Fakuma 2006, held Oct. 17-21, lured 39,618 visitors to rural Friedrichshafen on Lake Constance, where Germany, Switzerland and Austria meet.
Attendance just missed the 2005 record of 40,058. It was the 18th Fakuma show, covering 25 years. The show had more exhibitors - 1,445, up from 1,050 in 2005. Nearly one-third of the exhibiting companies were from outside Germany.
``Even though we didn't quite reach the record we set in 2005, we're very satisfied with how well Fakuma was visited this year,'' said Paul E. Schall, founder of Fakuma and the owner of German trade show promoter P.E. Schall GmbH.
The overall percentage of visitors from outside of Germany declined. But Schall said more visitors came from overseas.
In recent years, Fakuma has evolved from purely an injection molding show to include extrusion.
The exhibition center will add two new pavilions for the next Fakuma, in 2008, according to Jurgen Schmid, managing director of site-management firm Messe Friedrichshafen. There are currently 10 show halls.
No Fakuma will be held next year because of the mammoth K 2007 show in Dusseldorf, Germany.
Fakuma brings about 50 million euros ($63 million) to the local economy, said Friedrichshafen Mayor Josef Buchelmeier.