New season of international exhibitions in Azerbaijan starts soon - PHOTOS

 The exhibition season will begin with Caspian Banking and Finance, the 6th Caspian International Banking and Finance Conference and Showcase, on 13-14 April in the Grand Hotel Europe.  Over 200 delegates are expected to take part in the conference.  The main topic of the conference will be the impact of the global economic crisis on the banking system of the Caspian region.  The conference will also look at the prospects of regional monetary and capital markets as alternative and effective sources of raising capital for commercial banks and businesses.  A separate session will focus on developing a future model for the region’s banking sector. 

This year, for the first time, the issue of alternative banking systems will be considered.  One of the main topics of discussion on the second day of the conference will be the “The effectiveness of Islamic banking principles during the crisis and the reasons for this”.  The conference participants will include important guests from the national banks, finance ministries, banking associations and other financial institutions of Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Turkey and other countries.  Key financial institutions such as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), Asian Development Bank (ADB), International Finance Corporation (IFC) and Black Sea Trade and Development Bank will also take part.  Amongst the other participants will be representatives of banks, insurance companies, leasing companies, investment banks and consulting, legal and auditing firms.

The showcase, which will take place alongside the conference, will feature leading Azerbaijani banks and insurance companies, as well as companies providing services for banks.  The exhibitors will include companies from Georgia, Kazakhstan, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and other countries.  The exhibition will present the following sectors: banking and finance, insurance, leasing, investment, capital markets, consulting and audit.  Visitors will be able to learn about new products and services, special offers, the lending terms of Azerbaijani banks, and get detailed consultations with bank representatives.  The exhibition will not deprive the banks themselves of attention.  BankTech, a special sector at the exhibition of particular interest to IT specialists, will present information systems for the financial sector, banking technology, banking software, ATMs, and much more. 

The season’s next event is AITF 2010, the 7th Azerbaijan International Travel and Tourism Fair, which will be held on 28-30 April in the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.  The exhibition is supported by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  This year, over 100 companies are expected to participate.  As well as commercial companies, national stands, one of the main attractions of any travel exhibition, will feature prominently at AITF 2010, and include those of Greece, India, UAE, Malaysia and Egypt.  For the first time, Turkey will act as the partner country of the AITF exhibition. 

As usual, it will also participate in the exhibition with a national stand, which is 40% larger than last year.  Exotic destinations such as Thailand, the Seychelles and Mauritius will be widely presented.  Swiss tour operators will present a huge selection of possibilities for different types of tourists.  The Stavropol Region will have a stand at the exhibition for the first time, from which it will offer a range of health resort treatments.  The stands of Azerbaijani companies make up 45% of the exhibition.  The accompanying programme of business events will include seminars, presentations and prize raffles.                        

This year, for the first time, in connection with the show’s annually increasing indicators, an audit of the exhibition will be conducted by the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI).  For several years, exhibitions in Azerbaijan have undergone an annual audit, and ‘UFI Approved Event’ status has been awarded to Caspian Oil & Gas, BakuBuild, World Food Azerbaijan, BIHE, BakuTel and AutoShow. 

HOREX 2010, the 4th Caucasus International Hospitality Fair, will be held alongside AITF, and present hotel, restaurant and supermarket equipment; professional kitchen equipment; vending; fast food systems; hotel and restaurant furniture; and much more.  The intensive development of the tourism industry in Azerbaijan has also affected the hotel business.  Over 300 new hotels and health resorts have recently opened.  In 2009, construction began of about 60 hotels, 20 of which opened for business this year.  Tourist accommodation, including five star hotels with sports facilities, is being built across Azerbaijan.  The prospects for the development of this sector are excellent.  The importance of the event will only grow, since HOREX is the only place in the region where, each year, meetings take place between industry professionals, providing opportunities for establishing partnerships and introducing the latest hotel technology, equipment and services to Azerbaijan.   

On 19-21 May, Baku will host WorldFood Azerbaijan 2010, the 16th Azerbaijan International Food Industry Exhibition, at which over 100 companies are expected to exhibit.  The exhibition will present the following sectors: meat and poultry, canned goods, dairy products, ice cream, fruit and vegetables, children’s and dietetic food, tobacco products and others.  In addition, this year’s exhibition will be divided into several thematic exhibitions.  WorldFood Drink will feature a rich assortment of soft drinks and alcoholic beverages; SeaFood will present seafood products and everything associated with their transportation and storage; WorldFoodTech will exhibit equipment for the food industry, supermarkets, laboratories and mini-factories; and FoodPack will introduce visitors to a vast selection of packing equipment from Turkey, Russia and other countries.

This year, for the first time in the Caucasus region, WorldFood Azerbaijan will feature the HalalFood exhibition, which will bring together manufacturers of halal products from Azerbaijan and other countries.  In 2008, the global halal market was worth $580 billion.  WorldFood Azerbaijan will present stands with traditional and original products, underlining its status as an important event in the region.    
                  
The next project in the calendar is TransCaspian 2010, the 8th International Transport and Logistics Exhibition, which takes place on 1-4 June in the Heydar Aliyev Sport and Exhibition Complex.  The exhibition is officially supported by the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, TRACECA, Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan, and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs’ (Employers’) Organisations of the Republic of Azerbaijan (ASK).  The main sectors of the exhibition are: road transport, oil transportation/pipelines, railway transport, shipbuilding, forwarders/carriers, sea transport, logistics, railway equipment, customs services, freight insurance, road-building machinery, and loading-unloading equipment.      

Caspian Oil and Gas 2010, the 17th International Caspian Oil & Gas Exhibition and Conference Incorporating Refining & Petrochemicals, is held on 1-4 June.  It is organised by ITE Group (UK) and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Republic of Azerbaijan.  Over 300 companies from 30 countries are expected to participate in the exhibition.  The exhibitors include national groups from the UK, Germany, China and Russia.  This year, for the first time, UAE will participate with a national stand in Caspian Oil & Gas.  More than 40% of the exhibition space is taken up well-known international companies, most of which are regular exhibitors at Caspian Oil and Gas.  These include: BP, Itochu, OMV Gas International GmbH, SOCAR, StatoilHydro ASA, Total, TRAO and many others. 

This year, the exhibition will feature an alternative energy sector, which will present wind turbines, solar batteries and more.  Newcomers to the exhibition will present oil equipment, transport services and IT for the oil industry.  On the second day of the exhibition, in the conference centre of the Hyatt Regency hotel, the International Caspian Oil & Gas Conference Incorporating Refining and Petrochemicals will begin.  Over 500 delegates from 30 countries are expected to attend.  The platinum (general) sponsor of the exhibition and conference in 2010 will be the International Bank of Azerbaijan.  The conference will discuss European geopolitics and the role of Azerbaijan, the potential of the Caspian basin, investing in Azerbaijan’s energy sector and a number of other issues.  A separate session will be devoted to environmental issues in the region.             

All the Iteca Caspian events are officially supported by government bodies. The partners of the 2010 exhibitions are the insurance company Pasha Sigorta, the technical support provider Caspel, and the official hotel of the exhibitions, Qafqaz Point Hotel.

Iteca Caspian does not only organise exhibitions in Azerbaijan; for several years, we have organised exhibitions and conferences in Georgia.  GIOGE, the Georgian International Oil, Gas, Energy & Infrastructure Conference, is held on 24-25 March in the Radisson Blu Iveria Hotel, Tbilisi.  Over 200 people are expected to attend the conference, which is supported by the Georgian Ministry of Economic Development, Georgian Ministry of Energy, Georgian Oil and Gas Corporation, and the British Georgian Chamber of Commerce.  The general sponsor of the conference is Socar Georgia Gas.  The main topics of the conference will be the Georgian energy sector, investment in key infrastructure projects in Georgia, energy security and regional cooperation.                       

The organisers hope that the international exhibitions in Azerbaijan will not only be a place to demonstrate achievements in different industries, but a centre for sharing information, forming ideas and signing contracts.

Today.Az

Check the photos from the last year's exhibitions: