Platform for the industry in Belgium

DIY 2005 will be open for business in Kortrijk, Belgium, from 30 January to 1 February. The number of exhibitors comes to 189, which is 13 per cent more than were attracted to the last event and the same number as in the year 2001. Over 16 per cent of these suppliers come from France, the Netherlands and Germany. The French companies will be represented on a group stand organised by Unibal.
The products shown at the fair are divided into seven categories. The biggest section in terms of exhibitor numbers is decoration, which accounts for a 21 per cent share of the total. Next comes timber/building materials at 15 per cent. Third place goes to the garden section with nearly 13 per cent, followed by plumbing, hardware and electrical, which together account for 24 per cent of the product offer.
The last DIY attracted 5 077 visitors. These included buyers from the DIY superstores, as well as representatives of the hardware, building materials and timber trades, though the fair is also of interest to the owners of interior decoration shops and garden centres.
A new products competition is being staged for the first time. All exhibitors can take part and put forward their own new products. A jury of experts will then select the items to be displayed during the show as “Stars in the box”, which will allow visitors to get a quick overview of the new offerings available. There will be a prize for the best new product, with points awarded for its innovative character, the product itself and its presentation.  The winner  will be announced within the framework of the New Year reception given by the Belgian DIY Association (BDA) on 31 January.
DIY 2005 is expecting 13 per cent more exhibitors than the prevoius event.
The coming show will also again offer interested visitors and exhibitors further information at conference sessions on the Monday and Tuesday mornings. Organisation of both these events is in the hands of the Dobbit Professional magazine and the BDA. The topics for discussion: Ideal brand architecture strategies for traders, and Choice of store representatives and staff.