PRESS Release 6
IAW. The orders fair for the retail trade
IAW closes on a high note in Cologne
Another record in the number of exhibitors and visitors, a surprise celebrity guest and lively
parties at the stands made the 15th anniversary of this leading trade fair for trends and orders truly remarkable.
Cologne, 22 March 2012
Three “glorious” days of business have come to
an end. The IAW, which closed its gates last week
in Cologne, was completely booked out with 285
exhibitors from 16 countries. Numerous exhibitors
have already booked stand space for the next trade fair in September. An attendance of over 8,000
trade visitors (10 % up on the last autumn event)
marked another new record which documented
the continuous growth of the IAW. “It was a huge
celebration of the trade”, said Ulrich Zimmermann, managing director of Nordwestdeutsche
Messegesellschaft Bremen-Hannover mbH in Oldenburg. He continued enthusiastically: “The dramatic increase in the numbers of exhibitors and
visitors shows that the IAW has established itself
as the no. 1 platform for our sector. At this spring
fair we have seen buyers and importers doing excellent business.”
German company Schmees took part in the IAW
for the first time with a selection of cosmetics,
cleaning products and fertilizers. They reported:
“Our expectations were more than fulfilled. We
were able to hold extensive talks with many of
our customers and introduce them to our latest
product ranges.” Another newcomer to the event
was Hanse Home Collection. Said S. Taher was
pleased by the outcome: “During the last couple of days we were able to make good contacts.
Now we are eager to see what happens in the
coming days and weeks.” Representatives from
Stock Event came all the way from France to exhibit in Cologne. They too reported that their participation in the promotional goods fair had been a
success. Dimitar Georgiev commented: “The trade
fair is very well organized and opens up a lot of
potential for our company.”
One of the companies that has taken part in the
IAW from the very beginning is Top Action. Managing director Ernst Vasterling remains committed
and enthusiastic: “For us and for many colleagues
like us, the IAW is the ultimate platform for promotional products. This trade fair is not simply a
magnet for visitors but also an invaluable source
of information. Twice a year we can come here
knowing that we will always find a concentrated
overview of the market and discover what is happening across our business sector.” By contrast,
Exhibitors and visitors alike were impressed by the
broad product range and an informative and interesting supporting program. With a line-up of
high-calibre speakers from the world of retailing
and marketing, the Trend Forum was a real highlight which underlined the professional character
of the IAW. These experts delivered talks on a variety of topics that suggest new business models
and trade channels of the future. It was an area
which Ulrich Eggert from Eggert Consulting (Cologne) examined in some depth. In an interactive
Nordwestdeutsche Messegesellschaft
Bremen-Hannover mbH
Gerhard-Stalling-Straße 9 -11
D-26135 Oldenburg, Germany
IAW-Messe Projektleitung/
project management
www.iaw-messe.de/ [email protected]
Fon +49 (0) 57 21 / 9 93 08 98
Fax +49 (0) 57 21 / 9 93 08 99
PRESS Release 6
IAW. The orders fair for the retail trade
presentation “Digital Communication 2.0: Pain or
Pleasure?” Sonja Sturm (communication expert,
business and life coach) and Tosin A. David (GF
Marcellino‘s Academy for Sales Promotion) offered
ideas and solutions for mastering the Internet and
digital communication. Martina Schimmel, editor in chief of zentrada.magazin, moderated the
zentrada Forum, which focussed on the question:
“Facebook, Twitter & Co – what do I really need as
a trader?” Speaking on the third day of the trade
fair, Carsten Röhl (Google Adwords Specialist) had
an attentive audience as he explained how company websites can get to the top of the search list
by using Google Adwords.
One of the other highlights of the trade fair was
the presentation of the prestigious Trendseller
Product Awards. The product selected as the most
outstanding potential best-seller was SnapTheMusic software from the Liechtenstein-based company Four Star AG. With this program it is possible
to select songs from various Internet radio stations and legally download them to an mp3 player. The software is really easy to use and suitable
for people who do not use the Internet frequently.
Second place went to the importer Bahama Warenvertriebs GmbH (Berlin), which entered a set of
suitcases with an integrated scale in the handle.
Third place was secured by the company Hannebohm (Lengerich) for a variable fencing system
which can be erected without concrete or tools
to create an attractive and practical alternative
to normal fences. The Finnish company Tammer
Tukku was awarded fourth place for ToolsGrip – a
patented solution designed to improve job safety
and simplify work when working with tools. All
the winners were pleased to receive the award,
not least because over the last few years the winners’ accolade has been proven to influence product success.
Some of the exhibitors decided to mark the anniversary of the IAW with something special. For
example, Brazilian footballer and contestant in
the German TV program “I’m a Celebrity … Get
me out of here”, exhibited his energy drink “Kugelblitz” at the stand staged by Yücel Trading
from Ostteinbek in North Germany. In a similarly
striking fashion the Cologne-based Zitra GmbH
invited exhibitors and trade fair visitors to a gettogether with music and Kölsch (a local Cologne
beer). Another local company from Cologne, CFD
Handels GmbH, attracted a lot of attention with a
cookery show and live music from a brass band.
“Moving into the bigger Hall 10.2 paid off”, concluded Ulrich Zimmermann. “Traders and buyers
benefitted from the bigger spectrum of products
displayed and everyone spoke positively about the
improvements.” Looking forward to the next trade fair, the IAW boss said: “The September show
looks like being another great event. A lot of interest is already being shown by our regular exhibitors, but many new companies seem to have
discovered the IAW platform too and have registered their intention of being there next time.”
The next IAW will run from 25-27 September in
Cologne.
Nordwestdeutsche Messegesellschaft
Bremen-Hannover mbH
Gerhard-Stalling-Straße 9 -11
D-26135 Oldenburg, Germany
IAW-Messe Projektleitung/
project management
www.iaw-messe.de/ [email protected]
Fon +49 (0) 57 21 / 9 93 08 98
Fax +49 (0) 57 21 / 9 93 08 99