This 30th edition of roaming European chemical industry exhibition Chemspec Europe is set to be the largest on record when it opens in Cologne this year.
The travelling European exhibition this year drew a large crowd to Hungexpo in Budapest, Hungary, where 6,000 buyers met with more than 400 exhibitors. According to VP of event organiser Quartz Chemicals, Steve Diprose, these are figures that demonstrate the high demand among our partners and companies in the chemical sector.
“Next year’s show, which will take place in Cologne, Germany from 24 to 25 June 2015 will be the 30th anniversary of Chemspec Europe at Köln Messe and it is set to be the largest Chemspec Europe on record,” he comments.
The Chemspec Europe exhibition and its accompanying series of conferences are conceived to provide a gateway to the international custom, fine and speciality chemicals industry. Among the attendees are representatives from the ‘Speciality Chemical sector, which dominates with 32 per cent; followed by the members from the ‘General Chemicals and Miscellaneous’ sector with 23 per cent.
Nineteen per cent of attendees belong to the ‘Agrochemical and related’ area, or the ‘Other Life Sciences’ sector, 13 per cent from the ‘Pharmaceuticals and related’ sector; while there was also a noticeable interest from the ‘CRO/CMO/Outsourced Services’ sector with 11 per cent, and the ‘Equipment’ sector with two per cent.
It operates on the basis of an advisory council comprising exhibitors, visitors, different people and experts from the industry which represent different geographical regions.
The organiser, UK company Quartz Chemicals, is part of the Quartz Group; an international exhibition organiser and publishing company based in the UK that has primarily served the fine, custom and speciality chemicals industry with events and publications for nearly 30 years.
Two years before the 2014 event, the suggestion was raised to bring it to Eastern Europe in order to find new exhibitors and visitors, and more generally to broaden the scope of the show.
Quartz thought about Vienna, but this put it on the border of the mature chemical industry markets in Switzerland and Germany. Comparatively, the industry in Hungary is emerging, however this means increases and growth.
“That was one of the big plus points for Budapest,” says Diprose, adding that the risk of taking an event out of the more proven exhibition circuit in western Europe was balanced by the chance of engaging a new market in the east.
Anita Kristóf, event sales director at Hungexpo, says the success of the 2014 show lay in the venue and organiser working well together as a team.
“Besides operational details, which is part of the usual process, we also provided support to Quartz Media in exhibitor acquisition by utilising our domestic industry network and contacts,” she comments. “This type of co-operation was a somewhat new and fruitful way of working with clients to make the event a success.”
Together they found a way to get the attention of the Indian ambassador Malay Mishra, who visited Chemspec Europe 2014 on its opening day; and the guest country and host Hungary was represented by its Deputy State Secretary at the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Áron Lenner.
By bringing Chemspec to Eastern Europe in 2014, the organiser has consolidated its position as one of the strongest trade shows for the chemical industry in Europe.
This article was first published in issue EW 1/4. Any comments? Email Antony Reeve-Crook
