In brief

Fresh start in India Koelnmesse is making a fresh start with the India International Hardware Show: it is now scheduled to have its premiere at the Bombay Exhibition Centre in Mumbai this coming October. Information from the organisers suggests that the Indian market for tools, hardware and home improvement products is recording double-digit rates of growth. The intention is to attract companies both local and international to exhibit at the event. The groups being targeted on the visitor side are buyers from India, China and Southern Asia. Originally the fair was announced in October 2008 for October 2010, then postponed in May 2009 to an indefinite later date because of the economic crisis. Plenty of innovations On balance the International Hardware Fair turned out to be positive in general for both exhibitors and visitors. Nevertheless, only 56 500 trade visitors came to Cologne this year, or ten per cent fewer than in 2008. At 59 per cent the proportion of foreign visitors was one per cent up. The number of international companies on the exhibitor side saw growth of as much as eight percentage points to 85 per cent. However, the overall number of exhibitors was down to 2 686. Traders appeared particularly happy with the innovations on display, while the good quality of the visitors was highlight-ed on the exhi-bitor side. Anniversary in Shanghai This year the China International Hardware Show (CIHS) is celebrating its tenth anniversary. Staged in Shanghai, the event is organised jointly by Koelnmesse and the China National Hardware Association. Last year’s show attracted 35 000 trade visitors from both home and abroad, and bookings from 2 016 exhibitors. This year’s dates: 28 - 30 September 2010. Support for fair visitors The 10th Taiwan Hardware Show (THS), due to be held 21 - 23 October 2010 in the Taipei World Trade Center, is planning to subsidise buyers visiting the event. The organizers – the Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers’ Association and Kaigo Co. – have set up a “Buyer Incentive Programme” in collaboration with the Bureau of Foreign Trade. For further information: www.hardwareshow.com.twSuccessful end result Around 40 000 visitors came to Domotex from 16 – 19 Janu-ary to gather the latest information on the products displayed by 1 395 companies from 70 countries. The total of 22 600 foreign visitors included more than 60 per cent from Europe. Buyers from both the retail and wholesale trade continue to make up the fair’s main visitor group…