CENTREX International Exhibition Statistics Union has held her jubilary, 10th anniversary Board meeting on April 13, 2007 in Debrecen (Hungary) on invitation of her relevant local member, V-Trade Exhibitions Ltd. At this Board meeting CENTREX continued her growing coverage of Central and East Europe: Ukrainian Gal-EXPO JSC from Lviv joined the Union.
Lviv has old exhibition traditions. In 1925 Lviv Fair "Targi Wschodnie" (Eastern Fair) was one of the co-founders of UFI. The exhibition traditions were renewed in 1990 when "Gal-EXPO" Joint-Stock Company was established. Now Gal-EXPO has 12 exhibitions in its annual program. The most widely known are exhibitions "Dental-Ukraine" and "Woodprocessing". "Gal-EXPO" JSC isalso one of the key members of Exhibition Federation of Ukraine.
CENTREX Union was established 10 years ago to develop a joint exhibition statistics system in Central East Europe, to implement, supervise and attest the compilation and publishing of transparent, credible, authentic and comparable exhibition statistics fully corresponding to West European standards and present these real market values. The past ten years have justified the efforts: credible, transparent, reliable exhibition statistics, the market value indicators of this industry - which provide comparable basis for making right business decisions vis-a-vis using other communication tools - have greatly helped partners, exhibitors, visitors, industry associations in their selection and use of the most prospective trade fairs. Transparency undertaken at the launch by the 4 major founding exhibition organisers in the 4 countries (Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary) has by now spread over 2 more countries: the key exhibition organizers in Romania and Ukraine also subscribed to this system standard undertaking the international scrutiny.
Beyond providing assurance of transparent, credible exhibition data CENTREX has in the recent years also organized professional collaborations as well as researches and surveys, forums, meetings to foster across-the-border development of the exhibition industry. Highlights of the CEEEFs (Central East European Exhibition Forum) staged from 2002 for instance were usually world premieres within this industry: meeting of organizers of building trade fair organizers, relationship and prospects of collaboration between higher education organizations and trade fair industry, interdependence between economic development, economic and sectoral research, exhibition research and their impact on adjusting exhibition industry have triggered substantial international interest and made CENTREX become one of leading exhibition research organisations of the world. Additional acknowledgement came due to the international survey (also unprecedented world wide) among visitors in 5 countries which has proved intense demand towards trade fairs also in the 21st century.
Based on statistical figures of 2005 CENTREX members have organized nearly 400 trade fairs and exhibitions (about 1/3 of the whole European scene) which were attended by 3,603,951 visitors, 50,273 exhibitors have presented their products and services, (among them 10,388 direct from abroad) and the exhibitors needed 1,779,035 sq.m to present their products. (Data for 2006 shall be available after audit processes will be completed shortly.) The figures fully complying with the international standards are integral part of the EuroFairs annual international publication.
CENTREX Union is member of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry UFI, her current chairman dr. János Barabás was re-elected as executive vice president of the UFI. CENTREX is also active member of UFI's special working groups (e.g. marketing, transparency, education).