annual report 2012 artexis

activity report 2011-2012

REAL LIFE socIAL mEdIA

RE

AL L

IFE

so

cIA

L m

Ed

IA

activity report 2011-2012

REAL LIFE socIAL mEdIA

real life social media | 2 • 3

chapter 1 chapter 2

activity report artexis group 2011-2012

the network of artexis group

the network of meeting places

real life social media

Artexis Group creates ultimate meeting

& market places at an international

level, thanks to its carefully thought out

strategy, close cooperation with local

partners and use of the very latest

technology – in the most sustainable

way possible.

Bringing people together in state-of-

the-art meeting places and giving them

an unforgettable experience. Every

Artexis venue is a centrally-located,

flexible, modern building. Artexis Group

is constantly on the lookout for ways to

optimise these meeting places.

the core messageThere’s no better way to network than face-to-face. And that is the

core business of Artexis Group: managing venues and organising

trade fairs, the ‘real life social media’.

10 33

4 7

34 65

14 connections 21 connections

44 facts & figures 58 facts & figures

chapter 3 chapter 4the network of market places

figures

infographic

Artexis Group invests in quality trade

fairs where the focus is on the visitor

experience and human interaction. This

makes Artexis events genuine real life

social media: exceptional opportunities

to introduce products to the public and

meet customers and business partners

face-to-face.

In today’s uncertain economic

environment, sound financial

foundations are more important than

ever, enabling the Group to invest

further in its venues and events and to

pursue its mission of delivering ultimate

meeting and market places.

the power of the networkThe network of Artexis Group: in our six venues (meeting

places) and more than 900 fairs (market places) in 15 countries

we have welcomed 2.6 million visitors in 2011-2012.

66 101 102 111

36 connections 4 connections

74 facts & figures

artexis group Contents

8 9


It was another quite extraordinary landmark

year in the Artexis story, full of exciting

developments in all of our operating

companies.

The most significant of these was the launch

of Artexis Nordic. MalmöMässan opened

its doors to the public in February 2012 with

an easyFairs show, just one example of the

many synergies we are now experiencing

between the different members of the

Artexis family.

We also took charge of Kistamässan,

a marvellous venue located just a few

minutes’ drive from Stockholm’s city centre.

In Belgium, where we have traditionally

been very strong in Flanders, we

strengthened our presence in Wallonia,

winning an extension of the concession to

run the exhibition halls in Namur for a period

of 20 years. We also took full ownership of

Antwerp expo.

With the acquisition of StocExpo, a series

of trade shows for the tank storage industry,

easyFairs established a presence in North

America and Asia. I am confident that this

can set a pattern for expansion into other

vibrant markets around the world.

These exciting developments are possible

thanks to the Group’s sound financial

footing. In 2011-12, we increased our

revenues by 12% and our EBITDA by 40%

– remarkable results in the current

economic climate.

“a landmark year” One of the reasons we have thrived in this

environment is our passion for innovation in

the exhibition industry.

nothing can ever replace ‘being there’Over the past 10 to 15 years, the internet

has had a huge impact on our business.

We have experienced many benefits. In

particular, social media and other online

technologies enable us to better understand

and respond to the needs of visitors,

exhibitors and other stakeholders.

These insights will help us to drive the

quality of our events even higher and deliver

an unforgettable visitor experience.

To be a successful entrepreneur, you must

recognise not only your talents but also your

limitations. The same applies to technology.

We will only draw maximum benefit from

social media if we understand not only what

it can do for our business, but also what it

cannot do.

visit the futureWhile social media enrich our events, they

can never replace the proposition that goes

to the very heart of our ‘métier’. Social

media engage two of our senses. A live

event engages all five. Social media provide

a virtual experience; but that can never be

quite the same as ‘being there’. A trade

show is real life social media.

We must harness the power of social

media to enhance the experience during

and around live events. At the same time,

we must make the live experience itself

uniquely new and exciting.

When you visit an Artexis or an easyFairs

show, we want you to feel you are visiting

the future.

artexis group Mission & concept

Eric EverardCEO

A r t e x i s g r o u p

be.linkedin.com/in/ericeverard

https://twitter.com/eeverard

[email protected] Connect


artexis exhibitions• ART BRUSSELS

• BIS

• BOUW&RENO

• HOUT&HABITAT

• TIPS&TRICKS*

• COUNTRYSIDE

• BELGIAN BOAT SHOW

• HORECA EXPO

• REALTY

venues: 4

exhibitions: twenty-four

Artexis Belgium is one of the market leaders of the Belgian exhibition industry. In 14 exhibition and congress halls in Ghent, Antwerp and Namur more than 400 events are organized which together attract 15,000 exhibitors and 2 million visitors. Artexis Belgium also organises 24 successful shows and events.

• ENERGY FORUM

• GREEN EXPO

• STONE EXPO

artexis expo• BOIS & HABITAT

• ENERGIE & HABITAT

• WOOD2BUILD*

• ANTICA NAMUR

• EURANTICA BRUSSELS

fairs consult• BIBAC – GHENT/ANTWERP

• SECOND HOME – GHENT

• SECOND HOME – BRUSSELS

• SECOND HOME – UTRECHT

• SECOND HOME – OSLO*

• SECOND HOME – COPENHAGEN*

• SECOND HOME – HELSINKI*

Group sTrucTurE 3 dynamic entities

*These fairs will take place, for the first time, in 2013-2014.

meeting centres: 3

Artexis Exhibitons has a 25% stake in Conceptum Exhibitions. This company organises exhibitions such as Creativa, Made in Asia, Vakantiesalon, Business & Meeting Solutions…

easyFairs makes it easy for professional communities to experience innovation and do business face-to-face and online. The easyFairs concept has evolved since 2004 to deliver a great visitor experience, while offering excellent value for money to exhibitors and minimising carbon footprint.

Artexis Nordic has a major presence in the Nordic region, where it manages two exhibition venues, Kistamässan in Stockholm and MalmöMässan in the south of Sweden. In addition, they organise annually around 14 B2B and B2C shows in Stockholm and Malmö.

• APOTEKSMäSSAN

• SVERIGES BAGERI &

KONDITORIMäSSA

• EKONOMIMäSSAN

• HöSTSALONGEN

• ANTIK & KURIOSA

• SIGN SCANDINAVIA

• GAMEX

• MöTESPLATS

SAMHäLLSSäKERHET

• HUSDjURSMäSSAN

• SWESPORT

• CARAVAN & CAMPING

• RUM OCH TRäDGåRD

• SPORTFISKEMäSSAN

• SETT

IN SECTORS SUCH AS PACKAGING, BULK SOLIDS, INDUSTRIAL MAINTENANCE, TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS,

RETAIL AND HOSPITALITY

AUSTRIA

venues: 2

countries: 15

exhibitions: fourteen

exhibitions: ninety-nine

BELGIUM

THE NETHERLANDS

FINLAND GERMANY IRELAND NORWAY

POLAND SPAIN SWEDEN SWITSERLAND UNITED KINGDOM

meeting centres: 2

COLOMBIA

artexis group Structure

*SINCE AUTUMN 2012

CANADA*

SINGAPORE*

EnErgiE & Habitat12,500 visitors

namurExpo

antica namur25,000 visitors

bois & Habitat17,500 visitors

278tHousand

visitors

ExtErnaL vEnuE

art brussELs31,632 visitors

Eurantica brussELs20,293 visitors

63tHousand

visitors

rEaLty5,305 visitors

sEcond HomE4,500 visitors

EnErgy Forum1,220 visitors

120tHousand

visitors

tHird organisErs

maLmö mässan

Artexis Belgium

6tHousand

visitors

namur paLais dEs congrEs

svErigEs bagEri & Konditorimässa

7,179 visitors

EKonomimässan2,012 visitors

apotEKsmässan2,199 visitors

swEsport1,250 visitors

mötEspLats samHäLLssäKErHEt

1,641 visitors

HöstsaLongEn3,458 visitors

antiK & Kuriosa5,904 visitors

sign scandinavia3,339 visitors

sportFisKEmässan10,157 visitors

gamEx27,251 visitors

sEtt4,646 visitors

caravan & camping8,320 visitors

Husdjursmässan15,437 visitors

sEniorLiv i värLdsKLass2,540 visitors

rum ocH trädgård18,246 visitors

230

Kista mässan

threeown

EvEnts

35ExtErnaL

EvEnts

three 12,000 m2

twelvemEEting rooms

63ExtErnaL

EvEnts

2,427 m2totaL

surFacE

fiveown

EvEnts

Artexis Nordic 350

tHousandvisitors

15own

EvEnts

347ExtErnaL

EvEnts

twoHaLLs

surFacE HaLLs9,000 m2

surFacE mEEting rooms

6,000 m2

15mEEting rooms

15,000 m2totaL

surFacE

35ExtErnaL

EvEnts

oneHaLLs



5,500 m2

fivemEEting rooms

20,000 m2totaL

surFacE

b2cb2b

b2cb2b

b2b

Hout&Habitat10,268 visitors

Kids gaLLEry summEr800 visitors

gaLLEry2020 wintEr1,600 visitors

bouw&rEno36,273 visitors

gaLLEry2020 summEr1,800 visitors

antwErpExpo

725tHousand

visitors

fiveown

EvEnts

192ExtErnaL

EvEnts

fourHaLLs


surFacE mEEting rooms980 m2

sixmEEting rooms

17,480 m2totaL

surFacE

tHird organisErs674,682 visitors


totaL numbEr oF own EvEnts 99

eAsyFAirs

HaLLs totaL surFacE


spain5 EasyFairs ExHibitions14,309 visitors

switsErLand8 EasyFairs ExHibitions11,567 visitors

gErmany3 EasyFairs ExHibitions5,099 visitors

irELand1 EasyFairs ExHibitions2,115 visitors

FinLand6 EasyFairs ExHibitions28,860 visitors

poLand6 EasyFairs ExHibitions6,687 visitors

norway4 EasyFairs ExHibitions4,192 visitors

swEdEn20 EasyFairs ExHibitions58,543 visitors

2,586,500in 2011-2012 artexis group reached

unique visitors

2,01miLLion

visitors

350tHousand

visitors

eightown

EvEnts

eightHaLLs



2,220 m2

eightmEEting rooms

56,220 m2totaL

surFacE

20,000 m2totaL

surFacE

b2b


austria5 EasyFairs ExHibitions4,414 visitorsuK

8 EasyFairs ExHibitions17,446 visitors

coLumbia10 EasyFairs ExHibitions19,041 visitors

bELgium13 EasyFairs ExHibitions35,970 visitors

bibac Expo4,000 visitors

bis82,400 visitors

countrysidE40,000 visitors

HorEca Expo51,000 visitors

grEEn Expo11,137 visitors

bELgian boat sHow26,252 visitors

stonE Expo6,005 visitors

sEcond HomE5,100 visitors

942tHousand

visitors

FLandErsExpo

tHE nEtHErLands10 EasyFairs ExHibitions17,278 visitors

totaL numbEr oF own EvEnts 99

eAsyFAirs 222tHousand

visitors

100ExtErnaL

EvEnts

ExpAnsIonchAngE

coRpoRAtE socIAL REsponsIbILIty

living consciouslyEnvIRonmEntAL AwAREnEss

customer-driven technology

collaboration

the network of

ExpAnsIonresponsible innovation

think global, act local

coRpoRAtE socIAL REsponsIbILIty

living consciouslyEnvIRonmEntAL AwAREnEss

customer-driven technology

collaboration

Group.


“we share the risks.

and the successes

too!”

Right from the start, Artexis Group sought to develop by concluding long-term

strategic alliances. Benoît David, Secretary-General

of Artexis Group as well as the subsidiaries, Artexis Belgium, Artexis Nordic and easyFairs says that

“partnership is in the group’s genes”.

Shareholding in arTeXiS groUP

Everard Family

89.1%BRIC

6.8%Management

4.1%

some of these partnerships have had the effect

of opening up the group’s capital, and that of

its subsidiaries, to external partners and the

group’s senior management. Eric Everard, the

founder of Artexis Group, was the moving force

behind these partnerships.

In 2004, the Brussels regional Investment

company (BrIc) took a stake in the company

which it has steadily increased over the years,

to the point where, nowadays, its stake is

the largest held by BrIc in any company in

Brussels.

shareholding as the motor for growthBacking Artexis Group in the acquisition of

Flanders expo, BrIc bought 15 million euros’

worth of convertible bonds. As foreseen in

the agreement, it converted a first tranche of

5 million euros of these bonds into shares in

May 2012.

Thanks to this excellent relationship, Artexis

Group was also able to mobilise additional

financial resources for the expansion of its

activities to sweden, via ExporBru, a specific

instrument developed by BrIc for investments

abroad. Elsewhere in the Group, at different

levels, other partners put their trust in Artexis

Group as well. For example, the city of Ghent

and the province of East-Flanders have

decided to convert the shares that they held in

Flanders expo into shares in Artexis Belgium.

similarly, the province of Namur’s economic

agency, BEp, is also a privileged partner in

the operation of Namur expo and Artexis

Group’s activities in the province of Namur even

though, in this instance, BEp Namur is not a

shareholder.

no internationalisation without good local partnerships

This desire to conclude strategic alliances takes

on yet another dimension when it comes to

the expansion of Artexis Group internationally.

“With easyFairs, as with Artexis Nordic, we

always look for local captains of industry to

invest alongside us,” says Benoît David. “In

the case of easyFairs colombia and easyFairs

poland, the initiative actually came directly

from these local players who suggested

these investments, which we might not have

envisaged immediately,” he adds.

Benoît David says that even though Artexis

Group likes to retain a controlling stake in its

developments abroad, “we adopt a form of

management by consensus that ensures each

of the partners is respected. We take risks

together, but we share the successes too.”

This partnership approach is bearing fruit. It

brings remarkable stability. ”More than anything

else, the involvement of all the stakeholders,

from management to shareholders, enables

us to maximise our success,” Benoît David

concludes.

Benoît DavidSecretary-General


www.artexis.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/benoît-david/1/462/692


artexis group


“ artexis has an extraordinary capacity to adapt to the market”

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis/SRIB/GIMB

partnership

eight yearsentities

3 artexis Belgium, artexis Nordic, easyFairs

exhibitions

5.0 experieNce

artexis group

A shareholder since 2004, BrIc has

recently increased its stake in Artexis

Group, which is “a vote of confidence in

Artexis’ operations and strategy”, according

to serge Vilain. In his opinion, Artexis’

business activities and BrIc’s mission are

complementary. “It was important for us to

support the development of a Brussels-

based company in a sector that is vital to the

development of Brussels.”

This support doesn’t stop at the regional

borders. “Growth projects are close to

our heart, and this is the reason for our

involvement in the acquisition of Flanders

expo and the creation of the subsidiary,

Artexis Nordic, for example.”

Today, Artexis Group comprises three main

entities: Artexis Belgium, Artexis Nordic

and easyFairs, a “relatively simple structure

that is the result of constant reflection

on the part of the management and an

extraordinary capacity to anticipate changes

in the markets and the economy,” serge

Vilain says.

plug and playIn Mr. Vilain’s opinion, the creation of

easyFairs is a perfect illustration of this

managerial dynamism. “In an economy

where exhibitors are experiencing an

unfavourable economic climate, Artexis

understood the need to offer a low cost

model before anyone else. The ‘plug and

play’ option, which is attractive to innovative

smaller companies as well as market

leaders, is still unequalled in Europe.”

The rapid emergence of social networks

at exhibitions reminds us how throughout

history, successful organisers have

adapted to new trends. “Artexis has already

undertaken to integrate these new means

of communication into its trade fair set-

ups. social networks are formidable tools

that make it possible to judge an event’s

success instantaneously and to understand

exactly what the visitors want. But they are

not a substitute for a live event. They are a

tool at the disposal of our staff – and our

staff remains firmly anchored in real life.

A trade fair is a 5.0 experience,” serge Vilain

concludes.

Serge VilainPresident

s r i B / g i M B

www.srib.be

www.linkedin.com/pub/serge-vilain/47/3a/731


In the space of just 15 years Artexis has established itself as a leader in the trade fair business in Belgium and in Europe, thanks to its excellent ability to anticipate developments in the market. Naturally, the Brussels Regional Investment Company (BRIC) has supported this growth – to the point where its Chairman, Serge Vilain, prefers to speak of a partnership rather than a simple investment.


Dirk Van Roy is CEO of Artexis Belgium. His big challenge? Finding answers to a world that’s changing incredibly fast. One

of those answers is to put the focus on visitors. Christophe Convent, a Board member of Artexis Belgium, is certainly

pleased with developments and sees a dynamic team that’s taking an innovative approach.

Board of Directors Artexis Belgium FLTR: Christophe Convent, Marc De Buck, Ronald Everaert, Benoît David, Dirk Van Roy, Hildegard Verhoeven, Tom Balthazar, Geert Versnick, Etienne Dubois. Excused: Eric Everard & Alexander Vercamer.

“we want to provide ultimate meeting and market places”

Google, skype, Twitter… the number of

developments on the Internet and the range

of information are increasing faster than ever

before. For a company like Artexis Belgium,

which manages event halls and organises

trade fairs, it is important to keep today’s

new, extremely well-informed visitors happy

and give them an ‘experience’. cEo Dirk

Van roy’s view on this is clear: “For us the

main focus has to be on the visitors; they

are at least as important as the exhibitors.

our visitors are already swamped with

online information and websites where

you can buy and sell anything at all. That’s

why a visit to an exhibition has to be a real

experience for them. They need to be able

to park their cars easily, have immediate WiFi

access to the Internet, and to have a good

meal and a drink at an affordable price. of

course, the exhibition must also have the

necessary content – it’s up to the organiser

and the exhibitors to provide that. We

want to offer ‘ultimate meeting and market

places’. our halls are meeting places and

with our exhibitions, our market places, we

bring suppliers and buyers together. so our

expo halls need to become multifunctional

complexes.”

investing in the exhibition buildings of tomorrow

To meet these new demands, Artexis

Belgium has planned a huge investment

programme. Flanders expo will be extended

and brought up to date, Antwerp expo is

doubling in size. Dirk Van roy explains:

“These alterations will give us the venues we

have in mind. Exhibitions as a sort of filter that

leads visitors through the present information

labyrinth to new products and services. A

place, too, where visitors can find everything

they need to make their visit to the show

a total experience. Is there a timetable for

the investments? The two master plans are

ready, so we can start planning the actual

implementation now.” As one of the directors

of Artexis Belgium, christophe convent,

secretary-General of De persgroep, is

certainly pleased with what he sees. “Yes,

as a director I am both pleased and proud.

Everyone needs to adapt to changing times

and Artexis Belgium is doing just that. What I

see there is an extremely dynamic team that

takes an innovative approach to its business.

There’s a clear purpose in what they’re doing

and a strategy that makes a lot of sense.”

left: Dirk Van Royright: Christophe Convent

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Belgium

staff

44 men*

68 women*

11276 people are working for Artexis Belgium for more than 3 years.

visitors

2.01 millioN The total number of visitors in 2011-2012 in all the venues of Artexis Belgium.

events

400Number of events (exhibitions, congresses, meetings and parties) that Artexis Belgium hosts.

* d.d. june 2012

artexis group Artexis Belgium

more thaN

Christophe ConventSecretary-General & Artexis Belgium Board Member

D e p e r s g r o e p

www.persgroep.be

www.linkedin.com/pub/christophe-convent/6/314/3b2


Dirk Van Roy*CEO

A r t e x i s B e lg i u M

https://twitter.com/dirk_Vanroy

www.linkedin.com/profile/ view?id=196979855&locale=en_US&trk=tyah


*as representative of VIRTUS bvba


Management Board Artexis Nordic, FLTR: Bosse Magnusson, Lasse Larsson, Dan-Inge Svärdsby, Peter Wanderydz, Håkan Gershagen. Excused: Eric Everard, Dirk Van Roy, Eric Préat, Benoît David.

events

397 The total number of events (= exhibitions, congresses, events, meetings, corporate parties) which Artexis Nordic hosts.

visitors

350,000The total number of visitors in 2011-2012 in all the venues of Artexis Nordic.

employees*

thirty twoPeople working at Artexis Nordic.

7 men* 25 women*

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Nordic

* d.d. june 2012

There is understandable pride in the voice of Peter Wanderydz when he talks about Artexis Nordic and easyFairs. “Artexis Nordic is the newest division within Artexis Group and both companies are growing very fast.”

“ being part of artexis group has much aided and accelerated our growth”

As cEo of the recently established Artexis Nordic and

Managing Director of easyFairs Nordic, peter Wanderydz

and his team have created 30 recurrent trade fairs, 10 of

which have become leaders in their field. “Now, new plans

are being drawn up,” he announces. At present Artexis

Nordic runs two venues, Kistamässan in stockholm and

MalmöMässan in Malmö. The plan peter Wanderydz is

referring to is the ambition to have venues in the three main

cities of sweden. “About 90% of the swedish population

live and work around these cities. Instead of making people

go to stockholm for our shows, we will bring these events

closer to where they work. That fits so much better with the

swedish way of doing things.”

contributing to joint successpeter Wanderydz is hard pressed to give one single

decisive explanation for the rapid expansion of Artexis

and easyFairs in the Nordic countries over the past eight

years. “All the divisions within our Group are led by strong

management teams and great staff, there is plenty of

synergy between them,” he says. “At our headquarters in

Brussels we have developed a coherent vision and strategy

for the future. consequently, being part of Artexis Group

has much aided and accelerated our growth. But mind you,

there is no denying that the Nordic divisions have, in turn,

contributed greatly to the expansion of the entire Group.

I’m proud to say, for example, that easyFairs Nordic has

come up with several innovative ideas that have been geo-

cloned all over Europe.” While sweden is a strategically

important country in the economically prosperous North,

Norway, Finland and Denmark also hold lots of promise.

According to Håkan Gershagen, chairman of the Board

at Artexis Nordic, there is indeed progress to be made in

these neighbouring countries. “But in the next three to four

years we will keep focusing on sweden for Artexis Nordic,”

he declares. “I trust the combined strength of easyFairs and

Artexis in sweden will make us a force to be reckoned with

in the whole of the Nordic market.” peter Wanderydz adds:

“I believe this is just the beginning of a great success story.”

Peter WanderydzCEO and MD easyFairs Nordic

A r t e x i s N o r D i C

www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-wanderydz/1/2ba/702


Håkan GershagenChairman of the Board


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/hakan-gershagen/1/46a/55b


artexis group Artexis Nordic


jean-François Quentin, CEO of easyFairs, and jochen Witt, easyFairs Board Member, are delighted with easyFairs’ track record over the past few years. The company managed to consolidate its growth in spite of a protracted global financial and economic crisis. What is the secret of this success?

“when a show opens new perspectives and creates new opportunities,

growth is guaranteed”

Board of Directors easyFairs FLTR: Håkan Gershagen, Eric Préat, Catherine de Baleine, Jean-François Quentin, Eric Everard, Jochen Witt and Benoît David

visitors

222,000The total number of visitors in 2011-2012 to easyFairs shows.

employees*

291People working at easyFairs.

FacTS & FigUreS

easyFairs

countries

FiFteeNThe number of countries where easyFairs operates. The company expands each year.

In Jean-François Quentin’s view, a clear

strategy, good management and a strong

business model are an important part of the

story. “over the past few years we’ve been

able to address a number of interesting niche

themes and translate them into successful

trade shows in the different industries we

serve including the packaging, logistics and

maintenance sectors. In the meantime, several

of these shows have been successfully

geo-cloned all over Europe.” easyFairs’

process-driven business model has proved

to be recession-proof. But in Jean-François

Quentin’s view, the truly deciding factor behind

easyFairs’ rapid and continued growth is the

‘Think Globally – Act Locally’ approach, which

pervades the organisation. “Thinking globally

means we use the same tools and methods

in all our regional offices. We share our best

practices and implement identical processes

across the Group. Acting locally means that

we adapt our products to suit each and every

market where we operate.”

a matter of inspirationTransferring a trade show to a new market

obviously requires careful preparation and

analysis as well as sound planning and

effective communication. “When a certain

market demonstrates an above-average

interest in new technologies, innovative

products and pioneering services, we make

it our goal to ride that trend,” says Jean-

François Quentin. Jochen Witt adds: “The

best way to do this is to convince market

leaders and innovators to set up a stand at

our show. of course, I don’t mean just any

stand. Market leaders want to design and

personalise their stands in order to put their

brand in the limelight. Making this possible

is just one of the reasons why some of our

shows have become so successful that they

have outgrown the local market. our larger

packaging shows are a good case in point.

At the same time, easyFairs continues to

make sure that the initial business model is

preserved. Time & cost-effectiveness are still

essential factors in our overall offer.”

“We want to create a virtuous circle of growth

based on content,” Jean-François Quentin

says. “By investing in content we’ll be able to

attract more visitors, which will enable us to

attract leaders and innovators which, in turn,

will attract even more visitors. When a show

opens new perspectives and creates new

opportunities, growth is guaranteed.”

Jean-François QuentinCEO

e A s Y FA i r s

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/jean-françois-quentin/0/145/624

jeanfranç[email protected] Connect

Jochen Witt*President and CEO jwc GmbH, Board Member

e A s Y FA i r s

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/jochen-witt/2b/242/110/en

[email protected] Connect * d.d. june 2012

left: Jean-François Quentinright: Jochen Witt

artexis group easyFairs

*as representative of jWC


“ respect for the environment is a key value”

Following the acquisition of Flanders expo, Artexis

Belgium started to reflect on its vision, mission and

key values. “respect for the environment is one of the

key values,” explains Anne Lafère, General Manager

Artexis Exhibitions in charge of csr policy. In the

midst of a crisis; the challenge did not look easy.

a more sustainable ‘business model’Nonetheless, it was actually the crisis in 2008 that

enabled this value to take shape. ”We looked to

see how we could take advantage of the crisis to

develop an innovative business model that is more

respectful of the environment. on the one hand, it

was a question of seeing how we could manage our

exhibition halls in a more responsible way (energy

policy, waste management, procurement, etc) and,

on the other hand, it was a question of studying the

opportunities for trade shows that could be organised

on themes related to sustainable development.”

For Anne Lafère, easyFairs is a good illustration

of this point. “We have developed regional trade

shows close to the exhibitors and the visitors, which

cuts down on travelling. similarly, re-usable all-in

modular stands make it possible to reduce waste

considerably.”

measure progress to improve itLed by a steering committee which Anne Lafère says

“includes representatives from all of our sites and all

of our departments” and some smaller work groups,

Artexis Belgium focused its initial efforts on measures

“which have a real impact, like the installation of

solar panels on top of the halls at Flanders expo.”

In the future, Artexis Group intends to pursue its

efforts internally. “For that we are going to set up key

performance indicators, which will allow us to define

our goals and to measure our progress. ”Eventually

the group intends to involve the whole chain in the

policy. Besides our employees, we will target trade

show visitors, the organisers, the exhibitors and the

suppliers, as well as the residents and companies

located near our exhibition halls.”

Although the principles of corporate social responsibility were already part of Artexis Belgium’s operations, two elements – the crisis and an acquisition – were to serve as catalysts to kick-start CSR in the Group. Having focused on its internal operations, Artexis Group intends to involve all the stakeholders from now on.

artexis group CSR policy Artexis Group

Anne Lafère*General Manager Exhibitions


Connect

be.linkedin.com/pub/anne-lafère/0/919/48b

https://twitter.com/alafere

[email protected]

*as representative of AD LIB Communications sprl

2


waste managementEach year Artexis Belgium uses 280,000 m2 of

biodegradable and completely recyclable carpets.

substantial efforts are being made regarding paper

use too: “By offering our exhibitors our technical

manuals online, we save 270,000 pages per year.

A similar initiative for invoices, the general terms

and conditions and other documents should allow

us to save tens of thousands of additional pages

this year.”

Artexis Belgium has developed its CSR policy around six main themes: energy policy, waste management, mobility, its eco-footprint, solidarity and well-being. To bring the strategy to life, Artexis Belgium invented three little men: Mr Green for the environment, Mr Red for social engagement and Mr Blue for economic effectiveness. Here is a short overview of the main measures implemented, to date, under the impetus of this conscientious trio.

solar panels

energy-saving light bulbs

reduced emissions

53,000m2

7,268

-22,800toNs

on the roofs of Flanders expo.

less CO2 emission over a period of 20 years thanks to solar panels.

to light the corridors, toilets, offices and exterior.

290,750The number of pages we save per year by offering exhibitors our technical manuals online (270,000) and thanks to the digitalisation of our internal invoicing system (20,750).

recycled carpets

280,000 m2

-786tons

was the reduction in emitted CO2 over a period of one year, due to the current companies waste treatment efforts (calculated by SITA).

1energy policyThe installation of solar panels on the approximately

53,000 m2 of roofs at Flanders expo makes it possible to

cover 60% of the electricity needs of the Ghent site and to

cut co2 emissions by 22,800 tons over a period of 20 years.

“Employees are involved in these energy-saving measures

as well, through actions such as Lift-Free Friday, during

which they are encouraged to take the stairs rather than the

lift,” explains Anne Lafère.

345

6

“ the csr strategy: an opportunity to strengthen team spirit and to reduce our eco-footprint”

mobilityArtexis Belgium adapted its car policy long ago. Its own vehicles all have a maximum emissions

rate of 144g/km. A charging station (fed by solar energy) has also been installed on the Flanders

expo site, allowing visitors to charge their electric vehicles for free. Emissions have been reduced by

using teleconferencing too. “We encourage our employees to make their commutes as sustainable

as possible with the Bike & Breakfast Day,” while Artexis

Belgium has concluded agreements with public transport

companies and is currently testing a car-pooling offer for

visitors to its exhibitions.

solidarityAlthough Artexis Belgium already

supports NGos by organising

fundraising, the company intends

to go further and has now signed a

partnership agreement with the red

cross. “We are considering other

initiatives, like the one we carried out

with uNIcEF.” During that particular

campaign, people were invited to sign

up for seminars, and those who failed

to turn up were asked to compensate

for the waste caused by their absence

by supporting a uNIcEF project.

Finally, the csr committee also

organises a ‘Volunteer Day’.

eco-footprintEvery year employees at Artexis Belgium participate in ‘Earth Hour’ and calculate their environmental footprint thanks to

an online tool developed by WWF. As for the Flanders expo meeting centre, this is the first congress centre in Belgium

to receive the ‘Green Key Label’, thanks to measures such as the installation of taps fitted with an electronic eye, which

means that hundreds of litres of water are saved every year. Finally, the Bois & Habitat fair has linked its visitors to tree

planting in Madagascar – one tree is planted for each admission ticket sold. “We also want to develop a tool that will

allow the organisers to calculate their trade fair’s eco-footprint and give them tips and advice for the reduction and

compensation of the excess co2.”

well-being For 14 years now, the Artexis challenge has been taking its employees

to climb mountain peaks, an opportunity to strengthen team spirit. “Every

two months we organise activities with a wide variety of themes to

improve our colleagues’ sense of well-being – themes like healthy eating,

vegetarian, biological and local food, fair trade, taking part in sport,

relaxation, etc.”

144g/kmcar policy

oF co2 emissioNsmax.

artexis group CSR policy Artexis Belgium


corporate social responsibility (csr) is a term that

crops up with increasing frequency in Artexis Belgium’s

objectives, with the emphasis on social responsibility

and sustainability. “We don’t want to be pedantic

or pushy. What we really want to do is to provide

information and raise employee awareness,” says

Valérie Vanassche, a member of Artexis Belgium’s csr

committee.

The csr committee has worked on themes like “living

consciously”. Valérie Vanassche, Ann cammermans

and Karolien Martens promoted this theme. Every

two months they focused on a different aspect of it:

vegetarian food, bio and fairtrade, aware cooking,

exercise, and so on. “We made sure every theme

began with a fun launch,” Karolien Martens explains.

“There were free veggie sandwiches available, for

example, we offered employees a chair massage and

we collected healthy recipes by and for colleagues. We

invested in a brand new Artexis bike for each venue,

which everybody is free to use.” The idea behind these

small-scale initiatives is to make people stop and think

for a moment about their own work and lifestyles.

raising awarenessArtexis Belgium uses these initiatives to show its

employees that csr is not just something that

happens elsewhere – it concerns them too, each

and every one of them. “Little things like this create

the awareness that we can all contribute to a more

sustainable lifestyle and working environment – even

if our daily contribution is only small,” Valérie says. “In

fact, csr has nothing to do with a back-to-nature

mentality,” Ann adds. “It is a differentiator though.

people actually prefer organisations that go about their

business in a socially responsible way.” csr is an

ongoing process that’s going to become increasingly

important to the company in the years to come.

Artexis Belgium is actively engaged in corporate social responsibility, not as a separate strategy but as a fundamental part of every aspect of the company’s activities.

“ corporate social responsibility is part of our dna” Karolien Martens, Ann

Cammermans, Valérie Vanassche Members of the CSR-committee


cSr activity report 2010: www.artexis.be/en/about-artexis/annual-report


Implementing a wide-ranging and active environmental policy not only benefits the environment, it makes our Stockholm venue, Kistamässan, more cost-effective and competitive.

since January 2008, Kistamässan

has been working with the city

of stockholm’s environmental

management programme. “Four

employees have been trained

in the environmental code, and

our environmental practices are

anchored with management each

year. As proof that our efforts are

paying off, we’ve been awarded the

city of stockholm Environmental

Diploma, which meets the

requirements of the swedish

Miljöbas national standard,” says

Teres suneson Holmberg, Financial

Assistant of Artexis Nordic.

sustainable development for future generationsHolmberg: “We all want future

generations to enjoy clean air

and water – and that’s certainly

achievable because environmental

initiatives don’t need to be

complicated or difficult.”

some examples:

INFORMATION / EDUCATION We teach

environmental skills to employees,

suppliers, customers and visitors.

ENERGY We make choices to

minimise consumption and

environmental impact.

TRANSPORT We choose eco-

friendly suppliers and actively

influence visitors to use public

transport.

WASTE We increase the proportion

of sorted waste, reduce the overall

amount of waste and manage

hazardous waste.

PURCHASING We give preference

to goods and services from

companies with an active

environmental policy.

We strongly believe that focusing

on these five areas can make a

significant impact.

MalmöMässan is also implementing

an active environmental policy

in order to attract goodwill and

business. Today it is a ‘Listed Green

Building’.

FacTS & FigUreS

Kistamässan

unsorted waste

green taxi cars

€ 12,604

sixty-six

BetweeN 1,500-2,000

environmental improvements since january 2008.

has decreased from 66,2% in 2008 to 45,9% in 2011.

This is the number of taxis that are sent out per year. Kistamässan has made an agreement with the taxi service to always send out green cars.

The output of the Kistamässan world auction in 2011. All the money went directly to The Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SSNC).

Teres Suneson HolmbergFinancial Assistant


www.artexis.se


artexis group CSR policy Artexis Belgium & Artexis Nordic


“ easyfairs is committed to fully assuming its corporate social responsibility”

the uk runs and ridesThe easyFairs uK team

proves that taking

up corporate social

responsibility can be fun

and have health benefits too.

Today most colleagues in

the uK no longer go to work

by car. Instead, they walk or

cycle or travel by bus, train

and tube.

some stepped up the effort

even further and took part in

a Golf charity Day. others

entered themselves in a

10 km fun run and invited their

colleagues to sponsor them

in support of Namuwongo,

a disadvantaged community

on the edge of Kampala,

uganda.

easyfairs uk

€ 2,025 amount raised for a good cause in 2011

easyFairs also demonstrates that it takes its responsibility for the environment and society seriously. In the following examples you will discover that easyFairs is commited to enhance its corporate social responsibility. easyFairs distils CSR into positive action in the various countries where it does business.

germany goes greenerFirmly determined to further reduce

the carbon footprint of organisers,

exhibitors and visitors travelling to

and from trade shows or events, the

German easyFairs team applied for

the Event Ticket Environment plus

scheme of the Deutsche Bahn (DB,

German railways).

The scheme is simple and effective.

First DB calculates the energy

requirement of each individual

travelling to and from an event. Then

it purchases an equivalent amount

of energy generated from 100%

renewable sources (solar, wind or

hydroelectric energy) and feeds it into

the circuit that powers the trains. In

this manner easyFairs Germany has

begun reducing its c02 emissions.

sporty scandinaviasocial responsibility starts at your

own doorstep. consequently, the

swedish easyFairs team has decided

to focus first on the health and well-

being of its employees. And as

always, they did a very thorough job.

staff members were invited to run the

annual Gothenburg Half Marathon.

The company covered all expenses

and paid for clinical supervision.

To underline its involvement in the

communities in which they work,

easyFairs sweden has also decided

to sponsor ÖIs, a local football team.

easyfairs germany

easyfairs nordic

7

-343 kgco

2 savings in 2011

employees participated in the gothenburg half marathon of 21 km

artexis group CSR policy easyFairs

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Belgium

“ we need to be at the technological forefront”

It also implemented an integrated data strategy geared at enhancing

visitor information gathering, which is an excellent starting-point for

taking visitor centricity to the next level. And finally, it made its web

content management system accessible to exhibitors wishing to add

or edit information on themselves and their products.

technology & visitor centricity: a perfect match“Innovation is our second nature,” says Marleen Vanhee, Marketing

Intelligence and communication officer at Artexis Belgium. “We

always make sure we are among the first in our market to test new

technologies, evaluate them and use them to our strategic advantage.

We don’t see technology and innovation as an end in itself, but as a

means to respond rapidly and conclusively to our customers’ wants

and needs.

Visitor-centricity is the keyword here. If we know what visitors are

looking for, we can give them precisely what they want, the way they

want it, thus making each visit to any of our fairs entirely satisfying.”

preference-driven marketingArtexis Group obtains visitor data through various channels, including

registration, website visits, online ticket sales and entrance scanning.

Integrating all this data proved to be a major challenge that the

company has successfully dealt with over the past few years. Marleen

Vanhee: “our ultimate goal is to be able to immediately recognise and

identify each and every customer who accesses our websites, visits

one or more of our shows, buys a ticket online or contacts us in any

other way. We’ve made good progress in that field, but there’s more to

come. social crM, in other words obtaining data from social networks

and integrating it into our system, will definitely gain importance in the

future. We’re looking into that right now. And I must emphasise it is

never our intention to swamp clients with unwanted information. We

use this personal data solely to conduct preference-driven marketing

campaigns. We only provide information our visitors are interested in

and have explicitly asked for. Anyone on our mailing list can view their

own compliance history and edit their profile. As a result they keep full

control over the data they allow us to use. obviously, this visitor-centric

strategy requires investments in the best available technology.”

Artexis Group invests heavily in state-of-the-art technology to make its trade fairs and venues even more visitor and exhibitor friendly. Examples are legion. As an industry first, the company offered professional grade free WiFi in all of its venues.

Marleen VanheeMarketing Intelligence and Communications Officer


www.linkedin.com/pub/marleen-vanhee/17/ba6/136

https://twitter.com/mvanhee


artexis group Technology

visitor data

purchasing power

878,575Number of visitors in the

database

of our visitors have above average

purchasing power for Belgium.

of our visitors fall into the highest

category of purchasing power.

70% 25%

58% 42%MEN WOMEN

family typologyof our visitors are couples, 60% of them with children75%


free wifi in all artexis venuesVisitors and exhibitors alike want

to stay abreast of developments

in their field. That is why they

require free and wireless internet

access in all our exhibition centres.

Artexis Group is only too happy

to oblige and WiFi hotspots have

been installed in all venues,

including the two swedish ones.

According to peter Dannesund, IT

manager Artexis Nordic, free WiFi

is a necessity. “our Kistamässan

stockholm venue is situated

smack in the middle of northern

Europe’s silicon Valley. so we feel

we need to be at the technological

forefront. Today, we have state-

of-the-art wireless networks in

place in our two swedish venues,

including a brand-new cisco

network at Kistamässan, and

maintain a BYoD (Bring Your

own Device) policy. Exhibitors

and visitors alike bring their own

smartphone, ipad or pc so that

they can always be online and

work wherever and whenever they

want. They expect nothing less.”

Marleen Vanhee says that

organisers, exhibitors and

visitors alike also expressed their

satisfaction after free professional

grade WiFi had been rolled out

in all Belgian venues. “When it

comes to wireless Internet access,

Artexis Group is the leader and

trendsetter in Belgium.”

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Nordic

products in the catalogue

25,000

9,678,453pageviews

between 01/01/2011 and 30/08/2012

(= + 28%)

Peter DannesundIT Manager


www.linkedin.com/in/pdannesund


easyFairs

Data transferred

wifi

Session time over 20,000 hours

+ 280 gBof session time of session time

43% 21%

artexis group Technology

exhibitors make their own web pages

easyFairs, a division of Artexis

Group, organises almost 100 trade

shows in 15 countries. For each

of these exhibitions a dedicated

website is built which gives each

exhibitor the opportunity to post

information about his company,

products and services. The

question is how to channel this

massive amount of information in a

timely manner to the right spot on

the various websites and in the right

language(s). stephan Forseilles,

Head of Technology at easyFairs,

has the answer. “The exhibitors

do it themselves. over the past

two years we’ve developed an

application, called My easyFairs,

which enables exhibitors to

manage their web content on

our website. This assures them

a year-long presence on the site.

They can provide visitors with all

kinds of information in the form of

text, pictures or video. And they

may choose any of the eleven

languages we use. recently we’ve

also launched an easyFairs app that

makes it easier for visitors to find

the products and exhibitors they

are looking for. The same app can

be used to consult the programme

timetable, view the exhibitor

catalogue as well as the trade show

floor plan and retrieve all practical

information about the venue.

Thanks to these investments in

technology, our exhibitors can really

make the most of their presence at

our trade shows and achieve the

projected return on investment.”

Stephan Forseilles*Head of Technology

e A s Y FA i r s

www.linkedin.com/profile/view?id=1103550&trk=tab_pro


*as representative of Binor sprlu

quIck-chAngE ARtIst

meeting places.

the network of


“ the development of a strong partnership with exhibition organisers”

Artexis Belgium invests in easily accessible

regional venues with euro-wide potential.

on the one hand, visitors to fairs for the general

public are reluctant to travel outside their own

region and, on the other hand, professional

visitors want easy accessibility. The company

meets these needs by investing in regional

venues in Antwerp, Ghent and Namur. In

2011 Artexis Group acquired full ownership of

Antwerp expo. This gives Artexis Belgium a

strong presence in Flanders and Wallonia.

“The regional fairs are doing extremely well,” says

Etienne Verhaert, General Manager Venues at

Artexis Belgium. “We regularly survey visitors.

Time and again the results show that the public

appreciates our local presence. It brings the fair

to the visitor, in a manner of speaking, rather

than the other way around. That ensures a

special relationship with the public.”

more than just space in the exhibition hallsAt the same time, Artexis Belgium is

developing a close partnership with local fair

organisers. For example, “Antwerp expo is the

‘Boekenbeurs’ partner,” says Etienne Verhaert.

“While Artexis Belgium takes care of the

practical aspects, the Boekenbeurs itself can

focus on organising the content of the event,

the concept and the communication.” It is a

collaborative relationship that has nothing but

advantages for the trade fair organisers, the

exhibitors and the visiting public.

Indeed, Artexis Belgium offers much more than

just the space in the exhibition halls. “When

exhibitors decide to take part in a trade fair we

deal with all the support functions they need

for their participation.” To start with, this means

logistics and technology, but it’s also security,

anti-theft surveillance, crowd control, car park

management, and so on. “organising a trade

fair is always a huge job, of course, with lots

and lots of responsibilities, both big and small.

We see it as our job to relieve the organisers

of as many worries as possible. Then the

organisers can use their own strengths to

optimum effect and concentrate on the content,

the experience and the promotion of the trade

fair, so that it becomes a real life social medium,

a place where you can really network.”

Artexis Belgium invests in regional exhibition halls with Europe-wide appeal. The success of local exhibitions shows that the public appreciates the proximity. In addition, Artexis Belgium promotes itself as a partner for fair organisers.

Etienne VerhaertGeneral Manager Venues


www.linkedin.com/pub/etienne-verhaert/7/1ab/b57

https://twitter.com/etienneVerhaert


FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Belgium

venues

halls

surface area

Four

three

FourteeN

88,127 m2

meeting centres

MeetiNg pLaCes Artexis Belgium


“ antwerp expo has euregional-wide ambitions”

FacTS & FigUreS

Antwerp expo

visitors

725,000events

five 192third-party eveNts

owNeveNts

halls

four sixsurFace halls16,500 m2

surFace meetiNg ceNtres 980 m2

meeting rooms

overall total surface

17,480 m2

“obviously, the general public knows the ‘Boekenbeurs’

and the construction and renovation trade fair, bouw&reno.

But they might not know that Antwerp wants to play an

increasingly international role in the world of congresses

and trade fairs,” says philippe Willegems, Manager

Antwerp expo. More than 60 fairs take place each year at

Antwerp expo, including three important international trade

fairs, stocExpo, Breakbulk and Toc. Antwerp expo wants

to increase these numbers. Its ambition is to become a

regional location with euro-wide allure.

“There’s certainly no lack of trump cards in our hand,” says

philippe Willegems. “Antwerp is a world-class port and

an international logistics hub. There are the motorways,

the high speed train station and the airport. Antwerp is a

university city well-known for its cultural past, diamonds

and fashion.” The concentrated presence of industrial,

chemical, petrochemical and pharmaceutical companies

means that these sectors find Antwerp an attractive

destination for international trade fairs and congresses.

economic added valueport-related trade fairs like Transport&Logistics bring added

value and support to the Antwerp economy. Antwerp can

easily profile itself as a destination for this type of event at

the European level. “Antwerp is an interesting destination

for decision-makers, who may also be interested in

combining their visit to a trade show or congress with a

weekend trip or some other activity in the city. It is very

clear that international trade fairs and congresses bring

significant additional revenue to the city. Antwerp expo

can also benefit from the densely populated surrounding

region. A good 2.3 million people live in Antwerp expo’s

catchment area. Antwerp is an attractive destination for

visits to a public exhibition. since this local public also

frequently combines a visit to an exhibition with a day out

in the city, this further drives the economic benefits.

Antwerp expo wants to develop into a trade fair and congress centre for the whole of the

European Union. International events will also make a significant contribution to promoting

Antwerp as a destination.

Philippe WillegemsManager Antwerp expo & Business Development


www.antwerpexpo.be

www.antwerpexpo.be

www.linkedin.com/pub/philippe-willegems/1/390/736


MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Antwerp expo


green energy and eco-friendly sanitary systems

The focus on green principles and sustainability

is long established at Artexis Belgium. In recent

years, for example, we have invested in the

production of green energy and eco-friendly

sanitary systems. “We have 53,000 m2 of green

energy systems on our roofs,” says Thierry

Vande Venne, Venue & operations Manager

of Flanders expo. The integration of LED

lighting by Artexis Belgium has further reduced

electricity consumption. “For the sanitary

fixtures we have chosen water-saving taps

and toilets. Besides that, of course, we also

use recycled paper and eco-friendly cleaning

products and dosing systems.”

waste managementArtexis Belgium has also taken measures

to sort waste from the venues meticulously

and, wherever possible, the organisation

chooses fairtrade products. The result of all

these initiatives is that the company’s eco-

footprint has shrunk considerably. “It is a clear

win-win,” Thierry Vande Venne believes. “We

link sustainability to economic added value.”

The green principles do not stop with Artexis

Belgium either. “We involve our organisers and

the visitors, too, in the green theme.”

Flanders expo meeting centre was one of the first in Belgium to receive ‘The Green Key’, an international quality mark for eco-friendly companies in the tourist sector.

www.flandersexpo.be

Toerisme Vlaanderen, the Flanders tourist

office, made the award. Besides a wide variety

of campsites, bed & breakfasts, hotels and

tourist attractions, some meeting centres also

received ‘The Green Key’ for the first time this

year. “obviously, to be eligible for the award our

meeting centre must meet all the general legal

requirements. other criteria include registering

the monthly water and energy consumption.

The venue must satisfy a long list of eco-

friendly conditions too.” If they wish, companies

can call on Toerisme Vlaanderen for guidance

in winning ‘The Green Key’.

Thierry Vande VenneVenue & Operations Manager


www.flandersexpo.be

be.linkedin.com/pub/ thierry-vandevenne-a-vande-venne/41/a25/763


“ win-win via sustainability and economic added value!”

FacTS & FigUreS

Flanders expo

visitors

942,000events

100third-party eveNts8

owN eveNts

halls

eighteightsurFace halls54,000 m2

surFace meetiNg ceNtres 2,220 m2

meeting rooms

overall total surface

56,220 m2

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Flanders expo


“ our versatility is our strength!”

FacTS & FigUreS

Namur expo

Namur Palais des Congrès

visitors

278,000

visitors

6,000

12meeting

roomssurface

2,427 m2

events

three 35exterNal eveNtsowN eveNts

third party events

sixty-three

halls

threesurFace halls12,000 m2

Located at the heart of Wallonia, a stone’s throw from Brussels, Liège and Charleroi, Namur expo is now the nerve centre for both professional trade shows and public exhibitions. Its strength? An infrastructure capable of meeting organisers’ needs efficiently, whatever the event – from the most general to the most specialised.

Namur is not just the regional capital, it is also the Walloon

city most appreciated by fair organisers. In fact, with more

than 50 fairs and events, attracting no fewer than 278,000

visitors annually, Namur expo and its 12,000 m2 of exhibition

space has positioned itself as the leader of the sector in the

south of the country.

our versatility is our strengthso why is it such a success? Aline Leplat, Manager of

Namur expo, suggests some answers. “our versatility

is our strength! our 12,000 m2 of halls are spacious

enough to accommodate big fairs like Bois & Habitat

and Antica, two major events, but we can also adapt the

infrastructure and offer personalised solutions to those

organising very specialised fairs. This versatility, combined

with the professionalism and expertise of a group like

Artexis, means that we can offer our clients a very efficient,

customised service.”

“The other big advantage of Namur expo,” continues Aline

Leplat, “is its proximity and its easy accessibility. Visitors,

whether they are from Arlon, Liège or Tournai, can get into

Namur fast via the motorways or by public transport, visit

a fair for a couple of hours and still get out and enjoy their

sunday afternoon.”

“And that is exactly what so many of the exhibitors and

visitors are looking for,” adds Aline Leplat. “These days

people have very little time and they’re usually looking for

precise information. For their part, exhibitors are looking to

optimise their return on investment at fairs where there are

fewer people just looking and more genuine potential clients.”

consequently, besides the big general fairs, the trend is to

create fairs with more human dimensions and, in particular,

ones with more specific, specialised themes. “The evolution

is clear. The tendency now is to present strong themes at

the heart of the market and to the end customer. It is a very

encouraging trend for us because it corresponds perfectly

to the services we have to offer.”

namur palais des congrès“This is a range of services that is all the more

comprehensive and integrated because the infrastructure

we can offer our clients is also perfectly suited to their

seminars and conferences. I am talking about the palais

des congrès, a splendid building that is completely

equipped to accommodate over 300 congress-goers in

optimal comfort.”

Aline LeplatManager Namur expo & Namur Palais des Congrès


http://www.linkedin.com/pub/aline-leplat/36/238/b10

https://twitter.com/alineleplat


www.namurexpo.be

www.namurpalaisdescongres.be

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Namur expo & Namur Palais des Congrès


“ a fair is more and more often experienced as a real life social medium”

FacTS & FigUreS

Flanders expo

parking spaces

infrastructureentrance hall

expansion front building

expansion of the existing halls 3-5-7

8,000

4,310 m2

20,000 m2

14,741 m2

6,000

250 m2

2,970 m2

12,096 m2

PRESENT FUTURE

PRESENT FUTURE

PRESENT FUTURE

PRESENT FUTURE

with an additional development potential of approximately 9,800 M2.

Artexis Belgium plans major investments at Flanders expo and Antwerp expo in cooperation with design agency OMGEVING. As well as enlarging the exhibition halls, they will modernise them to meet the requirements of visitors today and in the future.

Wim Verstockt is the Director of rei consult and works as a business

developer for Artexis Belgium’s real estate. In this capacity, one of his

tasks will be to direct the enlargement and modernisation of Flanders

expo in the coming years. “First and foremost it will be a major facelift,”

he says. “second, we want to expand the exhibition halls. Not only

because we need more space, but also to make their position within the

area around them more distinct again. The alterations will give the halls

their own identity.”

improved comfortThe refurbishment will make visits as pleasant and comfortable as

possible. All of the sanitary facilities have been renovated already. “We

are going to improve accessibility, arrange new catering points, make

it easier for visitors to find their way around and

build a covered ‘walkway’ which will connect the

various halls. This will avoid the need for visitors

to go outside to move from one hall to another.

But the biggest change will, without doubt, be the

spectacular entrance area,” explains Wim Verstockt.

more flexibilityThe main objective of the structural alterations is

to create a large complex where several fairs can

take place simultaneously, and where the logistics

traffic, which is necessary for the setting-up and

dismantling of trade fairs, is kept as far away from

the visitors as possible. But the plans don’t only

include alterations, there will also be extensions.

The intention is to increase the present expo

surface by building a large multifunctional hall and

enlarging some of the existing halls. This will turn

Flanders expo into an even more modern expo

and meeting centre, with the capacity to organise

corporate events and congresses, as well.

“This will enable us to respond optimally to the

demands of current trends in the exhibitions

industry,” Wim Verstockt says. “There is now a

demand for more interesting content in addition

to the usual features of a visit to a trade fair. A fair

is more and more often experienced as a ‘real

life social medium’ and this means that it is very

important to invest in the development of exhibition

halls with modern facilities.”

improved comfortobviously, these structural alterations will also be

in keeping with the new vision of Artexis Group,

which puts increased focus on the visitors. Wim

Verstockt comments: “A fair should be a unique

experience for visitors. That will already be

abundantly clear at the entrance. A completely new

entrance complex is to be built some six metres

above ground level to welcome visitors, who will

be guided to a spectacular entrance zone from the

existing tram station and the various car parks. The

entrance zone will be located where the restaurant

is situated today. From the new entrance, visitors

will have a magnificent view of the gigantic Hall 1

and they will be able to reach whichever fair hall

they want to visit via covered walkways. It will be

really impressive.”

Wim Verstockt*Business Development Venues

A r t e x i s B e lg i u M - r e i C o N s u lt

www.linkedin.com/pub/wim-verstockt/17/827/584

https://twitter.com/WimVerstockt


Masterplan Flanders expo

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Masterplan Antwerp expo & Flanders expo

*as representative of REI Consult bvba


“ urban renewal project with economic drive”

Antwerp continues to make big efforts towards urban renewal. Artexis Belgium is investigating how it can renew the Antwerp expo site and give it European allure, while keeping it in harmony with the urban spatial planning being carried out as part of the city’s Strategic Spatial Structure Plan.

Early in 2012, Artexis Belgium instructed the

design agency, oMGEVING, to draw up a

master plan for the redevelopment of the

Antwerp expo site. Drawn up in consultation

with the city of Antwerp, the plan explores

what role the site should fulfil in the future

and how to accommodate this role in the

city’s development. “Artexis Belgium has

the declared ambition of developing a new

exhibition site with a multifunctional character,”

says Guy Vloebergh, an urban planner

and Managing Director of oMGEVING. “It

is essential for the company to be able to

increase its exhibition activities in Antwerp and

give them a euro-wide appeal.”

The renovation of Antwerp expo will give

Antwerp more prominence as a destination for

fairs and congresses at the European level.

“This in turn will provide an economic impetus

that will benefit the city,” says Guy Vloebergh.

“Trade fairs with an international appeal attract

an international public. That has a positive

influence on the seminars and other knowledge

transfer activities at the trade fairs themselves,

but it is also good for the hotels and restaurants

in the city. The new venue will provide value in

various ways. Artexis Belgium wants to make

a real life social medium of Antwerp expo.”

The redevelopment project will be suitably

integrated into its spatial environment and will,

as a result, make the cultural events cluster

between the singel, the Nachtegalen and

Middelheim parks even more alluring.

new élanAs a well-known port city, Antwerp has many

advantages when it comes to attracting

international events. However, for many years

now, the lack of suitable infrastructure has been

an obstacle to progress. New infrastructure

on the Antwerp expo site should make it

possible for Artexis Belgium to give Antwerp

fresh impetus as a trade fair city. “This is an

urban renewal project that will also have a

major impact on the city’s economy and on

tourism,” according to Guy Vloebergh. “You can

compare it to recent projects in Antwerp such

as spoor Noord and MAs. The Antwerp expo

project stands for radical urban renewal with

major economic impetus as a result.”

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Masterplan Antwerp expo

Masterplan Antwerp expo

Guy VloeberghDirector

o M g e v i N g C v B A

www.linkedin.com/company/omgeving

https://twitter.com/oMgeVing_cvba



FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Nordic

venues

halls

meeting rooms

surface area

two

three

tweNty

35,000 m2

“ a clear case of creative entrepreneur-ial thinking backed by the proven business experience of artexis group in belgium.”

until a couple of years ago, easyFairs scandinavia

was organising more trade shows in the Malmö

region than in any other location in the Nordic

region. “The Malmö venue had almost become the

easyFairs scandinavia home base in the south of

the country,” Håkan Gershagen recalls. “But it was

owned by a property company that planned to

tear the building down and turn it into a shopping

centre. There was no immediate plan for the

construction of a new exhibition hall.”

When a property developer eventually came up

with a proposal that didn’t quite fit into easyFairs

scandinavia’s strategy, Håkan Gershagen and

his team realised that it was time to switch to

plan B. “The city of Malmö granted us a perfectly

located piece of land, next to the Malmö Arena

and the railway station and only a 10 minutes’ ride

from copenhagen,” he says. “We set up Artexis

Nordic to build the new venue. so we embarked

on a successful strategy that was triggered by a

happy coincidence. This is a clear case of creative

entrepreneurial thinking backed by the proven

business experience of Artexis Group.”

a one-stop shopping formula and a one-price modelThe new MalmöMässan was designed, funded

and built in less than a year. “That set us thinking,”

Håkan Gershagen continues. “Wouldn’t it be great

to run our own venues in other scandinavian

cities as well?”

shortly after the opening of MalmöMässan, Artexis

Nordic took over the management of Kistamässan,

located in the northern part of stockholm, in the

Kista business district – sweden’s ‘silicon Valley’.

“That proved to be our second successful move,”

Håkan Gershagen says.

He adds that the common denominator of Artexis

Nordic’s two venues is that while they are compact

and relatively small, they are also ‘smart venues’.

“our exhibition halls have 15,000 to 20,000 m2

of flexible exhibition space,” he explains. “And we

offer the market a one-stop shopping formula,

with a one-price model. We have one team

managing both venues, which is very beneficial to

customers.”

As for the future, Håkan Gershagen intends to let

Artexis Nordic follow in the footsteps of easyFairs.

“We go where they organise trade shows,” he

smiles. “We shall also broaden our offer. In Malmö

we are in the process of adding several flexible

conference rooms to our centre. Each room

seats 100 to 1,000 people. And we’ll have small

breakout rooms as well. There’s a market for this.

Today, MalmöMässan is already overbooked.

Things are going well for us in scandinavia.”

“Venue management was originally not part of our strategy,” says Håkan Gershagen, Chairman of the Board at Artexis Nordic and easyFairs Scandinavia. “But when an unexpected and extraordinary opportunity arose, we promptly decided to start running our own venues. After consultation with Eric Everard and our colleagues at Artexis Group, who have several years of experience running venues in Belgium, we established Artexis Nordic. This new company, which is controlled by Artexis Group, as the majority shareholder, has since been very successful.”

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC

Håkan GershagenChairman of the Board


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/hakan-gershagen/1/46a/55b



“We’re not trying to be the biggest exhibition hall in Sweden – but we’re certainly trying to be the best at what we do,” says jan Thorén, Technical Manager Kistamässan. “We offer a modern, efficient and flexible venue, with first-class and personal service. Our ambition is to be the leading meeting arena with the slogan: ‘Sweden’s most central meeting and event venue’.”

The latest Artexis acquisition in

the north, Kistamässan, is an

accessible and innovative meeting

place for personal meetings and

experiences and the exchange

of knowledge and ideas. The

new centre is located to the north

of stockholm, in the heart of

Kista science city – one of the

world’s leading IcT clusters, home

to big-name companies such

as Ericsson, Nokia, Microsoft,

Tele2 and IBM.

ideal venue“Kistamässan’s location is ideal

in many ways: 10-15 minutes

from both of stockholm’s airports

(Arlanda and Bromma) and

accessible from central

stockholm by commuter train,

subway and several bus routes,”

Jan Thorén explains.

“The venue is just perfect for

organising everything from

exhibitions and conferences to

product launches, banquets,

concerts and any other event that

a multi-purpose venue can stage.”

Quick-change artist“We’re equipped for speed and

flexibility, and so we’ve always been

very good at hiring out our exhibition

spaces in rapid succession. For

example, we have a mobile seating

system that unfolds from the walls at

the push of a button. We then put

soundproofing walls in place – and

within two hours, we can build a

congress hall for 1,100 people,” says

Jan Thorén.

“so, if we have a trade fair or

exhibition that closes on a sunday

night, without any difficulty, we can

be ready for a large congress, with

lunch, dinner and an evening party

for 1,000 to 3,000 people, on

Monday morning,” he continues.

“on top of that, our personnel are

praised for their very high level of

service. our goal is to create the

meeting place of the future –

turning visions and ideas into

reality, regardless of the topic or

mission. recently, we’ve started to

think about expanding our facilities,

because we are attracting larger

and larger congresses and events.”

www.kistamassan.se

Jan ThorénTechnical Manager Kistamässan


www.artexis.se


FacTS & FigUreS

Kistamässan

visitors

230,000

15,000 m2surface

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC Kistamässan

meetingroomshalls

two 15

events

15 347third-partyeveNts

owN eveNts


Two years ago, when the old trade fair venue was closed down and the management team left the business, the Swedish city of Malmö and its hinterland lost their main exhibition centre. Artexis Group promptly intervened and today Malmö’s brand new exhibition venue is running at full speed.

FacTS & FigUreS

MalmöMässan (opened on 4.2.2012)

visitors in less than 6 months

120,000

20,000 m2

surface

“ the new malmömässan exemplifies artexis group’s unwavering entrepreneurship”

Lasse Larsson, Venue Manager at MalmöMässan,

is mildly amused when he tells the story of how

the ambitious Malmö building project came about:

“I wanted to ‘slow down’ a bit and was even considering

retirement when Håkan Gershagen, the current

chairman of the Board at Artexis Nordic, called me

and told me about his company’s plans to build a new

exhibition centre in Malmö.”

Lasse Larsson, who has extensive experience in

the organisation of trade fairs, was thrilled and soon

accepted the offer to manage the building project.

“Instead of doing small projects, as I had planned, I

found myself advising the architect and monitoring

the building works for Malmö’s new state-of-the-art

exhibition hall,” he says.

www.malmomassan.se

meetingroomshalls

oNe Five

events

thirty-Five

running a very tight scheduleconstruction work started on 4 May

2011 and was completed on 3 February

2012. “It took us exactly nine months to

complete this development project on

time and on budget,” he emphasises.

“It exemplifies our team’s unwavering

entrepreneurship. Thanks to impeccable

logistics, Artexis Group’s first trade show

opened to the public on 4 February

2012. In the following months five more

shows and several conferences were

held at the new exhibition centre, which

was carefully designed to meet the needs

and wishes of trade show organisers. We

have received 120,000 visitors in the new

exhibition hall in less than six months.”

a green buildingThe new Malmö trade fair venue, which

is run by Artexis Nordic, covers an area

of 20,000 m2 and has an exhibition area

of 14,500 m2. “It is an attractively bright

building located in the fastest growing

area of Malmö,” Lasse Larsson says. It

is also an ecologically sound structure.

Geothermal energy is used for heating

and air-conditioning and all the rainwater is

collected and held in a storage tank until it is

pumped to the point of use.

Lasse Larsson also saw to it that the new

building would meet all the exhibitors’

requirements. The power supply is

computer-controlled and monitored. socket

outlets can be switched on and off from one

central point and a fingerprint access control

system is used to keep the site secure.

“The new hall may have been more

expensive than comparable venues,”

Larsson admits, “but after only six months

we are already break even. Today Malmö is

nicely complementing stockholm as a trade

fair centre and thanks to the new building

I’m sure we are making the city even more

attractive.”

Lasse LarssonVenue Manager MalmöMässan


Connect

www.artexis.se

[email protected]

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC MalmöMässan


To provide the city with an architecturally interesting and functional exhibition hall in the vanguard of sustainable development: that was the challenge the city of Malmö launched. A challenge taken up by Artexis and Erik Giudice Architects.FacTS & FigUreS

MalmöMässan

50% less energy consumption compared to a classic building.

vegetated roofing

17,000 m2

Masterplan MalmöMässan

“ a sustainable building is mainly a Question of architecture”

paradoxically, Artexis and the

parisian architectural firm ‘Erik

Giudice Architects’ won the

competition by doing the opposite

of what the commissioning city

asked. “The city wanted a building

masked by other buildings with more

open functions (offices, residential,

etc.), whereas we, on the contrary,

gave the exhibition centre its own

personality,” explains Erik Giudice,

architect.

The separation of the different

elements of the project had the

added advantage that another of

the contracting authority’s demands

could be met: it must go fast. The

city’s former exhibition hall was

closing its doors and Malmö couldn’t afford

to stay off the map for long. “With its folded

façades, the hall is a far cry from the big

exhibition cubes that characterised the 70s and

80s. This is an urbanism that is more like the old

centres; we create public spaces with human

dimensions, while simultaneously expressing a

hyper-contemporary, architectural dynamic.”

sustainabilityFor Erik Giudice, the sustainability of a building

is not just a question of choosing the materials.

“If we have preserved abbeys and other

monuments through the centuries, it is not only

for their functional side but especially for their

architectural interest.”

“This explains the hand-laid bricks, an historic

material in the Malmö region, but with a white

hue rather than the traditional red or yellow. The

building is meant to be both a part of the historic

continuity of Malmö and, at the same time, firmly

rooted in modernity by virtue of its colour.”

geothermal heating and vegetated roofingThe exhibition hall certainly doesn’t ignore

energy performance. on the contrary. Heating

for the approximately 20,000 m2 available

(exhibition hall, conference rooms, restaurant,

offices, shops and logistics zone)

is provided by geothermal energy. shafts

250 metres deep make it possible to maintain

a constant temperature in both winter and

summer, thereby reducing energy consumption

by almost 50% compared to a classic building.

Finally, with 17,000 m2 of vegetated roofing, the

building makes a positive contribution to local

biodiversity.

Erik GiudiceArchitect

e r i k g i u D i C e A r C H i t e C t s

www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/erik/giudice

https://twitter.com/egarchitects


MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC MalmöMässan


“cooperation is more

important than

competition. it makes

winners of us all”

Malmö is a city of 300,000 inhabitants in the

southern part of sweden. “until recently we

had no venues for big meetings, no fairs, no

arenas, and fewer tourists,” Malmö’s Director of

Tourism, Johan Hermansson, says. “But now

the city has been transformed from a centre for

industry and shipping to a city of knowledge

and meetings, attracting many new residents,

tourists and economic activities. Today we are

competing with the top destinations in Europe

for meetings, seminars, conferences and

events. And there is very little doubt in my mind

that the brand-new MalmöMassan has been

instrumental in this evolution.”

“cooperation between private and public

partners is vitally important for the development

and promotion of a city or a region,” Johan

Hermansson emphasises. “We also

work closely with our Danish colleagues.

copenhagen Airport, which lies less than

15 minutes away, over the Öresund Bridge,

is often said to be Malmö’s gateway to the

world. And now the new arena and state-of-

the-art trade fair venue will allow Malmö to fulfil

Trade shows have always provided revenue for the cities where they take place. Some shows have even put their host cities on the global map. It is indeed a well-established fact that trade fairs and events are reliable tools for marketing a city. That inspired the city of Malmö to embark on a cooperation with Artexis Nordic, which had ambitious plans to build a new trade fair venue in the south of Sweden.

its role as a vibrant economic and social hub

that drives growth for approximately 1,5 million

people living in its hinterland as well as for

two million people living in Denmark.”

the most interesting events and shows in the region

According to Johan Hermansson, Malmö

definitely aspires to host the most interesting

events and trade shows in the region. “cities that

have such an ambition need to provide flawless

service to business people, holiday makers,

academics, students, sports enthusiasts and art

lovers,” he says. “That is the only way they can

increase their ‘aura’ and create a positive vibe

around themselves. cities that share Malmö’s

ambition must make their inhabitants rightly

proud of their place of residence and ensure that

all leisure and business travellers can thoroughly

enjoy their visit.”

“What we have achieved so far, is the result

of working together with various private and

public partners in sweden and abroad,” Johan

Hermansson concludes. “cooperation is more

important than competition. It makes winners of

us all. That is also the strategy by which Artexis

Nordic operates. No wonder the collaboration

went so well.”

Johan HermanssonDirector of Tourism

C i t Y o F M A l M ö

www.malmotown.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/johan-hermansson/19/957/927


MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC Impact on cities


“The experience of a fair as a

whole is important,” says patrick

Vandenbogaerde, Food & Beverage

Architect at Artexis Belgium. “Visitors

expect a show that is not just strong

in terms of content, but in terms of

parking facilities, WiFi, quick service

at the cash desk and tasty food and

drinks.” Depending on their needs at

the time, exhibitors and visitors want

to choose from different ways of

enjoying something to eat and drink.

Foodstep carried out a survey for

Artexis Belgium into how exhibitors

and visitors evaluate the catering

range. “Lots of visitors look at a

catering point as a place to take a

rest,” says Gert Laurijssen, Director

of the research agency Foodstep.

“But it’s about more than just food

and drink. They want to be able to sit

down, taste things and enjoy. other

visitors prefer straightforward healthy

food, including vegetarian dishes.

There should also be fast and

efficient snacks available, besides

more familiar, rather traditional

catering.”

atmosphere and accommodationIn the past, the range of food and

drink offered at Artexis Belgium

was too much oriented towards

traditional catering in traditional

expo halls. Now Artexis Belgium is

A trade fair needs to offer more than a strong selection of exhibitors. A wide range of meals, snacks and drinks determines, to a large extent, its assessment as a whole.

“ catering for every need and for every type of visitor”

FacTS & FigUreS

Food & Beverage

72 % 1 3 visitors spend between

10 and 30 euros on food and drinks at the fair.

eats or drinks something at the fair.

visitors

food70% of the visitors prefer to eat a sandwich at the fair.

69% prefer self-service.

outof

Gert LaurijssenDirector

F o o D s t e p

www.foodstep.be

www.linkedin.com/in/gertlaurijssen


Patrick Vandenbogaerde*Food & Beverage Architect


www.artexis.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/patrick-vandenbogaerde/a/735/344


Maria StridhCEO

M Ä s s r e s tA u r A N g e r M A l M ö

www.massrestauranger.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/maria-stridh/2b/40/52


making investments to be able to meet other needs

as well. patrick Vandenbogaerde: “The experience

at the trade fair determines about half of the total

assessment of the quality of the event. From the survey

it appears that one out of five visitors would like to see

the existing range extended in the future. Moreover,

the assessment of the ambience and accommodation

is quite low. We want to meet those needs with more

choice and – above all – by creating ambiences and

accommodation appropriate to the various catering

requirements.” A business public prefers a familiar

assortment, whereas private individuals would rather

discover something to taste and enjoy.

That is why it is important for Artexis Belgium to keep

the profile of the visitors more in mind when developing

its multifunctional complexes. “Every fair has its

own public,” says Maria stridh, cEo of the catering

company Mässrestauranger from Malmö, in sweden.

“As a caterer you not only have to adapt the menu to

the visitors’ profile, sometimes you have to adapt the

portions you serve too. In particular, you have to be

able to cope with the scale of the fair. one day you’re

working for a small professional event and the next

for a large public exhibition.”

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis group Food & Beverage

*as representative of Patse bvba


“All the events we organise are aimed at interior

decorating professionals,” says patrick Geysels.

“Intirio at Flanders expo is no exception. We’ve

been organising that fair since Flanders expo

first started, back in 1987. And, obviously, we

support Artexis Belgium’s plans for this venue.

They will be a positive development for both the

quality and the accessibility of the buildings,

and for their allure. Artexis Belgium’s plans instil

confidence in the future and provide stability. An

extra advantage for us is that Artexis Belgium

is also active internationally. They know exactly

what’s going on in our sector, which puts them

in a position to make the right decisions.” The

collaboration between Artexis Belgium and

Textirama is extremely smooth at other levels, too.

They work together to deal with the problem of

waste disposal at fairs, for example.

good waste managementAt Textirama, one of Bart Walraet’s hats is that

of Waste Manager. “In fact, we’ve been working

on waste management for years. Waste is a big

problem at trade fairs. To alleviate it we go along

to each of the exhibitors to try to persuade them

to produce less waste. This kind of awareness-

raising process demands a lot of communication

on the floor, of course, but it works. Every year we

see the mountain of waste decrease.”

Textirama organises a congress and three trade fairs per year, including Intirio at Flanders expo. Patrick Geysels, Textirama’s CEO, is very positive about Artexis Belgium’s investments in this venue.

“ artexis’ plans instil confidence in the future”

Patrick GeyselsCEO – Venue customer

t e x t i r A M A

www.textirama.be

www.linkedin.com/pub/patrick-geysels/a/a33/888


Bart WalraetWaste Manager – Venue customer

t e x t i r A M A

www.linkedin.com/pub/bart-walraet/a/82a/801

https://twitter.com/intirio


The collaboration between

Artexis Belgium and Boek. be

developed over time. Boek. be

is the association of Flemish

publishers, book importers and

retailers, which organises the

‘Boekenbeurs’. For a long time

the association has wanted to

concentrate on its core activities.

“And they are much broader than

just the ‘Boekenbeurs’,” says

Managing Director, Geert Joris. “so,

it was obvious that we needed to

strengthen our ties.

added valueWhereas Boek.be keeps a close

eye on the content and experience

of the ‘Boekenbeurs’, Artexis

Belgium is responsible for the

logistics and the organisational

side of things. “They know the

particularities of the fair through

and through,” Geert Joris says.

“This ensures a distinct added

value. Artexis Belgium has a perfect

feel for the ‘Boekenbeurs’ and

responds very directly to exhibitors’

requests.” Antwerp and Antwerp

expo have become critical success

factors. “The venue and location

are key considerations,” according

to Geert Joris. “Thanks to Artexis

Belgium, we are able to make

optimum use of the opportunities

the building offers.”

168,00075theditioN visitors

of the exhibitors filled in a short survey. This shows that the majority is equally or more satisfied with the ‘Boekenbeurs’ than last year.

The ‘Boekenbeurs’ has grown with Antwerp and Antwerp expo. The city and venue are critical success factors for the fair.

authorssigning sessions2,000 900

FacTS & FigUreS

‘Boekenbeurs’ 2011

Geert JorisDelegated Director – Venue customer

B o e k . B e

www.linkedin.com/pub/geert-joris/0/672/716

https://twitter.com/geertjoris


65%

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Venue customers


“ real support for the organisers”

Daniel TambourAdministator-Director – Venue customer

l e p r A D o s . p. r . l .

www.batireno.be


Daniel Tambour, a well-known figure in the world of public events, has been organising the Batireno fair in Namur expo since 2004. When asked why he is so loyal to the expo-halls in Namur his answer is clear: “Because Namur expo is ideally situated and because the team there offers top-quality professional service.”

With this long involvement, Daniel Tambour has seen the

evolution at Namur expo: “The management used to have

a fatherly approach, but nowadays it is an experienced,

professional organisation where the Artexis team offers fast

and appropriate solutions to meet our specific needs. They

are really on the ball, anticipating problems and offering real

logistical support to the organisers! And it’s all done in a good-

humoured manner and with mutual respect, which never

does any harm! In fact, we’ve become friends since I’ve been

working with them.”

And when we ask Daniel Tambour whether he has never

thought of moving his fair, he replies cheerfully: “Whatever for?

As they say where I come from, if you’re happy, why change?

I’ve been organising trade fairs for many years and, believe

me, Namur expo has a lot of advantages over competitors: its

central position in Wallonia, its easy accessibility by road and

public transport, its pleasant environment and – I repeat –

its team, which is dynamic, efficient and nice, too.”

FacTS & FigUreS

Batireno

20,000visitors

exhibitors

1993 442012 170

“ perfect, customised service from start to finish, that’s what made the difference”

In 2012 CARORL, a group of ENT anaesthetists, welcomed its members to Namur for the first time. Thanks to the teams at Namur Palais des Congrès it was a complete success.

Founded thirty years ago on the initiative of some French

anaesthetists, cArorL assembles its 150 French, swiss and

Belgian members twice a year to share developments in the

field of anaesthesia and reanimation. Having initially considered

holding the congress in Brussels, cArorL eventually opted for

Namur palais des congrès. “What convinced us was the quality

of the reception, the customised assistance and the proximity to

our facilities,” explains Alain Mayne, anaesthetist at the university

Hospital Mont-Godinne in Yvoir and one of the organisers of the

congress.

remarkable flexibility“From the very first contact we knew we were dealing with real

professionals. They answered each of our questions quickly and

in a way that satisfied our specific needs. This meant we could

concentrate on the congress programme,” Alain Mayne says. He

adds, “Artexis Belgium’s flawless organisation largely contributed

to the complete success of our event and gave a very positive

impression of Namur and the region as well.”

Alain MayneAnaesthetist – Venue customer

u C l D e M o N t- g o D i N N e

www.linkedin.com/pub/alain-mayné/10/801/575


MeetiNg pLaCes artexis BeLgiuM Venue customers


The Scandinavian Electronics Event (S.E.E.)

moved to Kistamässan and gets plenty of help

from a dedicated and forthcoming team.

sweden has a long tradition of excellence in engineering, so

there is strong demand for dependable supplies of high-quality

electronic components. It is therefore not surprising that the swedish

Electronics Trade Association (sE) has around 190 active member

companies, each striving to strengthen their business.

“In 2010 we established and initiated the s.E.E. to support our

members’ ambitions,” Lena Norder, Managing Director of sE,

explains. The first edition of this biennial event was hosted by

stockholm Mässan. But, for the 2012 edition, the s.E.E. moved to

a different venue in the Kista district of stockholm. “That is where

many important customers of our member companies are based,”

Lena Norder emphasises.

unanimously praised“The people at Kistamässan were very helpful,” she says.

“We wanted to try out an innovative concept. The Kista team

understood exactly what we were aiming for and helped us create

a very welcoming atmosphere. Largely thanks to their dedication

and expertise the show became a big success.”

“our expectations were met and the 4,635 visitors’ feedback was

very positive.” This proves the great added value of a trade fair: “The

Internet informs, but the trade fair inspires. In two days you can meet

more potential customers or suppliers than in the rest of the year.”

“the kista team understood

exactly what we were

aiming for”

Lena NorderManaging Director – Venue customer

B r A N s C H k A N s l i e t

www.svenskelektronik.se & www.see-event.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/lena-norder/1/1a7/218


“It’s an attractive shiny building,” Hem och Villa project Manager Lotta

Fors says. “From a distance it doesn’t even look like an exhibition

centre and it’s remarkably bright and airy inside. It is also very

practical. I have no doubt it was designed by people with a good

understanding of the events and exhibitions business.”

MalmöMässan centre is also strategically situated in the Hille district,

close enough to copenhagen to attract many Danish visitors as well.

the momentum is building“The service-mindedness of the new MalmöMässan management

team is an additional asset,” says Lotta Fors. “They have an eye for

the needs and wishes of both exhibitors and visitors. They think

proactively and are very flexible in dealing with unforeseen

circumstances. It makes my job much easier.”

Another great plus, nowadays, is the Internet. Lotta Fors and her

team use social media all the time. They organise lotteries and are

constantly thinking up new initiatives to improve the communication

between exhibitors and visitors. “It’s nice to know I can count on

the MalmöMässan team. Did you know the first edition of Hem och

Villa took place in a tent? Fortunately we’re now housed in this lovely

building. Things are definitely looking up, in every way.”

“ the artexis nordic team clearly has an intimate understanding of our business”

House and apartment owners in the south of Sweden looking for

interior design inspiration can count themselves lucky. From now on, the

yearly Hem och Villa public fair is to be held at the brand-new Malmö exhibition centre, locally known as

MalmöMässan.

FacTS & FigUreS

Hem och Villa 2011

standsvisitors

34,039 277

MeetiNg pLaCes artexis NordiC Venue customers

Lotta ForsProject Manager – Venue customer

H e M o C H v i l l A

www.linkedin.com/pub/lotta-fors/45/ba/182

https://twitter.com/lottafors1


smARt gRowthvIsItoR cEntRIcIty

365-dAy shows

LoyALty

discover

market places.

the network of

smARt gRowthvIsItoR cEntRIcIty

discoveron-sItE ExpERIEncE


“ keeping in touch with visitors between fairs to better cater to their needs”

One of the greatest challenges for our industry is, without any doubt at all, the relative decline in ‘visitor time’. They may be holding out better than the competition but Artexis and easyFairs intend to position themselves, even more than before, as organisations focussed on visitors’ needs. Anne Lafère (General Manager Artexis Exhibitions), Bosse Magnusson (COO Artexis Nordic) and Amélie Duraffourg (Group Marketing Manager easyFairs) explain.

so what exactly is visitor centricity? Amélie: “contrary to other industries we have two types of

customers, the exhibitors but also the end-customers, the visitors.

Thanks to our contacts with professional federations, we are already

well aware of exhibitors’ expectations. Being focussed on the visitors

means staying in contact with them between fairs and acquiring a

better understanding of their expectations.”

Anne Lafère*General Manager Exhibitions


Connect

www.artexis.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/anne-laf%c3%a8re/0/919/48b

[email protected]

*as representative of AD LIB Communications sprl

Amélie DuraffourgGroup Marketing Manager

e A s Y FA i r s

www.easyfairs.com

be.linkedin.com/pub/amelie-duraffourg/3/575/769


Bosse MagnussonChief Operating Officer


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/bosse-magnusson/2b/a76/263


so how is that different to a Quality survey? Anne: “It’s a question of creating a real community focused on

visitors’ interests. A community that lives not only during but

especially outside the trade fair periods.”

Bosse: “social networks offer us a magnificent opportunity to inform

visitors about new products in a sector, as well as to catch up with

their details and their requirements. That puts us in an even better

position to anticipate their needs and consequently to adapt our fairs,

to identify new themes even.”

what are the benefits of this community for the visitors? Anne: “It will allow us to continue to improve the visitor experience.

Both in terms of the content of the trade fairs and in terms of the

form, so that visits won’t just be an interesting day, but a pleasant

day too. Fairs will be an opportunity to go from virtual networking to

real networking, thereby providing more added value for both visitors

and exhibitors. Take tourism, for example. reading blogs discussing

a dream destination doesn’t ever replace the trip as such.”

Bosse: “Besides, identifying new themes and catering to the

needs of our visitors and the exhibitors allows us to consolidate our

leadership position.”

Amélie: “The paradox is that the more you work on your ‘visitor

centricity’, the less you view visitors as just visitors and the more

you see them as people with more complex needs. The parallel

with politics speaks for itself. We need to do exactly the opposite of

certain politicians, who only worry about their voters for a few weeks

before the elections. The goal is to stay in touch with our visitor

communities 365 days a year.”

Market pLaCes artexis groupVisitor centricity


“ smart growth – a selective growth policy”Artexis Group has succeeded, in the course of time, in building a reputation for its capacity for development and successful growth. For Eric Préat, Vice-President Product Development: “Though the market circumstances may have changed, the aim is still exactly the same. The crisis in 2008 was actually enriching, because it showed us how to be more circumspect in our choices.”

Eric Préat*Vice-President Product Development

e A s Y FA i r s /A r t e x i s B e lg i u M

www.linkedin.com/pub/eric-preat/0/aa5/90

https://twitter.com/erichenriP


*as representative of EPM gvc

Exhibitors have become more rational in

their investments. consequently, they limit

themselves to the fairs that deliver the best

results. Artexis Group is well positioned in

this situation, having a large proportion of

the leading fairs in their sectors.

key sectorsNevertheless, Artexis Group is not

resting on its laurels. “We are actively and

constantly looking to develop in various new

directions. To ensure successful growth,

Artexis Group has developed expertise in

the identification and acquisition of new

projects. The exhibitions we target are

already ‘musts’ in their sectors. one of

the essential requirements is that they are

active in key sectors. And, of course, they

must be large enough to allow profitable

development from the start, though

obviously the availability of this type of

project varies from one country to another.”

planning ahead, the key to our successMoreover, the Group intends to invest

in its existing products in order to make

them even more profitable. “our focus

in this respect is to make our existing

fairs more attractive and as effective

as possible.” In rethinking its strategic

positioning, with a more targeted structure

and a qualitative approach, Artexis Group

is laying the foundations for its future

growth. “our intention is to provide ‘must

visit’ fairs for the markets we serve,

creating the best conditions for suppliers

and users, exhibitors and visitors to meet.

With the focus on the visitors, the end-

customers of our fairs. We are becoming

a real life social media.”

By employing all of the Group’s creative

strength to achieve this aim, Artexis Group

ensures its own continued growth and

that of its products, both current and

future.

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Group

Market pLaCes artexis group

fairs

2000 42012 137

in 15 countries

aim of the group: to develop the leading names in their markets

Belgium horeca expo, BelgiaN Boat show, empack, traNsport & logistics

Europe packagiNg iNNovatioNs, solids, maiNteNaNce iNdustrial Fast Food

International realty, art Brussels, stocexpo,packagiNg iNNovatioNs


“ strict selection of standholders with added value”


ART BRUSSELS

FacTS & FigUreS

Art Brussels 2012

international contemporary

art galleries

artists

visitors

facebook

182

2,000

31,632

2,893 likes

49talkiNg aBout

In June 2012

© D

enia

Zer

oua

li

Karen renders was the face of and the driving spirit behind art Brussels for years. She passed away on 10 october 2012.

Over the past 30 editions, Art Brussels has grown to become a well-known international reference in the world of art fairs. One of the reasons visitors appreciate Art Brussels is that they can discover new talent there.

Art Brussels is the leading contemporary art fair in

Brussels. A good 31,000 art-lovers turned out for the

2012 edition. The visiting public is not just Belgian

collectors, however. Approximately one third of them

come from abroad. Brussels is a very attractive location

for the art world. Its central position between paris,

London, Amsterdam and cologne is a big advantage

for Art Brussels.

In 2012, Art Brussels assembled an international

selection of 182 art galleries, representing more than

2,000 artists. Art Brussels is well known as the fair

where young talent can be discovered. Thanks to

the good balance of established and new artists, Art

Brussels has developed into an important, not-to-be-

missed event in the art world.

deliberate choiceGallery owner Albert Baronian also makes a

fundamental contribution to the success of Art Brussels.

He remained chairman of the selection committee even

after Artexis Belgium took over the fair from him. “For

2012 there were a good 400 applications from galleries

wanting to participate in Art Brussels,” he says. “That just

shows how highly the sector rates our fair.” Art Brussels

deliberately limits the number of standholders. The

atmosphere is important. “We don’t want to be too big

either. You can visit the fair easily in one day.”

The selection of the exhibitors is based on the added

value they can bring to the fair through their network

of artists and collectors. The fact that there is a lot of

interest in exhibiting at Art Brussels is all to do with the

reputation of Belgian collectors, says Albert Baronian.

“Belgian collectors are well known for their daring. so

gallery owners can take more risks and give young

artists a chance.”

www.artbrussels.be

Albert BaronianPresident selection committee Art Brussels

A l B e r t B A r o N i A N

www.albertbaronian.com

[email protected]

Connect

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMArt


“ professional advice is an important differentiator in our market”

A visit to a trade show is not always limited to discovering, choosing or buying. Many visitors need independent, professional advice. At bis, bouw&reno and HOUT&HABITAT, Artexis Belgium clearly meets this need.

With bis at Flanders expo, bouw&reno

and HouT&HABITAT at Antwerp expo,

Artexis Belgium has three successful fairs

in its portfolio dedicated to construction,

renovation and real estate. There’s a

reason for this success. “The fairs offer

more than just the traditional sales stands,”

says Bob christiaens, Group Exhibition

Manager at Artexis Belgium. “Visitors can

get independent professional advice at the

fairs too. That’s how we create interaction

between the fair, the standholders and the

visitors. That’s what makes the difference.”

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Belgium

bis 2011

82,400 visitors

500 exhibitors

bouw&reno 2012

36,273 visitors

270 exhibitors

hout&habitat 2011

10,268 visitors

80 exhibitors

Bob Christiaens*Group Exhibition Manager


www.artexis.com


BIS, BOUW&RENO, HOUT&HABITAT

*as representative of Exporama nv

Visitors can register online in advance.

They can then get advice during the fair

from all sorts of professionals: an architect,

an insulation specialist, someone who

knows all about solar panels and heat

pumps, and so on.

It is a popular formula. During the previous

edition of bis, 1,100 visitors signed up for

an individual meeting with a specialist.

“We offer a wide range of subjects,” Bob

christiaens adds. “They might deal with

subsidies and grants, or they might equally

talk about home robots or sanitary systems.

As fair organisers, it is important for us

to offer this extra service. Visitors don’t

just come to the fair to buy, they come to

discover new products and get advice as

well. It creates extra loyalty between the fair,

the exhibitors and the visitors.”

discovering new solutionssax sanitair knows that too. The wholesaler

has had a stand at bis for the past twenty-

odd years. “It’s the main fair in Flanders for

us,” says ronald Kerckhaert, cEo of sax

sanitair. over the years, the company’s

stand has developed into one of the main

attractions at the show. “private individuals,

plumbers and developers come to the

fair to discover new products,” ronald

Kerckhaert says. “Amongst other things,

we show them all the new green and

sustainable products, including those

related to solar energy.” This exemplifies

the beneficial synergies between exhibits

and the free advice on offer. once they

have obtained independent advice, visitors

can then go and see the solutions on the

exhibitors’ stands.

www.bisbeurs.be

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMBuilding

Ronald KerckhaertCEO – Exhibitor bis

s A x s A N i tA i r

www.sax-sanitair.be

[email protected]

Connect


“close consultation

with the sector has

made realty a success”

Artexis Belgium always develops the best formula for its

business summits with visitors, exhibitors and

professional federations. Amongst the events

that have undergone the strongest growth, Realty

is a perfect example.

realty is an international professional trade fair dedicated to real estate,

combined with a programme of seminars where supply meets demand.

“realty worked in close consultation with the sector and identified an

opportunity,” explains Gregory olszewski, Group Exhibition Manager at

Artexis Belgium. “In other countries professional real estate fairs have

been around for a long time, but not in Belgium.” When it carried out a

small survey of the sector, Artexis immediately noticed a very definite

interest. “It’s a formula that works well. We maintain close contact with all

the stakeholders: the visitors and exhibitors, as well as the professional

federations and other organisations active in the sector.”

This is a very concrete way for Artexis Belgium to bring the contents

of the fair and the seminar programme into line with the needs of

the market. The figures are revealing – this approach does bear fruit.

since the launch in 2009, the number of exhibitors and visitors has

risen meteorically. “For the next editions we are again counting on an

annual growth rate of around 10%,” Gregory olszewski says. realty is

one of the fastest growing professional trade fairs in Artexis Belgium’s

Business summits & professional portfolio. Energy Forum, Green Expo

and stone Expo are part of that portfolio too.

Gregory OlszewskiGroup Exhibition Manager


www.linkedin.com/pub/gregory-olszewski/3/136/4

https://twitter.com/gregolszewski


REALTY, ENERGY FORUM, GREEN EXPO, STONE EXPO

“realty is the only big professional fair for the Belgian

real estate sector,” explains Gaëtan clermont, cEo of

the real estate group cBrE in Belgium, Luxembourg

and switzerland. “As a player in the real estate market,

you can’t miss realty. Besides, the close collaboration

with the federations gives the fair a positive image, a

professional feeling and credibility.” As far as the visitors

are concerned, this collaboration guarantees the quality

of the fair and the seminar programme, too. At the same

time, as a relatively new professional trade fair, realty

offers more than adequate growth potential. “I’m thinking

mainly of its appeal to foreign partners, both exhibitors

and visitors,” says Gaëtan clermont. “A great many

foreign investors are beginning to discover realty. That

means a host of possibilities for the future.”

www.realty-brussels.be

FacTS & FigUreS

Realty 2012

evolution of visitor numbers

• 750 chairs, bar stools and sofas provided for the exhibitors’ stands.

• 140 seats that Artexis provides in communal areas.

• 600+ chairs in the seminar halls.

seats

1,500

20093,050

20103,400

20114,800

20125,305

Realty 2012

exhibitors

125

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMBusiness Summits & Professional

Gaëtan ClermontCEO CBRE Belgium, Luxemburg, SwitserlandExhibitor Realty

C B r e

www.cbre.com

[email protected]

Connect


Nancy LippensGroup Exhibition Manager


www.linkedin.com/pub/nancy-lippens/14/103/a27

https://twitter.com/lippensnancy


HORECA EXPO

“always on the lookout for trends and new products”

Standing still is regressing. Horeca Expo owes its success firstly to its size – it is the largest trade show of its kind, offering a complete range for the whole sector; but it is also successful because it is constantly evolving.

Horeca Expo is one of the main trade shows in the Artexis

portfolio. The exhibition has existed for 24 years and has

become a fixed asset for hotel and catering professionals. It

is a big exhibition, too. Horeca Expo easily fills the eight halls

of Flanders expo. That success is no accident. “Every year

we work on the quality and professionalism of the show. At

the same time, we keep a finger on the pulse. We listen to

what’s going on in the sector and follow up on the wishes

Herman MaesCEO – Exhibitor Horeca Expo

M A e s i N o x

www.maesinox.be

[email protected]

Connect

FacTS & FigUreS

Horeca Expo 2011

professional visitors

51,000620 exhibitors

brands

3,000

and suggestions of the exhibitors and visitors.” In addition,

we have excellent relations with the various professional

federations and the trade press,” says Nancy Lippens,

Group Exhibition Manager at Artexis.

meeting expectationsThis means that Horeca Expo is continually evolving. Each

edition of the fair is right up to date. “We are always on the

lookout for innovations and follow the trends in the hotel and

catering industry closely. Horeca Expo is a trade show for

the whole hotel and catering industry, from cafés and chip

stands to the top restaurants and hotels. The result is a very

broad range: food and drinks, decoration and hygiene, IT

and cooking techniques – it’s all there. But visitors don’t

only come to see suppliers and discover new products,

they’re also looking for advice. By surrounding ourselves

with strong partners we can successfully provide what they

want.” Horeca Expo attaches a lot of importance to the fair

experience too. “We know that visitors set aside quite a lot of

time for a visit, so it’s important for us to offer them the right

information during their visit. We do this through seminars,

cooking demonstrations, master classes and so on.”

In 2012 the focus was on the use of social media in the hotel

and catering industry. As private individuals, professionals

from the sector have often been familiar with Facebook

and Twitter for a while. Nancy Lippens: ”But now they are

increasingly looking for ways to use the social media to

promote their business. The fair has picked up on that trend.

With a partner we have set up an experience corner where

visitors can go for information and tips, and where they can

discover the new hardware as well.”

key elementHaving participated 12 times, Maes Inox has become a

fixed asset at Horeca Expo. “The added value of the fair is

beyond question,” says Managing Director Herman Maes.

“For us, Horeca Expo functions as a barometer. The fair

shows us what the coming year has to offer.” What appeals

most to Maes Inox at Horeca Expo is the direct contact with

the national and international visitors. In addition, this West-

Flanders company, which specialises in kitchen design and

the manufacture of induction kitchens, uses the fair as a

platform for launching new, innovative solutions. “Horeca

Expo’s international allure ensures extra resonance too,”

according to Herman Maes. “There’s no doubt that the

exhibition plays a key role in the success of our company.”

www.horecaexpo.be

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMHospitality


“ continue to modernise, but respect the concept”

It remains a challenge for every successful exhibition, but it is not impossible. Countryside has struck the right balance between recognition of the original show concept and the demand from exhibitors and visitors for modernisation.

Eveline De BruyckerExhibitions Supervisor


www.linkedin.com/pub/eveline-de-bruycker/32/8a8/a3


COUNTRYSIDE, BELGIAN BOAT SHOW

countryside has developed into the leading fair for country

living. Authenticity is the leimotif, even though countryside has

modernised the concept for the 2012 edition. “countryside

is a strong and stable product,” says Eveline De Bruycker,

Exhibitions supervisor of countryside and Belgian Boat show

at Artexis. “But that doesn’t mean that we don’t continually

innovate. This ongoing evolution is the focal point of Artexis in

general and of a public fair like countryside in particular.”

more profound experience“As an organiser you have to dare to question yourself year

after year,” Eveline De Bruycker believes. “You have to get

a feeling for which way the market is evolving. You have to

listen to the needs and wants of the exhibitors and visitors.”

In response to their specific demands, the organisers have

improved the show’s segmentation. countryside is divided

into seven zones now, with authenticity a central theme for

each of them. That optimises the visitor experience. Visitors

to countryside spend on average four hours in the exhibition

halls. Forty per cent of the visitors stay there for four to six

hours. But the audience does not consist exclusively of

visitors who aim straight for a particular set of exhibitors.

countryside is also a fair where people like to stroll around

and take the time to discover new products, to take part in

workshops or to enjoy demonstrations at the cookery theatre.

contact with the general publicID Woondecoratie is an interior decoration business from

Bornem that has had a stand at every edition of countryside.

“participating in a specialised fair like countryside gives

us the opportunity to make direct contact with the general

public”, says the owner of the business, Inez Dochez. “We

see the number of visitors to our stand increase every year.

The total concept and the focus on authenticity are what

make countryside successful. That fits in well with what we,

as exhibitors, offer in terms of country living.”

www.countryside.be

FacTS & FigUreS

Countryside

17th editioNiN 2012

300 exhibitors

visitors 2011

40,000loyal

visitors 70%bought something

at the fair

93%i D w o o N D e C o r At i e

www.notarishuis.be

[email protected]

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMLeisure

Inez DochezOwner – Exhibitor Countryside


“ our job is to make the exhibition medium available to an industry sectors”

FacTS & FigUreS

Bois & Habitat

77.7%

95%

87.9%

81.4%

75%

710

90.9%

of visitors intend to contact an exhibitor after the exhibition.

of visitors have found answers at the exhibition.

of visitors have found answers at the exhibition.

of visitors intend to visit an exhibitor after the exhibition.

of exhibitors state that they have achieved their objectives.

81,3% of visitors give the exhibition an overall rating of more than 7/10.

of exhibitors come to B&H to make new contacts.

87,6% of exhibitors give the organisation a rating of over 7/10 during the exhibition.

Energie & Habitat

The days when trade fairs resembled some shambolic student flat share, where visitors and exhibitors bumped into each other almost by chance, are long gone. Today, going to a trade fair is more like a market survey than a Sunday afternoon stroll in the park. Alongside Artexis Belgium, Artexis Expo likewise organises five shows representing the business in Belgium’s francophone Walloon provinces.

“Field studies have become an indispensable tool for

ensuring the success of a fair,” says Jean-Thomas

Leplat, General Manager Artexis Expo. Exhibitors

and visitors are much in demand so they want to be

sure that they are participating in the ‘right’ exhibition.

consequently, Artexis researches the requirements

of different sectors and audiences so that it can then

approach professionals and help them to develop

concepts and themes for attractive exhibitions.

“our job is to put the trade fair medium at the disposal

of an industry sector. But we are not specialists in

this sector. Together, we define the right concept

and the right content for the show. representatives

of the sector have a clear idea of the sort of content,

conferences and themes that will interest the

audience. We are marketing people.” In some cases,

the demand comes straight from the sector itself. An

example is the Wood2Build fair, which will take place

in 2013 and will bring together professionals in wood

construction.

good partnership More than ever, a good exhibition is a partnership

between the professionals working in an industry

sector and marketing professionals. “We rely on the

support of the professionals within a branch and, in

return, we help them to make contact with a public

they would have difficulty reaching on their own.

We are the only ones to offer such broad know-how

in Belgium.”

Finally, field studies make it possible to target those

exhibitors who are most appropriate for a particular

topic, on the one hand, and the audience that the

exhibitors would like to meet on the other. After all,

exhibitors increasingly consider exhibitions to be like

any other medium, and they want to know the profiles

of the visitors as precisely as possible.

best return on investmentMastery of these marketing tools allows Artexis

to provide ultimate market places in very different

sectors, from modern art to construction with wood,

pleasure boating and a variety of others.

The main thing is that exhibitors are always extremely

satisfied. “In the end, 81% of our exhibitors say that

our shows deliver the best return on investment,

better even than the Internet!”

www.artexis.com


www.linkedin.com/pub/jean-thomas-leplat/6/30a/566

https://twitter.com/Jeanthol


ANTICA NAMUR, EURANTICA BRUSSELS, BOIS & HABITAT, ENERGIE & HABITAT, WOOD2BUILD

Jean-Thomas Leplat*General Manager Artexis Expo

Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMArtexis Expo

*as representative of AGRESTAND sprl


“ fairs consult and artexis belgium are perfectly complementary”

Fairs Consult develops fair concepts and lets them acquire the necessary maturity in the market. If a concept is ripe for further exploitation, Fairs Consult passes the torch to Artexis Belgium.

Fairs consult is a subsidiary of Artexis Belgium. The

company’s core activities consist of the development

and fine-tuning of trade fair concepts. In addition,

Fairs consult also works on the internationalisation

of the second Home International trade fair and the

development of fair concepts like BIBAc expo, a trade

fair for the bakery industry. “The development of a new

fair concept is typically less obvious than you might

think,” says Luc paeme, Managing Director of Fairs

consult. “You must constantly dare to question yourself

and your ideas and test them against reality. That is not

always easy.”

specifically, Fairs consult passes on finished trade fair

concepts to its parent company, Artexis Belgium, for

further exploitation. But this also works in reverse; for

example, if a fair needs a new direction. Luc paeme:

“When that happens, we take an existing fair under our

wings and look for a way to fine-tune the concept or

the way it is interpreted.” In this respect, Fairs consult

functions as an incubator for fair concepts, with the

advantage that the company can count on the broad

support of Artexis Belgium. Luc Paeme* Managing Director

FA i r s C o N s u lt

www.fairsconsult.be

www.linkedin.com/pub/luc-paeme/b/308/512


SECOND HOME INTERNATIONAL, BIBAC EXPO

*as representative of D.P. Consult bvba

“ taking second home international abroad”

Following the success of Second Home International ‘at home’ in Belgium, Fairs Consult is ready for the next step. The organisation is taking the fair abroad.

As an incubator within Artexis Belgium, Fairs consult is

involved in a variety of fair concepts. This subsidiary of

Artexis Belgium organises fairs such as second Home

International (formerly second place), for example. Now

Fairs consult is taking the fair abroad too. “The concept for

second Home International was developed in the Belgian

market and optimised in the course of twelve editions,”

says Henkjan prins, project Manager second Home

International at Fairs consult. “The visitors are central to

the event. They get the products presented to them via an

optimal platform, or social medium in real life, if you like.

Many exhibitors operate in a variety of different European

countries. so geo-cloning is logically the next step.”

Geo-cloning is the principle whereby the organiser

copies a successful fair concept to a new market – i.e.

abroad. Henkjan prins: “Belgium is a leader in the market

for second homes. Belgians like to invest in real estate.

At the same time, there is always an emotional factor.

For many people, buying a second home is a dream

come true, which also conduces to the success of

the fair.” Fairs consult organised second Home in The

Netherlands for the first time at the end of 2012. The first

Norwegian edition in oslo is planned for 2013.

www.fairsconsult.com

FacTS & FigUreS

Second Home Ghent

5,100

25,000

125 exhibitors

visitors

offered housesHenkjan Prins* Project Manager Second Home International – Partner

FA i r s C o N s u lt

www.linkedin.com/in/henkjanprins

https://twitter.com/henkjanprins


Market pLaCes artexis BeLgiuMFairs Consult

*as representative of Immo Events bv


“ new business is fundamental to an exhibition organiser”

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Nordic

7,179 visitors

105 exhiBitors

sveriges bageri

3,339 visitors

80 exhiBitors

sign scandinavia

1,641 visitors

52 exhiBitors

mötesplats samhällssäkerhet

Market pLaCes artexis NordiC

Artexis Nordic is dedicated to exploring the demand for new meeting and events formats – not only within the areas already covered in our existing portfolio, but also in areas where face-to-face meetings make a difference in developing business and know-how.

“The management of exhibition halls and conference centres and the

organisation of meetings and events is a highly competitive business.

Exploring the possibilities and opportunities for new business is

key,” says Business Area Manager Exhibitions and New Business for

Artexis Nordic, Björn Wengse.

What does he do when he’s not busy putting exhibitors in touch

with visitors for face-to-face networking? Wengse: “Well, I’m behind

the scenes, interviewing companies and associations, collecting

information regarding the need for new meeting places and themes

in a broad spectrum of industries.”

putting your ear to the railFrom a bakery show to a security conference on how to deal

with various threats to individual citizens and society, the range of

industries and topics is vast. Wengse explains: “You need to be

very alert – not only to what is happening in the area of events as

industries evolve, but also to what is coming around the corner. It’s

like putting your ear to the rail to hear the next train approaching. We

explore in two directions as we look for opportunities:

1. develop existing events to meet new industrial and societal

requirements,

2. create new events – working with associations, organisations,

town councils, etc. to find common interests.

We try to reflect the industry as a whole. sometimes we start with a

small meeting that has the potential to grow into a large conference or

exhibition. There are opportunities in all industries – wherever there’s

a need for education, exchange, face-to-face interaction and/or

networking.”

exploring new opportunitiesArtexis Nordic dedicates a lot of resources to exploring new business

opportunities. Associations and organisations of all kinds, all around

the world and especially in the Nordic countries, should rest assured

that they can come to Artexis Nordic with an idea for a future meeting

or event and that they will partner with them to custom-fit the arena

for that particular industry and theme.

Björn WengseBusiness Area Manager Exhibitions and New Business


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/björn-wengse/11/bba/b9



“ to be successful in our line of business, you need to be sensitive to change”

When it comes to responding swiftly to new market trends and evolutions, Project Manager Lina Hann can speak from ongoing practical experience. Together with her team she has been successful in developing and promoting trade shows that cleverly ride new trends.

Lina HannProject Manager


www.linkedin.com/pub/lina-hann/36/9b4/39a


CARAVAN STOCKHOLM, APOTEKSMäSSAN, EKONOMIMäSSAN

FacTS & FigUreS

Artexis Nordic

8,320 visitors

65 exhiBitors

caravan & camping stockholm

There are 295 caravans per 10,000 inhabitants in Sweden which makes us the number one in Europe. Sweden also has 65 motorhomes per 10,000 inhabitant which puts us in second place after Finland.

6,500 m2

2,199 visitors

170 exhiBitors

apoteksmässan

Since the deregulation, 313 new pharmacies were opened in Sweden which is an increase of 34%. The pharmacies are divided between 26 owners. The industry employs 10,000 people.

2,233 m2

“As the market for caravans and motorhomes was growing

fast in sweden, we decided to clone our caravan & camping

show from Kistamässan in stockholm to our Malmö venue,”

Lina Hann says. “The immediate success of this move

demonstrated the validity of Artexis Nordic’s strategic

approach. It also strengthened our position as a challenger

fighting a well-entrenched competitor.”

Lars Bergholm, exhibitor at the caravan & camping show

and cEo at Bergholms Försäljning confirms: “We have

been importing seven brands of German motorhomes and

caravans for 20 years now and we very much welcome

this new initiative. over the past 10 years mobilehome

and caravan holidays have steadily gained in popularity in

sweden, especially in the south of the country. Kudos to the

organisers of this show for having spotted and seized this

opportunity. We took a big stand at the exhibition, organised

a VIp evening, hired actors to liven up our events and got lots

of publicity in the process. It was a commercial success and I

trust it had a positive effect on the trade show itself.”

leveraging the exhibitors’ efforts“competition sparks inventiveness,” Lina Hann continues.

“The deregulation of the swedish pharmacy market in

2009 led us to launch Apoteksmässan in 2010. It’s a trade

fair that attracts an audience of pharmaceutical industry

staff, dieticians and other professionals in the public health

sector. They have welcomed the show as a means to orient

themselves in a market that holds promise but isn’t stable yet.”

“Artexis Nordic timed it perfectly,” Annika Hjerpe, exhibitor

Apotheksmässan and communication Manager at svensk

Egenvård affirms: “Today, our plant-based pharmaceuticals

and dietary supplements are sold over the counter in

swedish pharmacies and supermarkets, but people still miss

reliable and accurate information on how to use them safely

and effectively. That’s why I am organising seminars and

disseminating books and articles. so, you can imagine how

happy I am to have Apoteksmässan on board. usually I work

alone in my office, but I consider the people of Artexis Nordic

as my colleagues. They are always ready to help and leverage

my efforts. Last year 75% of the trade show visitors also

attended our seminars.”

“We do our best,” Lina Hann concludes. “To be successful in

our line of business, you need to be sensitive to change. And

in this case I’m sure we were.”

Lars BergholmCEO – Exhibitor Caravan & Camping

B e r g H o l M s F ö r s Ä l J N i N g

www.bergholm.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/lars-bergholm/11/333/402


Annika HjerpeCommunication Manager – Exhibitor Apoteksmässan

s v e N s k e g e N vÅ r D

www.svenskegenvard.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/annika-hjerpe/4/158/613




“ i’m passionate about all the exhibitions i organise and manage”

The success of an exhibition depends largely on the team that is behind it. Gital Al-Ebeyawi is project manager with Artexis Nordic. She organises some very successful exhibitions, into which she puts heart and soul.

“I am passionate about all the exhibitions I organise and manage,”

she says. “I put my soul into my work. The last weeks before an

exhibition, family and friends can’t speak to me. I live in my own

world.” Gital Al-Ebeyawi is one of the driving forces behind Gamex,

the most important gaming event in scandinavia. The exhibition was

first organised in November 2010. Gital Al-Ebeyawi: “For that first

edition we had expected an attendance of about 14,000, but more

than 28,000 visitors turned up. It turned up, a big surprise to us

considering the fact that so many people showed up, considering

the fact that Gamex is not exclusively for fanatic gamers. We attract

many families where one or two family members play once or twice a

week. This show has a lot to offer to many people.”

We also asked one of the exhibitors, Jenni sten, product manager

at Namco Bandai partners Nordic AB, why she thinks Gamex is

such a success. “In our industry you have to stay close to the end

consumer. Gamex is a perfect venue for meeting fans, socialising

with them and getting to know them personally. An exhibition has

become a social medium, but in real life.”

Gital Al-EbeyawiProject Manager


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/gital-al-ebeyawi/1b/761/a28

[email protected]

GAMEX, SETT

FacTS & FigUreS

GAMEX

SETT

27,251

4,646

55 exhibitors

50 exhibitors

visitors

visitors

learning in the 21st centuryAnother of Gital Al-Ebeyawi’s projects is sETT, which stands for

scandinavian Educational Technology Transformation. This exhibition lets

teachers familiarise themselves with modern teaching techniques, such as

the interactive use of pcs and smartboards in the classroom.

Fredrik svensson, Head of Academy (rektorsakademien utveckling) and

co-founder of sETT says: “sETT is scandinavia’s most interesting meeting

place for anyone taking a professional interest in modern teaching and

learning methods. The exhibition and conferences are most inspiring. They

uncover new methods on how modern teaching and learning techniques

can enhance productivity and effectiveness in schools.” The first sETT took

place on 25 and 26 April 2012. Again expectations were surpassed. Gital

Al-Ebeyawi: “We had hoped for 750 visitors. Eventually 4,700 attended

the exhibition and conferences. Most of them were teachers, very friendly

people indeed, but they are very keen on structure and punctuality. When

a conference started one minute late, they asked me why it hadn’t started

yet. In February 2013 we launch a new show centered around beauty.

And we also organise an exhibition specially for bakeries, called sveriges

Bageri. There is so much to do here, and I love it!”

Fredrik SvenssonHead of Academy Development – Exhibitor SETT

r e k t o r s A k A D e M i e N u t v e C k l i N g A B

www.linkedin.com/pub/fredrik-svensson/0/97a/866

https://twitter.com/tankom_fredrik


Jenni StenProject Manager – Exhibitor GAMEX

N A M C o B A N D A i pA r t N e r s

www.linkedin.com/in/jennisten

https://twitter.com/JennieSten

[email protected]



Cecilia EckervigProject Manager


www.artexis.se

www.linkedin.com/pub/cecilia-eckervig/2/546/246

https://twitter.com/ceciliaeckervig


RUM OCH TRäDGåRD. FUTURE: UPPLEY SVERGIGE, EKOBYGG

Sweden has fallen in love with gardening and interior decoration. It happened quite suddenly. Cecilia Eckervig, Project Manager of the Rum och Trädgård fair which is held yearly at Kistamässan in Stockholm, finds it hard to explain where this huge interest has come from. “It may be a by-product of the growing environmental awareness in our country,” she hypothesises. But one thing is clear: Rum och Trädgård has the wind in its sails.

“ you can tell that they rate exhibitors’ long-term satisfaction much higher than short-term money-making”

2012 saw the fifth edition of rum och Trädgård. “It was a huge success,”

cecilia Eckervig says. “The number of exhibitors has grown by 15% this

year. We welcomed over 20,000 visitors, which was also an increase of

15%. on the 2,700 m2 of exhibition space available for this show, we had

twenty inspirational gardens and many stands demonstrating products and

materials for interior and exterior decoration. There were constant seminars

and counselling sessions for amateur gardeners and decorators. people in

sweden are always yearning for the spring to come. That is why this fair is

scheduled in March and/or April.”

helping the exhibitors to do better business

According to Grahame Waite,

exhibitor at rum och Trädgård and

owner of Green Garden Home,

the fair is an excellent forum to do

business with all garden-related

products. “The organisers keep

encouraging exhibitors to create

inspirational stands,” he says. “That

is how rum och Trädgård manages

to capture and fire the visitors’

imagination, time and time again.

I am always glad to take a stand at

Kistamässan.”

FacTS & FigUreS

Rum och Trädgård 2012

+ 18,246visitors

exhibition space

2,700 m2inspirational

gardens

tweNty

5th editioN

15% this yeargrowth

pia-Maria sjöberg owns and runs

Ambiance, a boutique in stockholm

and an online shop serving an ever-

growing number of customers all over

sweden. “We sell New England style

indoor and outdoor furniture and home

accessories,” she says. she also

considers herself a satisfied exhibitor.

“The team that organises this fair is

truly committed to turning each show

into an even greater success than the

previous one. They’re very supportive

and accessible for their customers.

That’s because they rate exhibitors’

long-term satisfaction much higher

than short-term money-making.”

“oh, you can rest assured that we

aim to build a successful business,”

cecilia Eckervig laughs. “But you

are right in thinking that we wish to

achieve success together with our

partners: the exhibitors, the media, the

visitors and all the people working in

the industry. Artexis Nordic is indeed

growing. And we want our growth to

be sustainable, both in the economic

and ecological meaning of the word.”


Pia-Maria SjöbergOwner – Exhibitor Rum och Trädgård

A M B i A N C e

www.ambiance.se

[email protected]

Grahame WaiteOwner – Exhibitor Rum och Trädgård

g r e e N g A r D e N H o M e

www.linkedin.com/pub/grahame-waite/35/a8b/209

https://twitter.com/gghomedanderyd



As an industrial trade show organiser, easyFairs has evolved from being a challenger to one of the market leaders. Today, the company is broadening its concept.

easyFairs Belgium made a name for itself as the organiser of trade shows

such as EcL & HVAc, Empack, print, Transport & Logistics, solids,

Maintenance and pumps & Valves. A series of acquisitions accelerated the

growth. “We brought a new concept to the market,” says Michel De Maeyer,

Managing Director of easyFairs Belgium. “We have always aimed to make

life simple for the exhibitors. Doing business is the main focus of attention

and participation is within the reach of companies with smaller budgets.

This also adds to the visitor experience, because it ensures that startup

companies and innovators are present as well as established players.”

real life social mediumIn recent years, easyFairs Belgium has grown into the market leader

for B2B trade shows. “so we needed to adapt our approach a little to

this role. We invest far more in giving visitors a great experience with a

varied programme of seminars and other show features such as keynote

speakers, debates and workshops. We are very visitor-oriented.

“We want to get closer to both the exhibitors and the visitors. We want

to be a physical social media platform, a real market place where buyers

and suppliers can network. A visit to an easyFairs show should provide a

glimpse into the future of their business and their sector.

“other countries where easyFairs does business are going through a

similar evolution,” says Michel De Maeyer. “In these countries we can

make optimum use of the experience we have built up in Belgium.”

“ we want to get closer to both the exhibitors and the visitors”

Michel De Maeyer*Managing Director

e A s Y FA i r s B e l g i u M

www.linkedin.com/in/micheldemaeyer

https://twitter.com/MicheldeMaeyer


*as representative of DEMACS gvc

“ social media remind potential visitors about our trade shows throughout the year”

easyFairs The Netherlands organises technical trade shows on such varied themes as transport, logistics, packaging, food technology, industrial automation, etc. One thing they all have in common, though, is growth.

cornelien Baijens, Managing Director of easyFairs The

Netherlands, cites Empack as an example. “It’s our biggest

and best show. Empack is all about packaging technology and

sustainable materials. Last year’s edition marked the show’s

10th anniversary with 340 exhibitors, more than 400 stands and

around 5,500 professional visitors. The show keeps on growing.”

time & cost-effectiveEmpack still takes place at its original venue, De Brabanthallen in

‘s-Hertogenbosch. cornelien Baijens explains: “The region has

the highest concentration of packaging and food companies in

The Netherlands. The choice of location typifies the easyFairs’

approach: we always select a venue based on the target

audience. We see to it that a visit is as time & cost-effective as

possible. This has a positive impact on attendance figures and

nothing is more motivating to an exhibitor than a big turnout of

interested visitors.”

As is the case with easyFairs’ other trade shows, Empack

provides access to a euro-wide online catalogue, a key feature

of the online365 pack™, which extends the exhibitor’s market

exposure to 365 days a year. cornelien Baijens continues: “We

also maintain an active presence on LinkedIn and Twitter, which

draws the attention of potential visitors throughout the year.”

FacTS & FigUreS

25%3/4

17,278 visitors10 exhibitions

oF the visitors to empack 2012 are c-levelmaNagers

oF the exhiBitors coNFirmed their participatioN duriNg empack 2013

Empack

easyFairs The Netherlands

Cornelien BaijensManaging Director

e A s Y FA i r s t H e N e t H e r l A N D s

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/in/cornelien


Market pLaCes easyFairs Belgium & The Netherlands


schüttgut is strategically located in the ruhr region of Nordrhein-

Westfalen, at the industrial heart of Germany. According to

siegbert Hieber, Managing Director of easyFairs Germany-Austria,

“This illustrates our ‘think global – act local’ philosophy. In 2006,

we launched schüttgut as a regional fair on an 18-month cycle

with a focus on storage, measurement and transport. The show

has grown substantially since then, from 60 exhibitors to 350 in

2012. We’ve gradually extended the concept and managed to

attract visitors from all over Germany and Europe. still, we remain

true to our roots and are staying in the ruhr region.”

permanent euro-wide exposureJust like all other easyFairs shows, schüttgut introduced the

online365 pack™ in November 2011. The pack includes an

online catalogue where exhibitors can upload their commercial

and technical information. “We enable our exhibitors to maintain

an online presence throughout the year,” siegbert Hieber

explains. “This complements the on-site platform, which provides

unparalleled opportunities to engage potential customers.”

The easyFairs team is constantly motivating exhibitors to keep

the information in the online catalogue up-to-date. “All visitors to

easyFairs trade shows can access the catalogue,” says siegbert

Hieber. “It’s a search engine for all branches of industry, creating

permanent euro-wide exposure for our exhibitors.”

“ there’s nothing like onsite experience to engage potential customers”

growth oF schüttgut exhiBitors

2006 2012

350

60

Schüttgut is one of easyFairs’ top-calibre trade shows for the bulk solids industry. Visitor and exhibitor numbers keep growing thanks to the on-site and online efforts of the easyFairs team.

FacTS & FigUreS

easyFairs Germany-Austria

Siegbert HieberManaging Director

e A s Y FA i r s g e r M A N Y- A u s t r i A

www.easyfairs.com

[email protected]

“a tight-knit team enables easyfairs to continue to meet the

expectations of visitors and exhibitors”

peter cologna, Managing Director of easyFairs

switzerland, explains: “Verpackung is a fine example

of geo-cloning. The show concept was developed in

Germany and the trade show was introduced here

by our German colleagues, with whom we worked

collaboratively as a team for quite a while.”

since then, the cloning of trade shows has become a

proven tool in the hands of the swiss easyFairs team.

peter cologna cites the example of Labotec, a show

similar to Lab Innovations in the uK. “The Labotec

concept was custom developed for the swiss

chemical and pharmaceutical industries. We cloned

the show from French-speaking to German-speaking

switzerland and it now alternates biannually between

the two regions. Both visitor and exhibitor numbers

demonstrate an impressive growth – as they do in all

our trade shows.”

the critical success factorThere is no single factor that can fully explain

easyFairs’ success in switzerland. “First of all you

need a product that appeals to the visitors,” peter

cologna says. “What visitors really value is good

sector coverage, a sharp focus on trends and

innovations and a high-quality content programme

featuring star speakers. If a show meets the needs

and wants of its visitors, it becomes much easier

for the exhibitors to generate commercial leads and

be successful.”

still, the most critical success factor is teamwork,

peter cologna concludes. “our project managers,

marketeers and salespeople are a tight-knit team

and they also liaise with interest groups and trade

associations. Good teamwork ensures that a trade

fair continues to meet the needs and wants of

visitors and exhibitors.”

Verpackung Schweiz was easyFairs’ first trade show on

Swiss soil. That was in 2006 and the six following years have

been marked by steady growth.

Peter ColognaManaging Director

e A s Y FA i r s s w i t Z e r l A N D

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/peter-cologna/5/19b/778


Market pLaCes easyFairs Germany/Austria & Switserland


“easyFairs is the greatest trade show launch machine in Europe,” says

susanne Hallencreutz, Marketing Manager at easyFairs Nordic. “New

product development and content are key to our success. Many of

our shows have become the national reference event in scandinavian

markets.” The spirit of innovation extends to show content. “We know

that quality content is what attracts new visitors and motivates them

to return,” says susanne. easyFairs sweden was the first country

to introduce learnshops seminars – short presentations, typically

case studies, that are of practical use to visitors in their jobs. “since

then we have also pioneered features such as competitions, demos,

‘challenge the expert’ sessions, innovations boulevards and debates

with the movers and shakers of the industry. This adds up to a much

more exciting package than ordinary trade fair organisers provide,”

susanne adds. celebrity guests have included peter Kreiner,

owner of the world’s best restaurant NoMA, Jan Eliasson, Deputy

secretary-General of the united Nations, World cup goalkeeper

Thomas ravelli, glamorous opera singers, TV entertainers and

business thought leaders. “When we say we are putting on a ‘show’

we really mean it!” susanne concludes.

“Finns are generally easy going,

soft-spoken and strictly business,”

says olli syvänen, Managing

Director of easyFairs Finland. “I love

working in this country.” However,

there have been occasions

when he has had to reassure his

business partners at the Finnish

Fair corporation. “We could be

competitors,” he admits. “But

we definitely aren’t. Finnish Fair

organises fairs and exhibitions

and runs several venues.

easyFairs regularly rents these

exhibition centres to set up trade

shows. some of these build on

concepts that have already proven

successful in sweden; others

are first or originally developed in

Finland.”

“Today, Finnish Fairs and easyFairs

have a win-win relationship

based on trust and mutual

respect,” olli syvänen concludes.

“our businesses complement

each other extremely well.”

“ we have a win-win relationship based on trust”

Olli Syvänen*Managing Director

e A s Y FA i r s F i N l A N D

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/olli-syvänen/b/535/370


*as representative of Helsinki Sales Academy

Susanne HallencreutzMarketing Manager

e A s Y FA i r s s w e D e N , D e N M A r k , N o r wAY & F i N l A N D

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/susanne-hallencreutz/5/526/a8b


“ all of our staff regularly speak with visitors to find out what they really need”

The UK & Ireland is a highly competitive market for trade show organisers. Nevertheless, easyFairs UK & Ireland has managed to triple its revenues over the past three years. Innovation, geo-cloning and sound marketing techniques are the vital ingredients in a winning formula.

“We run comprehensive and dynamic marketing

campaigns,” says Matthew Benyon, Managing

Director at easyFairs uK & Ireland. “We

communicate with the market both directly and

indirectly via our exhibitors. We run extensive

email campaigns and use a wide range of

channels, from our website to brochures and

tailor-made invitations. We also spend an ever-

increasing share of our marketing resources on

social media, because after all, a trade show is a

social medium on its own.”

Every week the uK office of easyFairs runs a

‘visitor hour’. All employees speak with visitors

to find out what they really think and need. “This

is how we deepen our team’s knowledge and

develop highly targeted campaigns,” Matthew

Benyon says.

soaring visitor numbersThe uK office has also geo-cloned some of its

brands in Antwerp, rotterdam, singapore,

calgary and other exhibition centres. Matthew

Benyon cites stocExpo as an example:

“stocExpo is an exhibition and conference for

the tank terminal industry. We purchased this

brand from a British publisher at the end of 2011

and the first show we ran took place in March

2012 in rotterdam. right away we achieved a

51% increase in visitor numbers, which is quite

exceptional in our industry. We are now planning

to do something similar with our packaging

Innovations events. Good content and innovative

campaigns, together with a strong exhibitor

base, can increase visitor numbers despite

tough economic times.”

Matthew BenyonManaging Director

e A s Y FA i r s u k & i r e l A N D

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/matthew-benyon/4/69b/485


Market pLaCes easyFairs Scandinavia / UK & Ireland


“ we want to extend the visitor’s experience”

easyFairs Spain views its events as more than just shows; they are business platforms that are proving very useful to exhibitors and visitors both in the real and the virtual world.

At the most recent edition of oMExpo and Expo E-commerce in March,

exhibitors and visitors sent 743 tweets, 439 of which were retweeted. During the

show, oMExpo’s Facebook page received 2,273 visitors and 530 likes. “This is

just the beginning,” says Lorena Albella, Marketing Manager of easyFairs spain.

“In less than a month, more than 900 tweeters became followers of oMExpo.

Today, the number of followers has climbed to 6,000 and relevant information is

still enthusiastically being tweeted and retweeted.” so the approach is proving

highly effective. “We want to extend the visitors’ experience far beyond the two

days of the actual show,” Lorena Albella says. “social media help to build the

momentum around trade shows and increase their resonance afterwards.”

Qr codes for strong coffeeLorena Albella is also very enthusiastic about the online365 packTM. Today,

no fewer than 8,000 exhibitors have access to the online database of all the

easyFairs trade shows. “It’s a platform they can use to create a microsite for the

publication of product information,” she says. “And all the visitors to easyFairs

trade shows are free to search the content.” The new media have also made

trade fair life more enjoyable. “For example, in restauración Moderna visitors can

use Qr codes to win a free coffee. strong coffee, of course, to prolong their visit

even longer,” she laughs.

Lorena AlbellaMarketing Manager

e A s Y FA i r s s pA i N

www.easyfairs.com

www.linkedin.com/pub/lorena-albella/18/84a/318


FacTS & FigUreS

easyFairs Spain

Social media activity from OMEXPO and E-commerce (easyFairs Spain)

on 21 & 22 March 2012

facebook

+ 530 likes

2,273 visits

twitter

+ 6,000

439 re-tweetsFollowers

“ the easyfairs format of inexpensive and well-targeted trade shows is ideal for poland”According to Ewa Woch, Managing Director at easyFairs

poland, her country didn’t have a ‘normal’ economy

until 1998. “Before that date, all trade fairs were state-

organised,” she says. “Even after we had created the

privately owned Kraków Trade Fairs Ltd, companies didn’t

really get around to using trade shows as marketing tools.”

Ewa Woch realised that traditional trade shows would

never catch on in poland. “They were too big and too

expensive for our newly established private companies,”

she explains. “so, I started talking to easyFairs, because

I believed their formula of short, inexpensive and well-

targeted shows was exactly what we needed. We even

became easyFairs franchisees.”

That proved to be a happy decision. Now, with the

construction of Expo Kraków, there will be a new venue

for many more easyFairs trade shows.

“I knew that the brand promise of time & cost-effective trade

shows, at the heart of the market, would be ideal in Latin

America,” says Juan-pablo Hernandez de Alba, Managing

Director of easyFairs colombia.

“colombia is a huge country – about three times the size of

Germany. The capital, Bogotá, is a city with seven million

inhabitants. But, Bogotá is not colombia! In fact, there are 20

cities with a population of more than one-quarter million.

“As a result, business professionals often operate within a

regional context, and the same is true of other Latin American

countries. With easyFairs, you can start small and grow rapidly.

That’s ideal in a fast-growing and entrepreneurial economy.

There are, of course, some differences in the trade show and

business culture here, so we have adapted. For example,

exhibitors tend to book much later in the show cycle and the

sector focus is different; they like broader concepts. But the

main point is that there is strong unmet demand for trade

shows. easyFairs’ and Artexis Group’s experience in Europe

and its business best practices and technology enable us to

respond to that demand quickly and flexibly.”

Ewa Woch*Managing Director

e A s Y FA i r s p o l A N D

www.easyfairs.com


Market pLaCes easyFairs Spain, Poland & Colombia

*as representative of Targi w Krakowie Ltd

Juan-Pablo Hernandez de Alba*Managing Director

e A s Y FA i r s C o l o M B i A

www.easyfairs.com

co.linkedin.com/pub/ juan-pablo-hernandez-de-alba/44/b40/206


*as representative of E.C Avant Ltda

FInAncIAL stAbILItySELF-RELIANCE

acquisitions

ANTICIPATE

HUMAN CAPITAL

sustainable growth

FInAncIAL stAbILItyDOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH

SYNERGIESHUMAN CAPITAL

outlookSTRATEGIC INVESTORS

sustainable growth

figures.


solid foundationsIn today’s uncertain economic environment, sound financial

foundations are more important than ever, enabling us to

invest further in our venues and events and to pursue our

mission of delivering ultimate meeting and market places.

self-reliance has always been the cornerstone of our

commercial success so we are delighted that in the

financial year 2011-12, Artexis Group improved its gearing

ratio from 58% to 61% while strengthening relationships

with strategic investors. our longstanding partner, srIB

(société régionale d’Investissement Bruxellois) decided

to convert the first € 5 million of its convertible bond loan

into capital, confirming its confidence in Artexis Group.

acQuisitionsour most significant investment was the launch of Artexis

Nordic to manage our new venue MalmöMässan along

with the newly acquired Kistamässan in stockholm. We

also completed the acquisition of Antwerp expo. The

acquisition of the stocExpo brand, which will be managed

by our easyFairs uK subsidiary, was also a significant

step. In addition to the stocExpo shows on our ‘home

territory’ of rotterdam and Antwerp, the acquisition gives

us a foothold in the vibrant oil and gas markets of North

America and the Far East, and opens up opportunities

to develop business in other high-growth geographies.

The Group’s own equity financed two-thirds of

these investments. For the remaining third, we

enjoyed the unconditional support of our partners,

in particular ExportBru and BNp paribas Fortis.

sustainable growthArtexis Group booked revenues of € 80 million in the

financial year that closed on 30 June 2012, up more than

12%. Artexis’ EBITDA has increased 40% to € 8.8 million.

This growth is based on a sustainable business model

Nathalie ScailquinCFO


www.artexis.com

be.linkedin.com/pub/nathalie-scailquin/37/16b/57a


Hildegard VerhoevenCFO


www.artexis.com

be.linkedin.com/pub/hildegard-verhoeven/5/437/423/


Figures

in all of the Group’s operating entities. Artexis Belgium

raised its EBITDA by 36%. Its success rests on the

organisation of trade fairs that deliver a great visitor

experience, together with the professional management

of our four venues and three meeting centres.

easyFairs raised its turnover 15% from € 35.7 million to

€ 41.1 million. It achieved this result by launching 18 new

trade shows and by acquiring stocExpo. synergies

between easyFairs and Artexis Nordic now provide

a platform for accelerated growth in scandinavia.

Artexis Nordic not only now manages the MalmöMässan

and Kistamässan venues but also manages 14 fairs taking

place in stockholm. Artexis Nordic is working closely with

Artexis Belgium to find ways to optimise venue management

and visitor experience. We therefore anticipate an even

more impressive contribution to next year’s Group results.

human capitalArtexis Group is in every sense a ‘people company’.

continued double-digit growth depends on attracting,

developing and retaining talented and motivated

individuals. We have therefore invested in human

resources initiatives, including training in new

technologies, in all of our operating companies.

outlookour strong financial foundations, synergies between

our operating companies, committed partners and

motivated employees provide the basis for sustainable

growth despite the unfavourable economic climate.

Finally, we value our collaboration with our auditors,

Ernst & Young. over recent years, Ernst & Young

has proved to be the right strategic partner to

keep us on the path of sustainable growth.

“ artexis group continues to enjoy double-digit growth despite the poor economic climate”

Catherine de BaleineCFO

e A s Y FA i r s

www.easyfairs.com


Dan-Inge SvärdsbyCFO


www.artexis.se


Our strong financial foundations, synergies between our operating companies, committed partners and motivated employees provide the basis for our growth. This growth is based on a sustainable business model in all of the Group’s operating entities.


eQuity and liabilities (€ 1,000s)

equity

current liabilities

non current liabilities

liabilities from discontinued activities

eQuity – artexis group’s share (€ 1,000s)

22,639

27,113

32,473

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2012

30.06. 2012

30,000 35,00010,000 15,000 20,000 25,000+ 19.7%

10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

26,441 28,353 37,966 5,475

31,274 29,947 46,843

36,642 32,443 61,054

Figures

ratio eQuity / eQuity + net debts (gearing)

+ 5%

58%

58%

61%

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2012

50% 65%62.5%60%57.5%55%52.5%

full time eQuivalent artexis group

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2012

+ 14%200 340320300280260240220

268

291

332


recurrent revenues artexis group (€ 1,000s)

63,805

70,656

80,761

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2012

90,00080,00070,00060,00050,00040,000+ 14%

recurrent revenues per division (€ 1,000s)

others

artexis belgium 32,965

0 40,00010,000 20,000 30,000 50,000

easyfairs 41,517

artexis nordic 5,765

514

Figures

recurrent ebitda artexis group (€ 1,000s)

5,340

6,220

8,781

30.06. 2010

30.06. 2011

30.06. 2012

10,0008,0006,0004,0002,0000+ 41%

recurrent ebitda per division (€ 1,000s)

others

1,2500 5,000 6,2502,500 3,750 7,500

1,408

379

577

6,417

artexis nordic

artexis belgium

easyfairs


eQuity and liabilities 30.06.2012 var (%) 30.06.2011 var (%) 30.06.2010

total capital and reserves 36,642 17.2% 31,274 18.3% 26,441Capital and reserves – Group’s share 32,473 19.8% 27,113 19.8% 22,639

Minority interests 4,169 0.2% 4,161 9.4% 3,802

non current liabilities 32,443 8.3% 29,947 5.6% 28,353Interest-bearing loans 19,878 - 19,350 - 18,650

Deferred and latent tax liabilities 11,333 15.7% 9,799 6.3% 9,215

Other fixed liabilities 1,232 54.4% 798 63.5% 488

current liabilities 61,054 30.3% 46,843 23.4% 37,966Interest-bearing loans 8,319 142.0% 3,438 430.6% 648

Trade and other creditors 52,735 21.5% 43,405 16.3% 37,318

capital and liabilities from discontinued activities 0 - 0 -100.0% 5,475

total capital and liabilities 130,139 20.4% 108,064 10.0% 98,235

consolidated balance sheetFinancial year to 30 june 2012 (€ 1,000s)

assets 30.06.2012 var (%) 30.06.2011 var (%) 30.06.2010

non current assets 97,042 49.0% 65,143 12.1 % 58.114Tangible fixed assets 61,911 43.1% 43,250 11.6% 38,751

Intangible fixed assets 29,604 61.5% 18,327 16.2% 15,768

Deferred tax assets 4,819 48.5% 3,246 0.9% 3,217

Fixed financial assets 708 121.3% 320 -15.3% 378

current assets 33,097 -22.4% 42,671 26.0% 33,874Trade and other receivables 28,653 20.6% 23,763 8.9% 21,828

Cash and cash equivalents 4,444 -76.5% 18,908 57.0% 12,046

assets from discontinued activities 0 -100.0% 250 -96.0% 6,247

total assets 130,139 20.4% 108,064 10.0% 98,235

Figures

the condensed financial information presented in this section represents an abstract of the annual accounts and the consolidated accounts of Artexis group sA as approved by the general Assembly and filed with the National Bank of Belgium. these financial statements were drawn up in accordance with the Belgian gAAp (generally accepted accounting principles) and the iFrs standards respectively. the statutory auditor, ernst & Young réviseurs d’entreprise scrl, represented by eric golenvaux, always certified that it had no reservations concerning the annual accounts and the consolidated accounts.

consolidated income statementFinancial year to 30 june 2012 (€ 1,000s)

30.06.2012 var (%) 30.06.2011 var (%) 30.06.2010

revenues 80,961 12.4% 72,056 5.0% 68,635Sales 80,129 15.9% 69,165 9.5% 63,147

Other operating income 832 -71.2% 2,891 -47.3% 5,488

charges 77,634 11.9% 69,351 9.1% 63,549Cost of Sales 18,773 8.4% 17,320 20.8% 14,339

Other goods and services 34,821 11.0% 31,368 2.5% 30,603

Employee expenses 20,219 13.6% 17,804 15.0% 15,480

Depreciation and provisions 3,821 33.6% 2,859 -8.6% 3,127

operating profit – ebit 3,327 23.0% 2,705 -46.8% 5,086

ebitda 7,148 28.5% 5,564 -32.3% 8,213recurrent ebitda 8,781 41.2% 6,220 16.5% 5,340

real life social media | 112

publisher

editors

photography

print

concept & realisation

Artexis Group rue saint Lambert 135 1200 Brussels Belgium www.artexis.com

William Wright, philip Van ootegem, Dries Van Damme, Jean-Luc Van Kerckhoven

David plas, François de ribaucourt, Benjamin Brolet, Delphine De clercq

propaganda NV Imperiastraat 16, 1930 Zaventem Belgium www.propaganda.be

Albe De coker

Jan Van rijswijcklaan 1912020 Antwerp [email protected]

Maaltekouter 19051 [email protected]

Avenue sergent Vrithoff 25000 Namur [email protected]

place d’Armes 15000 NamurBelgiumnamurpalaisdescongres@artexis.comwww.namurpalaisdescongres.be

Arne Beurlings Torg 5 (main entrance)Box 1128sE-164 22 [email protected]

Mässgatan 6215 32 Malmö[email protected]

Head office – Brussels rue saint Lambert 1351200 Brussels Belgium

colophon venues & exhibitions

No part of this publication may be reproduced or made public in any form or by any electronic means, including automated information retrieval systems, without prior written permission from the publisher.

Completely CO2 neutralThis activity report was printed with ink derived from plants (bio-ink). The printing presses used are environment-friendly too. What is remarkable is that these need less time to launch a print run. The result? Up to 60% less paper wasted. Furthermore, these presses use 30% less energy than older ones. And that’s not all, because the energy supplied is 100% green. The FSC paper used (Forest Stewardship Council) is sourced from sustainable forestry as well. So our activity report is an investment in C02-neutral publishing.

www.artexis.comwww.artexis.sewww.easyfairs.com

RE

AL L

IFE

so

cIA

L m

Ed

IA

annual report 2012 artexis

Documents

artexis venue

activity report artexis

core business of artexis

artexis story

artexis family

venues meeting places

ultimate meeting market

launch of artexis nordic