For the Press

Final report: Asia-Pacific Sourcing asserts itself as Europe's most important platform for Asian products

Big Players from the large-volume business sector
Whereas a flying visit locally in Asia mostly allows only a few meetings to be concluded, at Asia-Pacific Sourcing numerous discussions with potential new business partners were held within the shortest time. As a result, all the Big Players from the trade's represented sectors - especially from the large-volume business sector - made use of Asia-Pacific Sourcing as the business venue and information forum for their dealings with the Far East. They included top-ranking national as well as international sector representatives, for example from the DIY/home improvement market sector: Bauhaus, Praktiker, Obi, Hornbach, toom, Zeus, Globus and Home Depot along with buyers from major hypermarket chains such as Metro, Rewe, Kaufland and Plus. "We held interesting discussions with numerous top buyers", was therefore also the statement from the exhibitors' side. "Of course we also feel the global uncertainty on the markets, but are satisfied with business at the fair overall", said another exhibitor. One reason for this: the high share of first-time visitors. A large number of industry representatives also made use of the fair once again as a platform for purchases to complement their product ranges.

Top decision-makers came to Cologne
The independent visitor survey also reveals: the quality of the visitors is first-class. Over 80% of the trade visitors at Asia-Pacific Sourcing are involved in their companies' purchasing and procurement decision-making process to a decisive extent or share responsibility in that area. In this connection, the market makers from the wholesale and foreign trade sectors (35 percent) accounted for the largest group of visitors ahead of industry representatives (30 percent) and retailers (19 percent). Tools (70 percent) were a particularly high priority on the buyers' agenda as were home improvement and DIY supplies (39 percent) along with garden fittings and fixtures / garden lifestyle (27 percent), (multiple statements). In total 85 percent of the fair guests stated that they were satisfied to very satisfied with the attainment of their visit objectives or that they had partially achieved their objectives, more than half the visitors also confirmed their intention to definitely or probably return to the next Asia-Pacific Sourcing 2011 in Cologne. And: almost 70 percent would definitely or probably make the following recommendation to a good business friend: visit Asia-Pacific Sourcing!

Two events on global market themes
"Canada, Gateway to North America" was the title of a half-day workshop, which was held on the second day of the fair at the CC East. Here, the Canadian trade journal "Hardlines" and German-Canadian Chamber of Industry and Commerce provided information about Canada as the gateway to the North American hardware and DIY market. Top-ranking experts, for example Massimiliano Zampella, European Sourcing Manager, Home Depot, provided valuable tips for beginners and established market partners. Top managers made use of the workshop to inform themselves about sales channels overseas. Under the heading "China: Exports in crisis?", at the close of the fair on Tuesday experts discussed questions on the effects of the current world economic situation on the location China. The panel discussion with an open press debate was attended by representatives of the German-Chinese Business Association (Deutsch-Chinesische Wirtschaftsvereinigung e.V.), TNT and Koelnmesse. The event was hosted under the direction of Sourcing Asia trade magazine.

Asia-Pacific Sourcing Cologne 2009 in facts and figures
At Asia-Pacific Sourcing Cologne 2009, 406 (671) companies from 10 (11) countries participated, 100 (99) % of them from abroad, in gross exhibition space of 32,000 (2007: 32,000) m². They included 1 (5) exhibitors and 0 (2) additionally-represented companies from Germany along with 405 (661) exhibitors and 0 (3) additionally-represented companies from abroad. Including estimates for the last day of the fair, at Asia-Pacific Sourcing Cologne 2009 over 5,300 (7,365) visitors from 60 (63) countries were registered, of these 4,600 made use of the pre-registration process and ticket box office. In addition, 700 trade fair guests attended the event at the invitation of Koelnmesse. The total foreign share was 56 (52) percent.*
* All figures have been compiled according to the guidelines set by the Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (Gesellschaft zur Freiwilligen Kontrolle -FKM) and are subject to control by an auditor (http://www.fkm.de).

In 2011 Asia-Pacific Sourcing Cologne will be held from 3rd to 5th of April.

You can find the Final Report, further press releases along with an image database containing photos and logo on the Internet (http://www.asia-pacificsourcing.com) in the "Press" section.

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