The strongest international exhibitor growth is coming from Europe, with Germany notching up an increase of around 20 per cent in exhibition space. The area occupied by companies from Italy and Spain, among other countries, has also seen a perceptible increase. Exhibitors from Taiwan have almost doubled their amount of space, and both the Taiwan Hand Tools Manufacturers Association and the Importers and Exporters Association of Taipei have organised big group stands.
Taking part for the first time on the exhibiting side is Ace Hardware, the American cooperative group that supplies more than 4 600 independent hardware and DIY dealers in 68 countries across the world. There are already 70 Ace outlets in Asia and the Pacific region.
The organisers, China National Hardware Association and Koelnmesse, expect around 35 000 visitors to attend this year’s event. The major international visitor countries include the USA and Canada, Germany, Japan, Britain and Italy.
Also due to be held in Shanghai, almost in parallel to the Hardware Show – from 24 – 28 September 2006 – is the 49th World Hardware Convention with around 1 000 participants. It is the annual international conference of the International Federation of Hardware and Housewares Associations (IHA), which represents on a global level the worldwide hardware industry as its umbrella organisation with about 31 000 members in 17 countries. The association has its headquarters in Birmingham, England.
Download: