subscribe to news Sergey Selivanov took part in the Eurasian Event Forum

EXPOCENTRE takes part in the 12^th Eurasian Event Forum (EFEA),which has opened yesterday in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Forum brings together organisers and operators of exhibitions and conventions, representatives of exhibition venues, and leading experts in the meetings industry and business tourism. They exchange experience and up-to-date information about the exhibition and congress, event and tourism services market, review their annual results, and discuss new ideas and projects.

EXPOCENTRE's stand will introduce forum participants to the capabilities of its fairgrounds and its own trade shows held there. The company is also a traditional sponsor of EFEA.

In his welcome speech at the opening ceremony, Sergey Selivanov, First Deputy Director General at EXPOCENTRE AO and Deputy Chair at the Committee on Exhibition, Fair, and Convention Activities of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, spoke about the importance of trade shows in the new modern reality: “EXPOCENTRE's figures for last year show, in the very least, that trade shows and congresses in the current environment remain a sought-after instrument not only for promoting goods and services, but also for generating new partners and suppliers, and for developing interregional cooperation.”   

"Today, all sectors of the economy have entered into a global transformation process. Markets are influenced by the geopolitical situation. At this Forum, we will be discussing points of growth. Every trade show and congress organiser is now in search, adapting and updating its concepts, looking for new partners," said Sergey Selivanov. According to him, last year's figures inspire optimism for the current year and subsequent periods. “With a significant reduction of foreign participation, the Russian exhibitors grow at our exhibitions,” said the deputy head of EXPOCENTRE. And this, in his opinion, is "the main, priority direction of our development".    

Sergey Selivanov also took part in the panel discussion called ‘In Search of New Markets: Success Formula for Events’. In his speech he focused on the new markets, the prospects of expanding the number of regions where exhibitors come from, including those from friendly countries, as well as on the priority areas that should be developed for congress and trade show organisers. Mr. Selivanov named Russian regions as the main growth point for the domestic exhibition industry in the current situation. "State programmes, import substitution programmes are not empty words. We rely a lot on the development of domestic industrial production. And, accordingly, the main point of growth is our domestic enterprises," he concluded.

Sergey Selivanov mentioned the SCO, BRICS, EAEU and ASEAN countries as the most promising and priority areas for attracting foreign participants to Russian trade shows and conventions. He drew particular attention to expanding cooperation in exhibition activities with Iran. "EXPOCENTRE makes every effort to attract companies and organisations from the above associations to take part in its shows, effectively using the information resources of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, of which it is a member.

Representatives of the exhibition industry from South Africa, Indonesia, Azerbaijan, heads of the Association of Exporters and Importers, and the Urals Exhibition Centre spoke at the panel discussion, which was held in a hybrid format.

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO