FIRST-EVER FASTENER FAIR BUDAPEST SHOW HIGHLIGHTS HUGE BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES IN EUROPE’S BOOMING ‘NEAR EAST’

"With over 1,400 people attending, including 1,012 qualified buyers, Fastener Fair Budapest has been the catalyst for a large volume of profitable trade," says organiser.

"An outstanding success," is how Fastener Fair exhibition organiser Jerry Ramsdale describes the first-ever staging of Fastener Fair Budapest, which took place in Hungary's capital on 22 and 23 September. Of the 1,012 visitors who attended, 45% were distributors, 35% were fastener manufacturers or wholesalers; and 13% were fastener end-users. What they shared in common was that the vast majority of them, almost 80%, were decision-makers with purchasing authority. As for the 166 exhibiting companies from 26 countries, 69% were from Europe, 28% from Asia and the rest from North America and the Middle East.

"What the statistics show," explains Ramsdale, "is that we successfully met the market's demand for a focused regional exhibition that put fastener and fixing companies in direct contact with distributors, manufacturers and end-users in the fast-developing markets of eastern Europe." This was borne out by the geographical spread of the visitors: 68% came from the 'target' market of central and eastern Europe, including countries like Russia, Estonia and Latvia. "We were delighted to see so many visitors from Hungary itself, 43% of the total," according to Ramsdale, "as well as those that came from much further afield, including the Middle East."

The traditional party, bringing together exhibitors, visitors and members of the press, proved a particular hit in Budapest. "These events are always popular, as they tend to combine fun and a real party atmosphere with high-level business networking opportunities," says Ramsdale. "Our boat trip down the Danube was no exception!"

As for the future of the show, Ramsdale confirms that early feedback from both exhibitors and visitors means that a follow-up show, probably in late 2009 or sometime in 2010, is inevitable. "We're continuing to consult with the industry," says Ramsdale, "and I can promise we'll be back! Whether that's in Hungary again, or another country in central or Eastern Europe, will depend on our ongoing research into what the industry wants and, equally importantly, where the most profitable business opportunities lie for exhibitors and visitors alike."

Source: www.fastenerfair.com