UNICERA Fair Sets Visitor Record

Turkish Ceramics Draws 91,000 Visitors from 130 Countries

Turkey's largest specialist trade fair, the Istanbul Ceramic Bathroom Kitchen Fair (UNICERA), attracted 91,502 visitors across a 100,000 square-meter venue, including 18,358 international attendees. Sector professionals from 130 countries, including Bulgaria, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Albania, Israel and Palestine, showed strong interest in the new products and collections displayed by 1,200 leading ceramic brands at the fair. The second-largest fair of its kind globally, the Istanbul Ceramic Bathroom Kitchen Fair (UNICERA), was held at CNR EXPO Yeşilköy with total attendance of 91,502 visitors, of which 18,358 were international and 73,144 were domestic. Alongside Turkish companies, leading sector firms from Italy, Spain, Germany, Portugal, Egypt, India, China, Taiwan, Serbia and Iran participated in the fair. At UNICERA, where bathroom and kitchen products exceeding a combined market value of USD 3 billion met the world alongside the ceramic sector, numerous product categories were displayed together, including floor and wall coverings, ceramic processing technologies, decoration products, packaging and storage.

Strong International Visitor Numbers

The fair was organized across a 100,000 square-meter space through collaboration between Istanbul Fairs, a CNR Holding subsidiary, the Turkish Ceramic Federation (TSF) and the Sanitary Installation Construction Materials Association (TIMDER). Ali Bulut, Chairman of the CNR Executive Board, commented on the strong international interest in the fair: "This year was a record year for the UNICERA fair. We saw significant growth both in visitor numbers and square footage. As with every fair, our goal at UNICERA was to provide the greatest possible support to our country's exports. To that end, we worked hard to increase our international visitor numbers, and at this fair we particularly exceeded our targets for foreign visitors. We had a fair with very strong international attendance. There was substantial interest in the new products and collections displayed by the 1,200 leading brands participating in the fair. The stands that companies carefully prepared specifically for the fair were received with enthusiasm, particularly by international buyers."

"Many New Business Partnerships Established Through UNICERA"

Aydın Eşer, Chairman of TIMDER's Board of Management, noted that their primary objective at UNICERA was to compensate for domestic market contractions through exports. He stated: "During discussions with participating companies at the fair, we had the opportunity to directly hear their satisfaction regarding the increase in international visitor numbers. One in every four visitors entering the fair grounds was international. The increase in foreign visitor numbers not only boosts exports and positively impacts foreign exchange inflows, but also serves to raise awareness of Turkish manufacturers' capabilities. Looking at the overall outcome, we can say that many new business partnerships were established through UNICERA and this business activity will have positive effects on export figures." Erdem Çenesiz, Chairman of TSF's Board of Management, noted that sector interest in the fair has increased in line with developments in the ceramic sector. He said: "We expect a significant increase in international visitor numbers in 2020. Our goal is for UNICERA to host hundreds of thousands of visitors and become the world's largest ceramic and bathroom products fair."

Intense Interest in Renowned International Designers

Within the framework of seminars held at the fair where 2019 trends were determined by the world's most important designers, internationally renowned designers from Italy, Spain, Morocco and Germany shared their experience and new industry trends with leading sector companies, architects and architecture students. Particularly the bilateral meetings between participants and designers provided important insights for the future of the Turkish ceramic sector. Students studying architecture from 68 universities across Turkey showed strong interest in seminars delivered by renowned designers who have made their mark on the sector in design, including Giuseppe Scutellà, Carlo Ciciliot, Paolo D'arrigo, Valentin Garcia and Johan Dück.