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Home > ÖSTERREICH > Geschftsveranstaltungen
PLOVDIV'S 64th INTERNATIONAL FAIR READY TO WELCOME ITALY'S SMEs
The date for the most important trade-fair event not only for Bulgaria but for the whole Balkan region is fast approaching. The 64th edition of the Plovdiv International Fair (www.fair.bg/en) will take place at the end of September, from the 24th to the 29th. The show - which builds on a century-old tradition of trade-fairs in Plovdiv, started in 1892 with the first agricultural and industrial exhibition for the then newly-formed Kingdom of Bulgaria - has become a centrepiece of the trade-fair season for many Bulgarian and foreign visitors. In the last three years the event has consistently attracted more than 130,000 people: 132,518 in 2004, 133,518 in 2005 and 135,217 last year. The exhibition area has expanded accordingly: from 95,000 square meters in 2005 to over 115,000 square meters in 2006, while the number of exhibitors has risen from 2,859 in 2004 to 3,548 in 2006, with 2,195 originating from 49 different countries (62% of the total). Foreign exhibitors have increased by more than 500 units; in 2004 they were only 1,677.
The fact that in 2006 only 38% of Plovdiv's exhibitors hailed from Bulgaria is testimony to the event's international character. The Fair is a showcase for the latest developments in mechanic engineering, industrial machinery and equipment, workshop transport machinery and equipment, electronics, electrotechnics, telecommunications and information technology, office equipment, energy, environmental protection, building and construction industry, metallurgy, chemicals and water treatment technologies. A wide range of industries which are all crucial for the development of Bulgaria's economy. The Fair gives Bulgarian industry the opportunity to develop links with traders from all over the world.
On the other hand, Bulgaria's growth ambitions on the international scene are supported by excellent economic fundamentals. In the first nine months of 2006 the country's GDP grew at record speed (+6.3%), exceeding all forecasts. The constant growth of private consumption, the improvement in the business climate and solidity in consumer confidence all indicate that the positive trend should continue for the rest of the year. In 2006 exports grew by 26.6%, reaching a value of 2,516.3 million euros. Imports growth was slightly inferior, up by 25.3% to reach a value of 3,707.3 million euros. The main trade partners are the EU countries, accounting for 55% of Bulgaria's exports and for 46.8% of its imports.
In particular, Italian exports to Bulgaria in 2006 rose by 21.6% in 2006, up from 1,318.4 million to 1,602.6 million euros, compared to an average growth of 18%. Last year Italy confirmed its place as Sofia's third trading partner with an 8.7% market share, trailing behind Russia (17.3%) and Germany (12.4%). With the objective of consolidating Italian firms' presence in a market which is not yet fully mature, and to give them the chance to explore a new country, the Italian Trade Commission (ICE) has organised on official delegation of Italian businesses who will take part in the 2007 edition of the Plovdiv International Fair. The group will comprise around 70 firms, mostly small-medium enterprises (SMEs), operating in a wide range of sectors, but with the majority specialising in mechanics (e.g. producers of machinery tools, hydraulic machines, automatic gates and shutters, presses, hydraulic valves) and in the construction industry (e.g. producers of marble cutting machinery, chemical products for marble and stones, concrete mixing equipment, earth-moving machinery, ceramics and tiles).
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