Mapic sees attendance numbers drop 10%

The Mapic retail fair in Cannes last November attracted a total of 9,550 participants, marking a decline of 10% on last year's figure, fair organiser Reed Midim announced on Wednesday. The UK accounted for the bulk of the decrease, a spokeswoman said. 'We saw a fall in the number of delegates from industrial suppliers, but the key people in the retail and development sector were still there.'

The exhibition space was enlarged at this year’s Mapic by 1,200 m² to 12,628 m². Of the 347 stands, 47 were held by retailers. New countries represented at the fair included Ghana, Libya, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Iceland and New Zealand. In total, 65 countries were represented.

Turkey, which was guest of honour at this year’s edition of Mapic, registered a 40% increase in terms of exhibiting companies. Poland rose to seventh place among the top 10 of the most represented countries in terms of participating companies, closing in on traditional leaders such as France, Italy, UK, Russia, Spain and Belgium.

Ukraine also became a major player this year, with a 69% increase in the number of exhibiting companies. Despite the challenging economic climate, the US increased its attendance by 20% thanks to the growing number of retailing companies targeting the European market.