On land, on water, on rails and in the air: INTERMODELLBAU 2023 offers everything the model builder's heart desires between 20 and 23 April 2023. Creative, inspiring layouts and dioramas, detailed models in all scales, technical refinements, exciting and breathtaking shows and an unforgettable learning experience for modellers of all ages and levels of experience. International exhibitors and partners from 17 countries will be presenting the entire world of model making in five exhibition halls. With demonstrations for young and old, the latest models, trends and accessories, INTERMODELLBAU is a meeting place for professionals and beginners alike, and somewhere for the whole family.

Dortmund, 19 April 2023 – This year once again, the world's largest model making and model sports show will be focusing on models to marvel at and models to see, feel and touch, encouraging everyone to get involved in the intriguing world of model makers. From 'classic' model railway layouts to impressive model ships and thrilling races on four wheels to high-action drone racing and breathtaking air displays – there's something for everyone.

Catering for a new generation of modelmakers: playful programme of events for younger visitors to arouse interest in crafts, science and technology

Partners and major brands will be using a cross-generational programme for young people and skills training to underline the importance of model making and offer fun, easy ways of getting to grips with scientific and technical matters. Whether it's with parents, grandparents or on their own – at INTERMODELLBAU, youngsters and interested visitors can try their hand and discover new exciting worlds in the air, in the water and on road and rail.

The German Model Aviation Association (DMFV) has taken a major step in advancing young talent by founding JUMP!, an organisation for young model flyers. The newly founded youth organisation will be a prominent part of the association's attendance at the show and will also be providing one of the special highlights in Hall 3 with a flight simulator designed for flying model aircraft. A number of talented young model flyers will be joining seasoned professionals in demonstrating their skills in the spectacular live air displays taking place each day. Children can gain their first experience of model aircraft by making throw-gliders at the DMFV stand.

The programme offered by the German Model Leisure Aircraft Association (MFSV) is aimed specifically at children and young people and will be presenting, among other things, the fashionable new sport of drone soccer – an exciting team sport for tech enthusiasts played with drone balls (quadcopters surrounded by a protective grid). In a partnership project between the flying associations DMFV and MFSD, the stand will also feature Tello drones which are going to be used to introduce schoolchildren across to Germany to drone programming through the medium of fun and games, giving them their first aviation experience.

Via its ‘MC Dortmund’ organisation, the German Minicar Club will be organising events including races for school classes entitled Race of Champions (for free registration please send details of your desired date and time and size of school class to Monika Geistmann at jugendreferent@sk-west.dmc-online.com) and will be offering a hands-on racetrack for all age-groups. Young drivers can get their RC truck driver's licence at the stand of Recklinghausen Mini-Truck-Club. At the Berufskolleg Neandertal stand (Neandertal Vocational College) you'll be able to see what incredible projects young up-and-coming model makers can create when left to their own devices. The students will launch a model of the Titanic which they built themselves and will also be continuing their work on a 3.5-metre-long model of the passenger vessel Hanseatic. At the nauticus e.V. stand, children can make boats, obtain their captain's licence and, in so doing, gain their first pilotage experience on the water as well as experiencing the power and technology within models ships during water trips in a life-size inflatable.

A great experience is also on the cards in Hall 6 at the NRW Steam Model Enthusiasts’ stand where adults and children can ride through the hall on a genuine miniature steam train on a scale of 1:10 developing a whopping 1.5 to 2 horsepower. With their new creative area for young and old in Hall 4, respected manufacturers Märklin and Faller, in conjunction with Messe Dortmund, will be presenting a handicrafts corner for young model railway enthusiasts that leaves nothing to be desired. The JuniorCollegeEuropa® of the National Association of German Railway Friends (BDEF) will also be offering activity areas for children and young people (Hall 7). Then, at the weekend, another exciting highlight will await competition fans: What at first sight may look like a destructive battle by remote control turns out on closer inspection to be a highly complex duel of strategy, craftsmanship and physics – the Mad Metal Machines and their robot battles. On all days of the show, visitors will also be welcome to try their hand at controlling a robot and competing against other visitors at the stand of the German Roboteers Association.

New models, layouts and programme highlights

LEGO® fever is coming to Hall 7 at Messe Dortmund. Exhibits will include a full-size red piano, the Palace of Westminster complete with Big Ben, two dioramas with sets from the 1980s, a world of knights made from over 100,000 bricks and a railway layout comprising a mind-boggling five million pieces. Those with a passion for brick-building will be most welcome in the integrated LEGO® play area for families and children which will offer people an opportunity to let their creative talents flow.

Visitors to Hall 5 can look forward to a new action course for scalers which is very much in a class of its own and includes hands-on opportunities with RC4WD, Schnutopia, TS RC Products, HOECO and the SHERPA Trophy. As well as free rides through the extraordinary scenery, adventure tasks and competitions will await. You can even bring along your own scaler or crawler and drive it on the course (subject to a maximum width of 26 cm). The hearts of exhibitors at the RC Drift Cave 59 in Hall 5 will also be racing in the truest sense as flashy sports cars drift sideways around corners as they negotiate the near-100 sqm track in a manner reminiscent of the film 'Fast & Furious' that promises to be mega-exciting. Race fans will be flocking to the RC-CAR racing days organised by the German Minicar Club through its local club 'MC Dortmund'. A variety of off-road and on-road races will be held on each day of the show, featuring professional drivers in different categories, classes and scales.

Aircrasher will be the first of Europe's major FPV (first-person view) race organisers to be featured at the show and will be bringing along an LED track complete with light show equipment. Drone races involving drones of up to 140 hp will be held in Hall 3. Christoph Wegerl, winner of INTERMODELLBAU's 'In the Air' competition, has put one and a half years of work and over 4,000 rivets into his EC 145 helicopter, producing a look that's incredibly authentic. This is also true of all 25-or-so flying models – with wingspans of up to 3 metres and weighing up to 17.5 kilograms – which will be presented as part of an impressive exhibition in Hall 3. This will include a twin-engined US all-metal aircraft as well as the Samson SA 2 Duocopter tilt-rotor aircraft from the science fiction film 'Avatar'.

Model railway enthusiasts have also been using the time since the last show to build and refit new layouts. Around 30 model railway layouts in all common gauges from Z (1:220) to IIm (1:22.5) from many European countries will be on display in Halls 4 and 7. Nine layouts will be making their début in Dortmund as they go on show in Germany for the very first time. Among them are three layouts from Germany, two from France, two from the Netherlands, one from Norway and one from Belgium – an international get-together for the best layout constructors. As if time had stood still, the halls will feature layouts that include Hamburg central station in the early 1900s as well as the railway stations in Langen am Arlberg, Dalaas and Hintergasse as they were in the 1950s, transporting visitors back to bygone ages that come alive once more in Dortmund to the sounds of industry, railway stations and metal wheels screeching on the tracks. Anyone wishing to see, try and get to know the latest model railway products and trends at the venue can head to the new IGEMA interactive area featuring top exhibitors such as Auhagen, Faller, Noch and Viessmann. In addition, MOBA – the German Model Railway Association – is teaming up with manufacturers again to present a new range of model railway seminars. As in previous years, the dominant theme will be digital controls, introducing even the more tradition-conscious model railway enthusiasts to digital technology.

The ship modellers in Hall 3 will also be presenting new, unusual and international models in all segments. The Hungaria Association of Shipmodel from Budapest, for example, will be coming to the show with a winner of several international modelling championship titles and will be bringing, among other things, excellent 1:700 scale dioramas as well as historical naval vessels built to extreme precision. In the spirit of sustainability, the Dutch European Offshore Scale Models and Berlin model makers SMC-Murgtal will be exhibiting a maritime offshore wind power assembly platform in 1:50 scale, with the official naming ceremony taking place during the show. Coming from the UK will be two car ferries and a model of the legendary passenger ferry Finnjet. The 23 x 23 metre water basin will also be plied by a host of other passenger vessels, sailing vessels, offshore lifeboats and submarines.

Big-name manufacturers and dealers – and new faces too

As well as demonstrations and skills training, exhibitors at INTERMODELLBAU 2023 will also be offering a wide variety of products for people to take home with them. To name but some, model making greats such as Auhagen, Bachmann Europe, BEMO Modelleisenbahnen, BRAWA, ESU electronic solutions, FALLER, Lenz Elektronik, Gebr. Märklin & Cie, ROCO, FLEISCHMANN, NMJ Europa, NOCH, PIKO, Tams Elektronik, TILLIG, Viessmann, Weinert Modellbau, aero-naut Modellbau, Klaus Krick Modelltechnik, freakware, MODELLBAU-CAMP, Revell, Tamiya-Carson, WIKING-Modellbau, Torro-Fahrzeugmodelle, fm-electrics, Thicon Automodelle, Carrera Toys, s-idee, BREKINA-Modellspielwaren and Herpa Miniaturmodelle will all be in attendance.

Everyone is delighted that things are finally getting underway again, as David Berlinski from Modellbau Berlinski was at pains to emphasise, saying, “Here we're introducing tens of thousands of visitors to the fascinations of model making and model railways. Finally, after a long break due to the pandemic, we can now really get up steam again and offer visitors the right products for pretty much all their needs.”

Exhibitors such as DP Solutions, Unimat Vertrieb Lauterborn and first-timer Prusa Research from the Czech Republic will be bringing 3D printing to the show. Other new exhibitors from Germany and beyond will include the US manufacturer of premium scale RC trucks, kits and accessories RC4WD who will be coming all the way to INTERMODELLBAU, and Aachen-based manufacturer Minichamps with its premium-segment model cars including classic racing cars, road vehicles, motorcycles and vehicles which illustrate the course of automotive history. Making its first appearance at the show will be small-series manufacturing start-up Kirmesmodelle Raue whose products are based on attractions that can usually be found on the major fairgrounds across North Rhine Westphalia. Together with first-time exhibitor micron dynamics, the company has developed an innovative fairground control system which it will be bringing along.

Visitors to INTERMODELLBAU can expect not just a great industry reunion over four days, but also an unforgettable experience in an extraordinary miniature world full of trends and innovations at the world's largest model making and model sports show.

Detailed information on the individual programme highlights, exhibitors and the main themes can be found on the press page of the show's website intermodellbau.com (Press / Press releases).

Other interesting and important matters:

Re-designed website

INTERMODELLBAU is putting its best foot forward even before the show starts – with a revamped website sporting a new, fresh look and a clear layout to offer a better overview and make navigation easier. It also contains all key information on the world's largest model making and model sports show.

Show app

The entire classified list of exhibitors and products complete with hall plans, search function and much more awaits all users of the current show app, which is available at: webapp.intermodellbau.com

Getting there

Due to the increased level of traffic during the show, we recommend putting the destination address 'Maurice-Vast-Straße' into your satnav. Once at this destination, visitors will be directed to the appropriate parking spaces via signposting in the vicinity. Due to a football match, no parking will be allowed during the day on Strobelallee on Saturday 22 April.

Tickets are available at the box office at the venue or online at: intermodellbau.de/en-gb/ticketshop

Updates on the exhibitors, the programme and the highlights of INTERMODELLBAU are available on the trade show channels Instagram, Facebook as well as the exhibition website and via newsletter.

EXHIBITION AT A GLANCE

INTERMODELLBAU – WORLD’S LARGEST EXHIBITION FOR MODEL MAKING AND MODEL SPORTS

Once a year, the world’s largest exhibition for model making and model sports opens its doors to everyone interested in experiencing the world scaled down to miniature proportions. Here, a huge range of exhibitors, models, layouts and products from all over the world delight experienced model builders, new enthusiasts as well as the entire families. Whether it is aircraft, railways, boats, ships or cars – either working models or cardboard modelling – there is something for everyone. Visitors can also experience model making – literally – at first hand at Dortmund Exhibition Centre, as numerous hands-on activities, demonstrations and feature shows await them at INTERMODELLBAU.

DATE:

20 - 23 April 2023

Thursday to Saturday: 09:00 - 18:00 hrs

Sunday: 09:00 - 17:00 hrs

EVENT ORGANISER:

Messe Dortmund GmbH

CONCEPTUAL SPONSORS:

• Deutscher Minicar Club e.V. (DMC)

• Deutscher Modellflieger Verband e.V. (DMFV)

• Interessengemeinschaft Modelleisenbahnausstellungen (IGEMA)

• Modellbahnverband in Deutschland e.V. (MOBA)

• nauticus e.V. – Deutscher Dachverband für Schiffsmodellbau und Schiffsmodellsport e. V.

TARGET GROUPS:

Experienced model builders, newcomers and families

HALLS OCCUPIED:

Halls 3 to 7

EXHIBITORS:

Approx. 355 exhibitors from 17 countries

FULL PROGRAMME LINE-UP: intermodellbau.de/en-gb/programm-highlights

PROGRAMME ITEMS (selected items):

Railway modelling

• Over 30 demonstration layouts (Halls 4 and 7)

• Model railway seminar area (Hall 4)

• IGEMA interactive area (Hall 4)

• Creative area for young & old powered by Faller & Märklin (Hall 4)

• Junior College Europa (BDEF, Hall 7)

• Rides on a miniature steam locomotive (Hall 6)

Model shipbuilding (Hall 3)

• Model ship demonstration in the 23 x 23 sqm water basin

• Sea captain's licence for children (nauticus e.V.)

• Making mini boats (nauticus e.V.)

• Exceptional models

o Miniature models in 1:1250 (Miniaturschiffe Weiß & IG 1250)

o Offshore wind power assembly platform (European Offshore Scale Models)

o 7-metre tender Tünnes

o Historic naval vessels and winning models (Hungarian Association of Shipmodel)

o 40 submarines (IG SONAR)

• Naval painting artworks by Olaf Rahardt

Vehicle modelling

• Working model demonstration layouts with cars, trucks and off-road course (Halls 5 & 6)

• RC-CAR race days (DMC, Hall 5)

• Race of Champions for school classes (Hall 5, DMC)

• Hands-on mini race track (Hall 5, DMC)

• RC DRIFT CAVE 59 (Hall 5)

• Scaler action course and hands-on area (Hall 6)

• Children's RC truck driver's licence (Hall 6, mini-Truck-Club Recklinghausen)

• Snow groomer course (Hall 6)

Aeromodelling (Hall 3)

• Special exhibition with approx. 25 model aircraft

• Spectacular air shows

• JUMP! with flight simulator (young model flyers, DMFV)

• Throw-glider making for children (DMFV)

• Drone Race (Aircrasher)

• Drone Soccer (MFSD)

• Tello Drohnen (MFSD)

Other highlights

• LEGO® fan exhibition (MBFR, Hall 7)

• Mad Metal Machines (German-Roboteers-Association, Hall 3)

o Robot battles (Sat & Sun)

o Robot control (Thurs – Sun)

• Cardboard model making (Hall 5)

• Science Fiction & Fantasy Models (Halls 5 and 6)

• Fire fighting models & layouts (Hall 6)

• Police models & layouts (Hall 6)

• Funfair and circus model making (Hall 6)



Further infos: intermodellbau.de/en-gb

Download images: intermodellbau.de/en-gb/presse#Downloads