and rental industries together in Amsterdam for three days of business, networking, new product launches and industry insight.
The move follows a successful 2026 event in Maastricht, which attracted more than 7,000 attendees and brought together 201 exhibiting companies – 215 including stand sharers – across APEX and IRE.
For 2027, the two exhibitions will be brought together in a combined hall at RAI Amsterdam, creating a more integrated visitor experience and providing greater opportunities for exhibitors and visitors across the access and rental sectors.
The move to Amsterdam will also significantly improve international accessibility. With Schiphol Airport providing direct connections to destinations around the world and RAI located just minutes from central Amsterdam, the organisers believe the new location provides the ideal platform from which to grow the international reach of the event.
More than an exhibition
The 2027 event will also see a significant development of the visitor experience.
Alongside the exhibition will be an expanded programme of free educational content, exhibition theatres, product launches, live demonstrations and networking activities, creating multiple reasons for visitors to attend and spend more time at the event.
Plans include a Welcome Party, Innovation and Product Launch programme, VIP and hosted buyer activities, international delegations as well as dedicated initiatives for the next generation of rental and access professionals.
The objective is to develop APEX and IRE beyond the traditional exhibition format and establish Amsterdam as the industry’s annual international meeting place.
Steven Webb, Head of Events at KHL Group, said “APEX and IRE have a long history of bringing the access and rental industries together, but Amsterdam gives us the opportunity to take the events to another level.
“Our ambition is to create the industry’s annual meeting place – somewhere manufacturers, rental companies, buyers and industry professionals from around the world know they can come every year to see the latest equipment and technology, meet the people that matter to their businesses and understand where the market is heading.
“The move to RAI Amsterdam is an important part of that. It is a world-class exhibition venue in one of Europe’s most accessible and attractive cities and gives us a fantastic platform from which to grow the international audience.”
International growth
International visitor development will be a major focus of the 2027 campaign.
The 2026 exhibition already attracted a highly international audience, with strong representation from the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK.
For Amsterdam, the organisers will build on that European base while placing additional emphasis on attracting rental companies, fleet owners and senior decision-makers from North America, the Middle East, Asia and other European markets.
A dedicated VIP and international hosted buyer programme will form part of this strategy, supported by KHL’s international publications, databases and industry partnerships.
Priority booking for 2026 exhibitors
The new Amsterdam floorplan, released at the end of August, gives exhibitors from APEX and IRE 2026 priority access to stand locations before the wider sales campaign begins.
Existing exhibitors will be offered 2027 Priority Exhibitor status, including price protection at 2026 rates until the end of September, priority stand selection and a package of additional marketing, product launch, video and hosted buyer opportunities.
The Priority Exhibitor initiative has been designed to recognise the companies that have supported APEX and IRE and give them the opportunity to play a leading role in the next stage of the exhibitions’ development.
From October, the exhibition will open to the wider market, with the organisers targeting companies across the combined APEX and IRE exhibition from key sectors, including; advanced component manufacturers, aftermarket essentials, atrium lifts, battery companies, charging, engines, self-propelled booms, scissor lifts, software, telematics, vehicle mounts across the combined APEX and IRE exhibition.
Webb added: “We have an extremely loyal group of exhibitors who have supported APEX and IRE over many years, and it is important that they are at the heart of this next chapter.
“But Amsterdam also gives us the opportunity to broaden the event. Alongside the world’s leading access and rental equipment manufacturers, we want to attract more technology, power, battery, component, software and service providers that are helping shape the future of the rental industry.
“The objective is simple: one international marketplace, once a year, bringing the global access and rental industry together in Amsterdam.”
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