Record figures in Tokyo

The multi-trade show made up of four individual events, Tool Japan (tools and hardware), Garden/Extepo (garden, outdoor living), Ifex (flowers) and Agritech (agricultural engineering), has come to an end with record figures for both exhibitors and visitors. The visitor attendance figure saw an increase of 27 per cent on last year’s result for a total of 34 118. The three-day trade fair alliance of four different events, held in Tokyo in mid-October, featured a combined total of 1 229 exhibiting companies. Tool Japan – the International Hardware and Tools Expo Tokyo, which was staged for the third time, was used by 168 companies to present their products and services. A striking aspect here is the five per cent jump in the number of foreign suppliers, which resulted in the exhibitors from abroad achieving a share of some 30 per cent. Organisers Reed Exhibitions Japan expect that this share will rise still further in the future. The fair is designed as a buying and information platform for the retail categories covering DIY stores and hypermarkets, as well as other marketing channels. Taking place at the same time was the tenth Ifex, the International Flower Expo Tokyo, which is the fair with the longest tradition within the combined event. It is considered to be the leading trade fair for the flower industry in Asia. For the eighth time Gardex, the International Garden Expo Tokyo, was staged in conjunction once again with Extepo, International Outdoor Living & Building Products Tokyo (for the sixth time). Here the organisers had introduced several new segments into the structure: pet supplies, Next Garden Style (designer products for the garden) and indoor gardens. The number of exhibitors from overseas was also up at Gardex/Extepo, where 61 of the 194 companies (36 per cent) came from abroad. This is seen as an indicator that more international suppliers will be flying their flags on the Japanese market in the future.