The 10th EXPO REAL property fair in Munich attracted 23,800 trade visitors from 77 countries, a 13% increase in attendance figures compared with 2006, organiser Messe Muenchen said in the closing hours of the fair on Wednesday afternoon.
The 10th EXPO REAL property fair in Munich attracted 23,800 trade visitors from 77 countries, a 13% increase in attendance figures compared with 2006, organiser Messe Muenchen said in the closing hours of the fair on Wednesday afternoon.
Messe Muenchen said the 24% increase in the number of non-German visitors was even more marked. The top ten countries of origin among the visitors - after Germany - were (in order): Great Britain, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Russian Federation, France, Poland, the US and Italy. Commenting on EXPO REAL's growth over the last the last decade, Eugen Egetenmeir, a board member of Messe Muenchen, said: 'We have managed in this time to gain the respect and trust of the sector and as a result to grow EXPO REAL into an exceptional success story.'
A total of 1,823 companies from 43 countries exhibited at EXPO REAL 2007. The international element of EXPO REAL is growing bigger each year, director Claudia Boymanns said during an interview with PropertyTV. This year three companies from India signed on as exhibitors at the last minute and there was a large delegation from Russia, including new cities which are attending the fair for the first time, and a Turkish delegation. Boymanns said she expected the international component to grow further next year, but there are no plans to expand the number of halls.
This year's event occupies a total of 63,000 m2 in six halls, the equivalent of 11 football fields. That marks a 20% increase over last year and makes EXPO REAL the largest real estate fair in Europe in terms of square metres. MIPIM in Cannes remains the largest fair in Europe in terms of visitors and exhibitors. This year's fair in MIPIM attracted 26,210 visitors (up 22% on 2006) and 2,523 exhibitors over an exhibition surface of 24,464 m2.
Reflecting worldwide concern about global warming and energy conservation, one of the key themes at EXPO REAL this year was sustainability in the property sector. Another was Central and Eastern Europe. The next EXPO REAL takes place from 6 to 8 October 2008 in Munich.
Click on the link below to see PropertyEU's comprehensive, multimedia coverage of EXPO REAL - with over 30 interviews with leading real estate professionals by PropertyTV and online versions of the 32-page Daily News magazine - for each of the three days of the fair.
