Belgian fair venue

Over the years the “DIY” has developed into a trade fair in the Benelux countries that specialises exclusively in home improvement, which has in turn led to a diversification of the products on display. The coming event will be offering all the products required for building, renovating and decorating the home. The range available from the 170 exhibitors is structured in seven broad categories: decoration (22.8 per cent), electricals (5.6 per cent), tools (14.5 per cent), wood/building materials (17.9 per cent), hardware (5.9 per cent), plumbing (10.3 per cent) and garden (10.8 per cent). Other ranges account for a 12.3 per cent share of the total.The target group has expanded in parallel to the expansion of the product offer. Not only buyers from DIY stores will be coming to Kortrijk, but hardware dealers and builders’ merchants as well, along with decorating and garden specialists.During the last few years the DIY industry has changed, tending to concentrate more on women as a target group, a trend that has found expression not least in the layout of stores and the way products are presented. The focus will this year again be on presentation and creativity in the Art & DIY competition, which was held for the first time last year. The organisers are convinced that there will again be many creative solutions on view at the stands as well.
It is also becoming increasingly important to address customers personally: consumers want to be given assistance when choosing their products. This is the reason why the organisers  demand that the top management of DIY stores, as well as buyers and owners of firms, should take colleagues who are responsible for the different product categories with them to the fair, since only a “well-informed sales assistant makes a good sales assistant”.The fair is offering a “conference breakfast” on the Monday and Tuesday mornings, in addition to the basic display of products. Topics on the agenda there will include product innovations, management of the procurement chain, and the prevention of shop-lifting. Over and above this, the fair is also offering participants a free midday meal again this year.