Strategic alliance

Koelnmesse and the Bilbao Exhibition Centre have agreed on a strategic partnership for the joint marketing of the International Hardware Fair/Practical World and Ferroforma. The aim of the agreement is to further strengthen both of these events. The contract is in the shape of a joint venture which is designed to offer the sector the opportunity to exhibit annually – in Cologne during even years and in Bilbao in odd ones. Which means that the International Hardware Fair/Practical World will be staged in early March 2008, then in late March 2009 will come Ferroforma, which is in future to carry the additional name “Practical World”. At the most recent International Hardware Fair/Practical World, held in Cologne in 2006, there were approximately 3 500 exhibitors from 58 countries and 75 000 trade visitors. This year’s Ferroforma in Bilbao recorded over 1 300 exhibitors and 24 000 trade visitors.