İzmir, the city of fairs, will host 31 fairs in 2022.

İzmir, the capital of Turkish fairs, will host 31 fairs in 2022. The Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality, Tunç Soyer, who attended the introductory meeting of the fairs to be held in the new year, said, “İZFAŞ will continue to expand the economy of our city and the exports of our country in 2022. It will bring İzmir together with the world and our country will be proud in the field of fairs," he said.

İzmir, the city of fairs, will experience colorful and active days with the fairs to be held in 2022. During an introductory meeting regarding the fairs they will organize in 2022, the Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Tunç Soyer said that they will double the number of fairs this year to 31. In addition to Mayor Soyer, the Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce Mahmut Özgener, the Chairman of the Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Ender Yorgancılar, the President of the Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen Zekeriya Mutlu, the CEO of ESBAŞ Dr. Faruk Güler, Deputy Mayor of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Mustafa Özuslu, Secretary General of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality Dr. Buğra Gökçe, İZFAŞ General Manager Canan Karaosmanoğlu Alıcı, TÜRSAB representatives, bureaucrats and members of the press attended.

Soyer: “We will continue to increase our contribution to exports and the city”

Making the opening speech of the meeting, Mayor Tunç Soyer said that the fairs organized by İZFAŞ are the solution to the deepening economic crisis in the country after the pandemic and the bottleneck experienced by almost every sector, and that they made a great contribution to exports in the country in 2021. Stating that 21 provinces, including İzmir, managed to exceed the one billion dollar threshold in exports in 2021, Soyer said, “İzmir has become the fourth largest exporting city in Turkey. İZFAŞ, which succeeded in establishing a bond between İzmir and the world, undoubtedly undertook an important task in increasing exports throughout Turkey. We are determined to continue to increase the contribution of İzmir Metropolitan Municipality and İZFAŞ to our sectors, exports and the city economy in 2022. During 2022, we will organize many fairs throughout the four seasons at Turkey's largest and most modern fairground, Fuarİzmir. This year, the number of our fairs is doubled. İzmir will host 31 fairs in 2022, together with the guest fairs with which İZFAŞ cooperates.”

“The exhibition contributes to 3.2 million people”

Stating that they carefully examined the production and export trends of İzmir and Turkey and gave priority to the service, manufacturing and industry, agriculture and food sectors while planning the new fairs, Soyer said: “The fair sector feeds many sectors with the direct and indirect commercial potential it creates. It becomes a channel for sales and increases employment. According to the figures announced by the Global Fair Industry Association (UFI), the annual economic size of fairs around the world is 137 billion dollars. The world fair industry provides employment for 3.2 million people directly or indirectly. It mediates a business volume of 325 billion dollars. As such, the opening of more and more qualified fairs in İzmir also makes a direct economic contribution to our city. The main purpose of İZFAŞ is not limited to enlarging the fairs in square meters only. Beyond that, to increase the welfare of our country by increasing exports. The main issue of our country is the crisis in the economy and the ever-deepening poverty. That's why I've been saying and implementing it since our election campaign. Our main goal for İzmir is to increase the welfare of our city and to ensure its fair share. I know that it is not possible for us to walk towards this goal without İZFAŞ fairs. With İZFAŞ, not only the sectors, but also everyone from taxi drivers to shopkeepers, from villagers to workers, from hotels to coffee shops gets their share. İZFAŞ will continue to expand our city's economy and our country's exports in 2022, bring İzmir together with the world, and be a pride in our country's fair organization."

We are ready to support

Aegean Region Chamber of Industry Chairman Ender Yorgancılar said, “We are really lucky about the fair. İzmir is one of the most preferred cities by foreign capital coming to Turkey. İzmir is an industrial city, these products should be exhibited. We can meet with the world through fairs. We will continue to provide all kinds of support,” he said.

Fairs carry our city to the future

Mahmut Özgener, Chairman of the İzmir Chamber of Commerce, said, “We attach great importance to these organizations. We see the fairs we host as important structures that carry our city to the future. In addition to world-brand fairs, we will be together at brand new fairs this year. We will grow together,” he said.

We as, İzmirians, are very lucky.

Zekeriya Mutlu, President of the Union of Chambers of Tradesmen and Craftsmen, said, “We, the people of İzmir, are very lucky people. İzmir is such a kind city to call the castle made of stone Kadifekale (Velvet Castle). İzmir is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. When you search for a fair on the internet, the first thing you see is İzmir. When you write İzmir, the fair will be the first to come to you. We are making an effort to serve our city, our country and the world by developing the legacy of İzmir and the fair that we have left to us together," he said.

Fairs for all seasons

İZFAŞ, the fair organization company of the Izmir Metropolitan Municipality, carries the understanding of fair organization to the four seasons with its fairs, festivals and culture and art events. Increasing its fairs in the second half of 2021, İZFAŞ hosted 34 sectors and 210 sub-sectors with the fairs hosted by İzmir Metropolitan Municipality. Izmir, Turkey's fair city, also contributed significantly to the year-end export figure, which reached 225.4 billion dollars with an increase of 32.9 percent. In 2022, with 11 new fairs, İzmir will host 31 fairs together with guest fairs.

What are the new fairs?

While İZFAŞ added Terra Madre, Flowera, Logistech fairs to its calendar, Wecycle, Brandex, IBS Mother, Baby and Child, Road, R&D P&D Innovation Industry and Technologies, İmatech, Jewelery and Construction, Real Estate and Urban Transformation fairs, in which it cooperated will be implemented with the exhibition companies. This year, under the leadership of the world's largest food movement Slow Food, Terra Madre Gastronomy Fair, which is held every two years in Italy, will be organized at Kültürpark on 2 – 11 September, in Terra Madre Anatolia İzmir. The fair, which will be held for the first time in Turkey simultaneously with the 91st Izmir International Fair, will bring small manufacturers together with the world.

The number of fairs will double

İZFAŞ aims to double its fairs in line with its 2021-2024 strategic goals and to keep the doors of Fuarİzmir open 365 days a year. With its renewed vision of international fair organization, İZFAŞ creates a more competitive trade environment and brings together high value-added production with exports. İZFAŞ, which contributes to the promotion and tourism activities in addition to prioritizing the growth of the country's economy, will concentrate in the spring and autumn months in line with the demands of the sectors in the fair calendar.