Bauma: is it worth it?

For visitors, the most obvious problem is the lack of a place to sleep. Munich is a beautiful city, but it is quite simply not big enough to host a show of this size. Even if you book your hotel three years in advance, you're going to find yourself paying four or five times over the rate charged at any other time. Even then, you'll be lucky to have a shower to yourself, or space to open your suitcase. So, what's the point? Well, those staggering stand costs and fleets of cranes may, perversely, be one. Whether you're demonstrating your longevity, or indicating your commitment to a new market, a big stand says you'll be around when a customer wants their crane serviced.