News

Focus Kitchen & Bath in Moscow:
A first for Russia's boom capital

The Russian economy has been posting steady growth for years. The construction industry continues to develop at a rapid rate and promises to be a lucrative market for foreign manufacturers from all sectors of the kitchen and bathroom fittings industry. Reason enough, then, for the b2b show organizer, Survey Marketing + Consulting GmbH & Co. KG in Bielefeld (Germany), to stage its successful get-together for the industry – Focus Kitchen & Bath – for the first time in Moscow’s new “boom town”. “Focus Kitchen & Bath” opened its doors to the public at the prominent Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Center from March 9 – 12, running parallel to Fidexpo.

“We’ve made a start now, and we’re already looking forward to continuing next year,” declared Survey's Managing Director, Peter H. Meyer, at the launch of the Russian Focus Kitchen & Bath. “Here in Moscow, the prolonged upward growth of the market with increasing demand for imported kitchens and bathrooms offers new sales opportunities for international manufacturers and suppliers. Focus Kitchen & Bath is organized in cooperation with Russian partner, Restec (Moscow) and runs parallel to Fidexpo – the Furniture Interior Design Exhibition – which this year attracted over 8,000 visitors. The Gostiny Dvor venue provided approx. 2,500m² of exhibition space over the four days for a variety of international kitchen and bathroom exhibitors and fitting suppliers from Germany, Latvia, Russia, Spain and Hungary.

Market entry for importers of kitchens and bathrooms

As an international platform for technical expertise on the kitchen and bathroom scene, Focus Kitchen & Bath attracts industry experts, kitchen and bathroom showroom owners, executives from purchasing organizations and furniture stores, architects, interior designers, designers, developers and specifiers, and this time the spotlight was on Eastern Europe. At this year’s show, more than 15% of trade visitors were straight from the furniture manufacturing industry, while around 33% represented marketing, sales and procurement and 7% came from the service sector.

The architecture and design sector provided just under 29% of visitors, while a further 16% came from other sectors of industry. For foreign companies, this b2b event offers a route to successful business, whether making initial contact with the Russian market, consolidating existing links, developing new ideas, sounding out products for acceptance in the Russian market or identifying the right local partners.

The next Focus Kitchen & Bath show in Moscow will take place once again at the Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Center from March 1-4, 2007.