The 2010 Hannover Fair was hit by the volcano-imposed air travel restrictions which came into force a few days before the show was due to open. The Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi, who had been due to open the show with German chancellor Angela Merkel (shown below visiting Lenze`s stand), could not get to Hannover, and was represented by the Italian minister for economic development who travelled overland to get to the show.

The air chaos also prevented about 300 of the 4,800 exhibitors – mainly from Asia and the Americas – from arriving in time to set up their stands. The organisers laid on a fleet of coaches from various points in Europe to bring several hundred people to the show. Two coaches brought 150 exhibitors on a 50-hour journey from Turkey. One exhibitor from New Zealand turned up after a 134-hour travel marathon.

As air travel restrictions eased towards the end of the week-long show, visitor numbers picked up, but the total of around 150,000 was about 20% down on the 2009 figure.

The 2010 Fair marked the debut of the CoilTechnica exhibition which brought together about 70 exhibitors specialising in technologies for producing motors, coils, transformers and generators. The event will return in 2011.