The Indian Exhibition Industry Association (IEIA) has made a fresh appeal to Government in an attempt to give the Indian exhibition industry official recognition.

The move towards winning improved status and establishing a single-window system, would help spur growth of the exhibition industry, which the IEIA claims is growing at 10% each year.

“The fact that Germany, the US, Japan, France and the UK have the large exhibition industries and traditionally, the strongest economies, is no coincidence,” he said. “Exhibitions have also been instrumental in developing many key emerging markets, China and Brazil being two notable examples.” said Sanjeev Khaira, President IEIA. Khaira reinforced the fact that recognition at a Government level would encourage more international companies to showcase products and equipment, potentially resulting in increased revenue and employment.

Headquartered in Germany, the Cologne trade fair company was established in 1922 through the initiative of the city’s then-mayor and later German Chancellor, Konrad Adenauer. In 1924, the first spring trade fair was successfully conducted in newly-built halls in the Deutz district on the right bank of the River Rhine. Today, the Koelnmesse Group is a legally and economically independent business enterprise with around 700 employees all over the world.