Everything about the SMART Automation Austria Wels
The SMART Automation Austria is Austria's leading trade fair for industrial automation. It takes place at the Wels Exhibition Centre. Hotel Ploberger is just a few minutes' walk away – with garage, breakfast and quiet rooms in the centre.
Hotel, tickets, parking and accommodation
What is the SMART Automation Austria?
The SMART Automation Austria is Austria's leading trade fair for industrial automation –
and the central industry meeting point for industrial manufacturing and digital transformation.
Under the roof of the Wels Exhibition Centre, global technology corporations, specialised mid-sized companies and innovative start-ups present their solutions to a high-calibre professional audience.
All fields of automation technology are represented – from control and drive technology through sensors and industrial communication to robotics and machine vision.
The range extends from
smart sensors, bus systems and metrology through automated handling and process control technology to AI-supported automation and engineering services.
This makes the SMART Automation the central platform for trade visitors, decision-makers and users from the manufacturing industry.
What can I expect at the SMART Automation Austria?
A remarkable feature is the high professional expertise of the audience, combined with a large share of decision-makers – which makes the SMART Automation an effective business and innovation platform.
Generous presentation areas and high-quality stand concepts make technologies, applications and solutions tangible live – from individual components to networked production systems.
As a trade fair of supra-regional importance, the SMART Automation is a reason for many trade visitors and exhibitors to spend several days in Wels – expert programme during the day, a relaxed evening in the old town and a short, convenient trip to the exhibition grounds. Visitors from Bavaria, Germany, Lower Austria and Styria in particular like to combine the visit with a stay in the centre of Wels.
What's on at the SMART Automation Austria?
A key part of the experience is the curated supporting programme with clear theme days.
Each fair day starts with short lightning talks as pointed impulse-givers, followed by interdisciplinary panel discussions with experts from industry and research.
The daily themes are deepened by compact expert talks from different perspectives – always well-founded, practical and solution-oriented, around digitalisation, robotics and AI in production.
Opening hours of the SMART Automation Austria
The SMART Automation Austria runs over several fair days at the Wels Exhibition Centre.
The exact dates and daily opening hours of the current edition are published by the organiser on the official website.
As the fair extends across several halls and the expert programme is very dense, allow plenty of time for a complete tour. Anyone on site for several days as a trade visitor or exhibitor is best advised to plan a stay with an overnight and to stay centrally, so the journeys to the fair remain short.
Tickets and admission
Tickets for the SMART Automation Austria are usually available in advance and at the box office.
The current admission prices, categories and information on trade-visitor registration are published by the organiser on the official website.
To avoid the queues, use the advance sale and arrive early.
Getting to the SMART Automation Austria
By car
Wels lies directly on the A1 Western Motorway and is easy to reach from Vienna, Salzburg, Linz and Munich.
By train
Wels station is one of Austria's most important railway hubs.
From there, visitors reach the city centre and the event areas within a few minutes.
By plane
Linz Airport is around 20 minutes from Wels and offers good connections for international guests.
Parking at the Wels Exhibition Centre
Visitors benefit from numerous parking options in Wels.
Garage at Hotel Ploberger
Guests staying at Hotel Ploberger enjoy a particular advantage:
The public car park at Kaiser-Josef-Platz connects directly to the hotel.
The car can stay there while you travel to the fair comfortably on foot or by the public transport that runs from Kaiser-Josef-Platz towards the exhibition grounds.
Exhibition car parks
During the SMART Automation Austria, exhibition car parks are available around the grounds.
For an event of this scale, an early arrival or the use of public transport is recommended, as traffic volumes are high.
City-centre location
Thanks to the hotel's central location, many routes can be covered comfortably on foot.
The SMART Automation Austria with your dog
A note for visitors with a dog:
At the SMART Automation Austria, animals are not permitted – with the exception of assistance dogs.
As an industrial trade fair with technical operations, the grounds are not suitable for dogs. The organiser's current rules should be checked briefly on the official website before your visit.
If you do travel with a dog and want it well looked after during your fair visit, Hotel Ploberger is the right choice: dogs are warmly welcome there on request.
This makes the stay in Wels easy to arrange – with short distances and green spaces nearby for the daily walks.
The SMART Automation Austria as a trade event
The SMART Automation Austria is a pure B2B trade fair for industrial automation.
It is aimed at trade visitors, decision-makers and users from industry – children and families are not part of the event's target audience.
Information on access conditions and any age rules is published by the organiser on the official website.
For arriving trade visitors, the central location of Hotel Ploberger is an advantage: short distances, no long drives and a quiet retreat after an intensive day at the fair.
Where to stay during the SMART Automation Austria?
For trade visitors and exhibitors travelling for several days in particular, the choice of accommodation makes the difference.
A central location in the Wels old town brings several advantages:
- short distances between hotel,
- fair and city centre,
- restaurants and cafés within walking distance for the evening,
- no daily search for parking at the grounds and
- a relaxed wind-down after a long fair day.
Anyone who doesn't want to drive back from an industrial estate in the evening, but is right in the city instead, gains noticeably in rest –
and arrives refreshed on the next fair day. After an intensive day at the SMART Automation Austria, the breakfast at Hotel Ploberger is a relaxed start the next morning before heading back to the fair.
Hotel Ploberger – 8 minutes' walk to the SMART Automation Austria
Hotel Ploberger is only around 650 metres from the event areas.
Most areas of the Wels Exhibition Centre can be reached in about 8 minutes on foot.
If you prefer public transport, there is a connection running directly from Kaiser-Josef-Platz towards the fair.
As a family-run house in its fourth generation, the hotel is a place where trade visitors, exhibitors and business travellers recover after an intensive day at the fair. The quiet, air-conditioned rooms sit in the middle of the city yet sheltered from the bustle. The sauna and fitness area invites you to recharge after a long day, and the generous breakfast buffet with regional products can be enjoyed in the garden on request.
Your advantages at a glance:- quiet, air-conditioned rooms in the heart of Wels
- generous breakfast buffet with regional products – in the garden on request
- sauna and fitness area for recovery
- public car park with direct lift access to the hotel
- 24-hour access to the hotel
- free Wi-Fi throughout the house
- restaurants, cafés and the Wels old town right outside the door
After a day among robotics, sensors and expert talks, guests enjoy the calm of the house while still reaching everything important on foot.
For business travellers in particular who visit Wels regularly, Hotel Ploberger – for example as a seminar hotel in Wels – is a familiar address.
What are FAQs about the SMART Automation Austria in Wels?
What is the SMART Automation Austria?
The SMART Automation Austria is Austria's leading trade fair for industrial automation. It takes place at the Wels Exhibition Centre and is aimed at a professional audience from the manufacturing industry.
When does the SMART Automation Austria take place?
The fair runs over several days. The current dates are published by the organiser on the official website.
Where does the SMART Automation Austria take place?
At the Wels Exhibition Centre in Upper Austria.
What are the focus areas of the fair?
Control and drive technology, sensors, industrial communication, robotics, machine vision, metrology and AI-supported automation.
How much is admission?
The current admission prices and categories are published by the organiser on the official website. Tickets are available in advance and at the box office.
What does the supporting programme offer?
Curated theme days with lightning talks, interdisciplinary panel discussions and compact expert talks around automation, robotics and AI.
Is the fair open to the general public?
The SMART Automation Austria is a pure B2B trade fair. Information on access conditions is published by the organiser on the official website.
How far is Hotel Ploberger from the exhibition centre?
Just a few minutes' walk. Alternatively, public transport runs from Kaiser-Josef-Platz towards the exhibition grounds.
Is parking available?
Yes. The public car park at Kaiser-Josef-Platz, with lift access to the hotel, is right by the hotel. The exhibition car parks are also available at the grounds.
Can I arrive by train?
Yes. Wels station is an important hub; during the fair there are direct public connections to the exhibition grounds.
Which hotels are near the Wels Exhibition Centre?
Hotel Ploberger is centrally located in the Wels old town, just a few minutes' walk from the exhibition grounds, which makes it particularly well placed for trade visitors and exhibitors.
Which restaurants are nearby?
Hotel Ploberger is in the middle of the Wels old town – restaurants, cafés and bars are within a few minutes' walk.
Can I bring my dog?
At the SMART Automation Austria, animals are not permitted, except assistance dogs. At Hotel Ploberger, however, dogs are welcome on request.
Is the fair accessible?
The grounds of the Wels Exhibition Centre are designed with accessibility in mind. Current information is published by the organiser on the official website.
Is it suitable for a multi-day visit?
Yes. Given the dense expert programme and the theme days, an overnight stay in a central location is worthwhile for trade visitors and exhibitors.
Are there charging points for electric cars?
Charging options are available at Hotel Ploberger. It is best to ask the hotel directly for details.