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Rendezvous in Istanbul - ZOW premiere and IMOB in January/February 2008

The countdown is running. The first ZOW supplier show for furniture and interior design industries will take place at the Istanbul Expo Center on January 31st - February 3rd, 2008. Parallely the Turkish furniture fair IMOB will get underway one day earlier at the same venue, making Istanbul the destination of choice for professionals in the international furniture industry. Everyone including exhibitors, visitors, the press, trade associations and the organizer are looking forward to the event. Exhibitor numbers are certainly respectable. Around 130 suppliers from Turkey and abroad will be at the premiere event. The show is being organized by Survey Fuarcilik Danişmanlik Ltd. ŞTİ., Istanbul.

The date and location are perfect. In parallel with the flagship Turkish furniture show, ZOW will showcase that latest innovative surfaces, fittings, elements and systems, semi-finished products, furniture fabrics and upholstery materials. A complete portfolio of supplies will be on display in one place, and exhibitors and visitors to ZOW and IMOB will have access to a wealth of information. As it is the case at all ZOW shows, ZOW in Turkey is staged in a region with a high concentration of furniture producers, in this case the Istanbul area. The modern Istanbul Expo Center, which is located in close proximity to Atatürk Airport, offers the ideal setting for a successful ZOW show in Turkey.

Around 75% of ZOW exhibitors are based in Turkey. The rest comes from Germany, Italy, other European countries and Asia. A wide range of products will be on display at the inaugural event in Istanbul including timber and boards, edges, profiles, lacquers and adhesives, decor papers and fabrics. Wood-based materials, functional and ornamental fittings, furniture feet and furniture rollers will be very well represented at the exhibtion. The ZOW website at www.zow.com.tr (Exhibitor’s List) contains a summary of exhibitors and their allocation into product groups.

If you are not familiar with the ZOW concept, then you can look forward to your first experience of a business event with a difference. The focus is on people, products and communication at the show which has earned an enviable international reputation for its workshop concept. Open, transparent stands with defined stand sizes and uniform stand modules invite visitors to come in for a chat. Forum areas where refreshments are availabe create open space which is conducive to relaxed conversation between exhibitors and visitors. Parking, admission and catering are provided to trade visitors free of charge. Because a large number of company decision makers are invited to the show, ZOW is inherently a good place to do business.

Turkey – a growth market

Turkey is one of several locations on the ZOW international map alongside Germany, Italy, Spain, Russia and China. The Turkish economy is growing by 10 percent annually, making it one of the world’s most attractive markets. The furniture market is booming, and it offers excellent sales opportunities to domestic and foreign suppliers. For years, the furniture industry has been one of the fastest growing segments of the Turkish economy, benefiting from strong private and government investment in housing. The urbanization process continues unabated, and increasing disposable income stimulates sales in the urban consumer centers.

For a long time, Turkey has been seen as the gateway to the Middle East and to the attractive furniture markets in Syria, Iran, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. A large number of big construction projects in the Emirates offer good sales opportunities for international suppliers. Due to its location on the crossroads between East and West, Istanbul is the ideal base for servicing these markets, and ZOW provides the appropriate platform.

A first-class business event will be held for the furniture industry in Istanbul in January 2008. The stage is set for a successful ZOW premiere, and exhibitors and trade visitors from Turkey and abroad will make the show a success.