The Czech Vystaviste Ceské Budejovice has joined CENTREX.
Shortly before publishing Central East Europe's 2000 exhibition statistics another company joins CENTREX.
At CENTREX Board of Directors meeting in Bratislava (February 8, 2001) major decisions were made. As 9th full member the No. 2. exhibition company in Czech Republic Vystavisté Ceské Budejovice joined CENTREX in their efforts to better serve the business interests of their partners. VCB has agreed to audit their exhibition data by independent specialists fully in compliance with CENTREX regulations introduced in 1997. This means comparable and transparent market data and it will definitely help the exhibition participants to take the best decisions in marketing investments.
The present 9 members will organise 187 exhibitions and trade fairs in 2001 and now CENTREX is capable to provide transparent basis for exhibitors and visitors covering about 70 per cent of the 4 countries' (Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Hungary) exhibition business. (The latest (2000) exhibition statistics of the companies will be available around March this year.)
Another major step was to upgrade the activity of CENTREX into joint promotion of the trade fairs as effective tool of face-to-face marketing communication. (a "social instrument of marketing") Based on similar challenges the members decided to identify opportunities and join efforts in competing with other marketing tools, to strengthen the acceptance of the trade fairs based on real market values.
Possible ways can be informing each other of the best practice, of the market surveys and opinions, developing joint publications, marketing actions, upgrading web-site accordingly. The members shall also organise seminar in Kielce Poland in June on best use of Internet opportunities to upgrade customer relationship management.
CENTREX has also taken steps to follow the major European exhibition statistics "trendsetter" FKM Deutschland. In less then 1 month after FKM CENTREX has also adjusted her Statistics Regulation to be fully identical to the FKM latest streamlined regulation in calculating visitor season tickets.
CENTREX International Exhibition Statistics Union is the top exhibition industry organisation in Central East Europe for promoting transparency, reliability and real market-value of exhibition statistics. Transparent exhibition statistics is badly needed for right business and marketing decisions for exhibitors, visitors, trade associations alike. CENTREX members' exhibition statistics are fully compatible with European exhibition statistics and are annually published also as part of the pan-European Trade Fair and Exhibition Statistics Yearbook.