Increasingly international

The house fair organised by 3e and Hagebau/Öbau, the biggest of its kind in Austria, was held on 17 and 18 November in Wels. There 250 direct exhibitors presented their ranges on an exhibition space in excess of 14 500 m², giving the member companies an insight into the latest trends in the hobby, DIY and building materials sectors. The attendance figure for visitors was around 2 000, with 210 of them coming from Hungary, Slovakia, Czechia, Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia, Serbia and Romania. Dr. Günther Pacher, chairman of 3e, sees the high number of visitors from abroad as an indication of the mood of anticipation in the neighbouring countries of eastern Europe, “who are not only bringing their product ranges up to west European standards, but also want growth and expansion for themselves above all”.