Bulgaria’s Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev opened the 63th International Technical Fair on September 24. As has become the custom in the past few years, this year’s fair has continued the trend of increasing exhibitor numbers and space.

The opening ceremony took place within the refurbished fairground, which has a fully renovated front gate and a brand new exhibition construction built above the artificial lake.

“All Bulgarians should come and see how much International Fair Plovdiv has changed,” Stanishev said in his address at the opening. “In the past few years, the [fair’s] focus was on services and now it has demonstrated domestic industrial growth, which was impressive.”

The front gate is now coated with Bulgaria-extracted travertine rock, while the greenery in front of the underpass is dotted with rocky spots housing a clock and the fair’s emblem. New lighting has also been installed in the area. The renovations cost six million leva.

For the first time in 15 years, the fair will operate at full capacity, said Stoyan Sokarev, spokesperson for the International Fair Plovdiv.

As a result, visitors can enjoy 9000 sq m of newly-renovated exhibition space in halls 4, 12, 18, 23 and 25. In addition, the fair will have 12 000 sq m of outdoor exhibition space.

The number of companies exhibiting was again at an all-time high, Sokarev said. The total number of firms represented increased by three per cent, compared to the year before, to 3661. International companies exhibiting increased at a faster pace, by four per cent to 2325, while foreign-rented exhibition space increased by 23 per cent, the press office of the International Fair Plovdiv said.

The increase in the absolute number of foreign firms went hand-in-hand with an increase in the number of countries represented. Countries that were being represented for the first time at the fair included India, Iran, Moldova, South Africa and Thailand.

The breakdown by countries showed Germany, a partner country for this year’s fair, had sent the largest number of companies – 583. Italy was second with 448, Turkey sent 154, the Czech Republic 109, the US 107, France 80 and Austria 76. The trend was slightly different when the total size of rented space was considered. The top five countries on this basis were Turkey, Germany, Italy, the Czech Republic and Belgium.

This year, the "Big Region", lying in the heartland of the European Union, was the first region ever to partner with the fair. The partnership stems from this fair’s aspiration to stimulate inter-regional contacts, an effort consistent with the EU’s objective for tighter inter-regional relationships.

The Big Region comprises of Germany’s Saarland and Rheinland-Pfalz, France’s Lorraine, Belgium’s Wallonia and Luxembourg. The region has 11.3 million inhabitants and generates three per cent of the EU’s GDP.

The prime event at the fair was Autosalon Plovdiv, where 82 car distributors from 14 countries took part. Among the landmark premieres was that of the new Peugeot 308. Its showcase in Plovdiv came two days after its worldwide debut in Frankfurt, Germany. Renault was also showcasing its Twingo model, which was first displayed in Geneva in late summer.

The event is one of the 10 specialised exhibitions to feature in the fair’s agenda.