Large influx of professionals and a heightened perception of business at the closing of ‘See you in Valencia 2015’

"See you in Valencia 2015" closed its doors last February 13th with a high influx of professional visitors and a heightened perception of business by exhibitors. With final numbers yet to be confirmed, both Cevisama and Feria Habitat Valencia will equal last year’s level of professional visitors, when they received 75.173 and 24.712 respectively.

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These figures are especially notable taking into account that during this edition visiting firms have followed the trend that was already identified last year of sending fewer buyers but with better organized agendas. This is why the Organisation considers that, even if the number of buyers is similar to that of last year, the number of companies represented has increased. In the case of Maderalia Selection, the third fair that this year is grouped together within ‘See You in Valencia’, the figures are also highly positive although they fall short of those of last year. This is basically because the 2014 edition consisted of two major fairs held in its place (the Fimma - Maderalia biennial exhibition) which makes the comparison unfair. In any case the final figures must take into account the crossover of visitors between fairs as last year this factor virtually doubled the amount of business for the exhibiting companies. Another of the noteworthy features of this edition has been the international origin of the visitors. The exhibitors had the impression that the influx of professionals had been considerable, especially from Arab markets and those of Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the European Union. Last year foreign visitors from 155 different countries accounted for 25% of the total.

Cevisama excels itself The president of Cevisama, Manuel Rubert, and the organiser of the trade fair, Carmen Álvarez, held a meeting with the specialised press at which the balance of this event was considered to be “highly positive”. Friday at midday the figure of the 75,000 professionals registered for the previous edition was exceeded despite the absence this year of ceramic machinery (which is a sector that joins the Cevisama showcase in even years). Rubert, who has been consulting manufacturers in the various pavilions, has stressed that the number of foreign professionals appears to have increased this year although definitive data are not yet available. The president emphasised the greater influx of purchasers from markets such as those of France, Britain, and North America. In addition to loyal visitors from the Arab countries, Eastern Europe, and Russia. In his opinion there has likewise been an increase in purchasers from less regular markets such as Canada and Australia. “Interesting projects are beginning to appear on the Spanish market”, he declared. As a challenge for 2016 Rubert and Álvarez have emphasised their commitment to growth in certain sectors as a complement to the available ceramics, mainly bathroom fittings, “a field in which we have considerable experience now that we are its most representative trade fair in Spain”, Rubert declared. The level of satisfaction among the exhibitors was also widespread. “This fair has gone better than that of last year and last year's was also better than that of the previous year”, mentioned Màxim Aparici of the Aparici ceramics firm. For his part the manager of Grespania, Luis Hernández, confirmed a sharp increase in the number of professionals on his stand and their greater optimism. “Nevertheless, we must wait until the orders materialise before we can access the turnover”, he qualified. For his part, Fernando Roig from the Pamesa firm was visibly satisfied with the results of this edition and was one of the many entrepreneurs who congratulated the organisation on bringing the inauguration of the fair forward to Monday. This reaction has been echoed by those in charge of the firms Peronda, Halcón Cerámica, Vives, and STN.

Hábitat continues to advance: the Spanish purchaser returns For its part the Feria Hábitat Valencia continues to bid strongly for an event of ‘premium’ brands with prestige products aimed at top professionals in synergy with the Cevisama and Maderalia proposals. The growth of up to 20% of the 2015 offer has been corroborated with a major influx of professionals and the consolidation of contracts. “We are very satisfied that Hábitat has finally become the fair it should be”, explained Luis Ignacio Sánchez of the avant-garde firm Cármenes. “In 2014 it was a risky undertaking to change to February but I must admit that things went well and this edition is the proof of it. The professional has travelled here and has been pleasantly surprised by what was on offer, how it was presented, and the brands available”, said Sánchez, who also points out that "whether you are a professional visitor or a manufacturer, if you stayed at home you missed it”. Although a longstanding participant at the event such as Antonio Almerich, of the lighting company of the same name, emphasised the advent of international visitors “despite the uncertainty of countries that depend on oil or the rouble”, he was pleasantly surprised by "the strong recovery of the Spanish market. This year top Spanish shops have returned to Hábitat and this is very good news”. This was confirmed by Darío Orts of the acknowledged modern young furniture firm Orts, which has sold “as many as three times” the products exhibited on its stand. “Clients have come from shops with a renewed drive to purchase and many orders have been taken. Tuesday, Wednesdays, and Thursday were definitely the best days”, explained Darío Orts, for whom “Hábitat has shown that it is the best fair in Europe for quality modern young furniture”.

Source: Feria Valencia Read more news related See You in Valencia published at Infurma Visit the Fairs & Events Calendar in Infurma