Business news

18 Jun 2020

Belinterexpo plans over 30 exhibitions for Belarusian manufacturers in H2 2020

An archive photo

MINSK, 18 June (BelTA) - Belinterexpo plans to organize the participation of Belarusian producers in more than 30 international exhibitions in the second half of 2020, Evgeny Vvedensky, director of the Belinterexpo exhibition operator at the Belarusian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BelCCI), during the online stream “Exhibitions in H2 2020: from Shanghai to the Netherlands”, BelTA has learned.

“Exhibitions, which were planned for the first half of this year have been postponed en masse. Some of them were postponed to 2021, others were postponed to the second half of this year. Many of the organizers have confirmed the specified time frame. If these exhibitions take place, we will have a busy schedule. According to preliminary estimates, more than 30 exhibitions are to take place in the last four months of this year, starting in September. And this is a lot, given that we held 34 exhibitions in 2019,” Evgeny Vvedensky said. He stressed that in this way the company faces a difficult but feasible task. “Everything is feasible if you try. For example, we have held three major exhibitions simultaneously in different countries and even on different continents. We became the only exhibition company to successfully hold exhibitions in Angola, Nigeria, Syria, Sudan and Zimbabwe in 2019. We have held more than 200 exhibitions in 60 countries and launched a full-scale virtual exhibition Made in Belarus #AgroFood for the first time in Belarus,” he said.

The Belinterexpo head understands the concerns of the Belarusian business, participants in exhibitions, about the safety of trips abroad at present. “We monitor the situation on a regular basis, see where there is a good chance that the event will take place. In some cases, the organizers are doing their best to secure maximum safety and thus ensure that the exhibition takes place,” Evgeny Vvedensky said.

One of the first on the calendar of the Belarusian exhibition campaign is CNR Food Istanbul, which is due in Istanbul on 2-5 September. “The organizers have distributed a special instruction on security measures, prepared in accordance with the recommendation of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. These rules include strict staff requirements, temperature checks, entry only for professionals, limited number of people, social distancing, emergency medical stations, and disinfectants in all key areas. Ventilation systems will use only outdoor air,” Evgeny Vvedensky said.

Plans are also in place to take part in the large agricultural fair Novi Sad due in Serbia on 19-25 September. This event usually attracts more than 1,500 exhibitors and 150,000 visitors. From 28 September to 1 October, Poland will host the Polagra Food expo. Another event, Ethiopia AGROFOOD, is set to take place in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia on 1-3 October. Oman will play host to the FOOD&Hospitality expo on 5-7 October. Cairo, Egypt will become a venue for Food Africa and several other various important events on 16-18 December.

Evgeny Vvedensky believes that companies should start gearing up for these expos now and offered them to send Belinterexpo their applications for these events and sign appropriate agreements. “We are affiliated with the BelCCI and have proven to be a reliable and trustworthy partner. If an expo is cancelled or postponed, or a participating company is unable to attend due to circumstances beyond its control, we will provide a refund or use these funds for the company’s participation in another expo, depending on the company’s decision. But it is advisable to start preparing for this now,” he stressed.