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| Belgium Very Important For Nürnbergmessee When NürnbergMesse sponsors the organic buffet at the reception for the Belgian ambassador in Munich, there is a reason for it: Belgium is one of the top ten international customers of the Franconian exhibition company. With 4,900 m2 of display space last year, Belgian exhibitors ranked ninth in the number of international companies at exhibitions in Nürnberg. In terms of international trade visitors, the Belgians are even the fifth strongest group and 4,770 visitors came to Nürnberg in 2007. Belgium is a major trading partner of Germany – for both export and import. According to initial estimations, goods to the value of 60 billion euros were imported to Belgium and Luxembourg from Germany in 2008 – 6.4 per cent up on the previous year. This makes the economic union of Belgium/Luxembourg the sixth most important foreign market for German exports. In the other direction, Germany even occupies top position for exports from the Belgian-Luxembourg economic union, whose sales to Germany in 2008 grew by six per cent to 41.2 billion euros. This reciprocal economic importance is also reflected in the participation at exhibitions in Nürnberg. "There is no exhibition theme in Nürnberg at which Belgium is not represented, " says Ralph Ernst, and he should know. He has represented NürnbergMesse in Belgium and Luxembourg at the German-Belgian-Luxembourg Chamber of Trade since 1995. 110 Belgian companies were present with their own stands at exhibitions in Nürnberg last year – at some exhibitions even with an above-average share. Belgium provided the fourth strongest group of international exhibitors at GaLaBau 2008, the Trade Fair for Urban Green and Open Spaces, and the fifth strongest at the brewing exhibition BRAU Beviale 2008. The fourth strongest group is also expected in the spring at the next European Coatings Show, the leading exhibition for the international coatings and paint industry. By charter flight to the exhibition "The sectors covered by Nürnberg are of interest to Belgium, which is a highly industrialized country. An attractive potential exists in almost all economic sectors and there is a very large interest in utilizing our offers, " explains Ernst. So large that the representative in Belgium organizes a charter flight to almost every international exhibition in Nürnberg to enable representatives from Belgian companies to make one-day visits. 50 to 100 participants use this offer regularly – a service that is more popular here than for any other foreign group. "Here we are the number one compared with all the other international representatives of NürnbergMesse, " says a delighted Ernst. He can only speculate on why this offer is so attractive for Belgians: "The Belgians undoubtedly plan their visits so rigorously and well that they can completely cover the desired contacts with a nine-hour visit to the exhibition. We meet in Antwerp or Brussels at 5 a.m. in the morning. We arrive at the doors of the exhibition at 9 a.m., stay until closing time at 6 p.m. and then fly back again. A hard day, but the companies like it." Foreign exhibitions like a tender seedling Belgian companies appreciate the quality of the international exhibitions in Nürnberg. "NürnbergMesse has an excellent reputation among Belgian exhibitors, " says Ernst. What primarily counts for his fellow countrymen are the clear concepts of the highly specialized Nürnberg exhibitions and their professional organization and good support. These advantages also apply to exhibitions organized abroad by Nürnberg. Ernst speaks of a "tender seedling" in the process of growing. Belgian companies are beginning to develop an interest in NürnbergMesse events abroad: Several companies have already successfully exhibited their products at BioFach Japan in 2007 and 2008. A trend that will grow in future. "The fact that events like BioFach Japan are also organized by the NürnbergMesse Group plays a major role – this is simply a quality label that is noticed. People think if an event is organized by the Nürnberg company, it will be well thought out, " says Ernst. After all, the long-term trust that Belgians have in Nürnberg has a long history: The first King of Belgium, Leopold I, was born in Coburg in 1790 – so also a Franconian. About the NürnbergMesse Group NürnbergMesse is one of the 20 largest exhibition companies in the world, is in the Top Ten in Europe, is a member of GDG (Gemeinschaft Deutscher Großmessen) and holds 7th place in the German rankings after the exhibition companies in Frankfurt, Düsseldorf, Hanover, Munich, Berlin and Cologne – well ahead of Stuttgart, Essen, Leipzig and Hamburg. The portfolio covers more than 100 international exhibitions and congresses at the Nürnberg location and worldwide. Every year, over 27,000 exhibitors (international share: 37 %), 895,000 trade visitors (international share: 20 %) and 395,000 consumers participate in the NürnbergMesse Group's own, partner and guest events. The group currently employs 285 persons and moderate expansion is planned. write your comments about the article :: © 2009 Exhibition News :: home page |