More space soon

The total of just under 300 exhibitors departed from the 17th international IAW trade fair for retail promotions and imports held in Cologne at the end of February with their order books full. The three-day event, which is seen as Europe’s leading order fair for promotional items, trend-led products and volume business, was absolutely fully booked for the fifth time running, according to organisers Nordwestdeutsche Messegesellschaft. New exhibitors from France, Italy and Spain were present at the event. Traditionally the Netherlands were most strongly represented again, followed by France, Britain, Italy, Belgium and Spain. The international share rose from 28 to 33 per cent. A total of 8 149 visitors attended the event from 55 countries. The organisers are aiming to crack the 300-exhibitor mark at the autumn fair from 17 – 19 September 2013. That event is scheduled to move from hall 10.2 to halls 4.2 and 5.2 because of the increasing need for more space.