Press Release

Christmas and Festive Decorations. Autumn - 2009

International Specialized Trade Fair "Gifts Expo. Autumn - 2009" was successfully held on the 22 - 25th of September in Moscow, in Gostiny Dvor Exhibition Complex.

Organized by Gifts Expo Ltd., the trade fair was held under the patronage of the Moscow Government, under the support of the Moscow Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Gifts, Houseware and Costume Jewellery Manufacturers and Suppliers Association.

Traditionally "Gifts Expo. Autumn - 2009" included the salons:

• "Gifts & Interior Decoration"
• "Houseware and Dining Decor"
• "Christmas and Festive Decorations"
• "Business Souvenirs and Corporative Gifts"

"Gifts Expo. Autumn - 2009" trade fair is one of the largest and prestigious events in gifts & souvenirs segment in Eastern Europe and reflect the world basic trends of giftware, houseware, tableware, interior decoration, promotional souvenirs, costume jewellery and accessories production development.

"Gifts Expo" trade fair is an effective business area for commercial contacts and negotiations, for professional exchange of business information. Convenient location in the very center of Moscow, wide assortment of products (exclusive expensive goods as well as goods of middle and low price segment), high visitors' turnout, different visitors' profiles form high level of the fair.

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368 exhibitors of "Gifts Expo. Autumn - 2009" presented their products at the total area of 12 800 sq.m. 32 foreign companies from 12 countries (the Netherlands, Belgium, Greece, Italy, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, India, Belarus, Ukraine) participated in the fair. Hong Kong, Taiwan and Czech Republic national pavilions were organized at the fair. Foreign companies presenting their products at the fair are interested in searching partners and distributors in Russia and consider the fair as the best way of entry to the Russian market.

Presentations of new trade marks and well-known brands, marketing information service, business contacts and the festive atmosphere attracted many buyers and trade visitors. The fairs gave them unique opportunity to meet a wide assortment of high-quality products.

"Gifts Expo" trade fairs is characterized by large spectrum of visitors. This Autumn there was registered the recordly high amount of trade visitors - 32 821, among them 7 689 representatives of wholesale purchasing companies (importers, distributors, regional dealers), 2 520 representatives of trade chains (specialized retail shops and salons, trading houses, shopping centers and department stores), 4 972 corporate clients, 15 730 shops directors, 380 interior designers, 1 530 advertising agencies.

Visitors' geography was very wide: specialists from 180 cities of Russian regions & former Soviet republics, from Nakhodka to Kaliningrad and from Murmansk to Ashgabat, as well as international buyers visited the fair.

Leading companies of the gift market presented actual trends of the souvenir segment at the fair salons.

Among salon participants there were such companies as ARTI-M, ALFA KERAMIKA, FB-TEAM, ART EAST, REMECO, FOLIANT DECOR, GALSER, GLASAR, ART-PLANETA, FORTUNA, DECORATOR, BUSINESS-BOUQUET, GREEN COUNTRY, IMPERIYA BOGACHO, BOGEMIA LUX, GELIOS, VIKART, SOLTA, TOP STYLE, PRIDE, STYLE-AMPIRE, PERO PAVLINA, AKITOZA, ADELIS, ALFA PREMIUM, BELKHVALAN (Belarus), ZEBRA HOME, BRYONI, ELITE BOOK, ETHNICA CHIC, GANG, PHOENIX-PRESENT, RUSSCOM, FORTUNE COLLECTION INCORPORATION (Taiwan), SUPER KIDS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD (Taiwan), ROYAL PACK (Ukraine), CALIBER MULTIMEDIA TECHNOLOGY & TRADING CO., LTD (Taiwan), TAIZHOU HUANGYAN SHUANGXIONG PLASTICS CO., LTD. (China), BEIJING CHOICE ELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. (China), SUNRICH ASIA (Hong Kong) and many others.

"Gifts and Interior Decoration" salon was characterized by the variety of assortment: gifts made to order, exclusive VIP gifts, souvenirs from worldwide, handicrafts, decorative items made of ceramics, glass, porcelain, silver, leather, wood, textile etc. (vases, figurines, souvenir arms, caskets etc.), toys, smoking accessories (hookahs, ash trays, pipes), retro-style interior items (retro phones, gramophones, globes), ethnic interior items, decorative furniture, clocks and watch, home textiles, floral art items, flower ceramics, aqua design, pictures, reproductions, posters, prints, panels, antique gravures, tapestry, lighting design, candleholders, candelabrums, mantelpieces, statues, lithography and many others.

The salon participants noted the activity in the market: the demand for gift & souvenir products has grown. Functional products are more popular now. The customer prefers to present interior gifts: vases, pictures, souvenir arms, artificial flowers, furniture made of natural materials.

At "Houseware and Dining Decor" salon the whole spectrum of houseware and tableware, items for table setting and table decoration was submitted: tableware for home, office, public and elite catering, tableware of metal, wood, nacre for interior decoration from Asia, tableware of glass, crystal, porcelain, ceramics, silver, metal made in Europe, exclusive tableware, cutlery, items for table setting, dining decor, kitchenware, textile products for home and many others. Tableware was presented at any taste and of all price segments.

Among the salon participants: ALFA KERAMIKA, ARK COMPANY, ART MARKET GROUP, ARTI-M, BOGEMIA LUX, VALENTI, VICOM, CONTINENT GROUP / VERREUM (the Czech Republic), GLASAR, LUXART, RUSEL, STYLE-AMPIRE, LAOPALA RG LIMITED (India), TOP STYLE, RENAISSANCE STYLE, GARDENER MANUFACTORY IN VERBILKI, PAVLOVSKY PLANT NAMED AFTER KIROV, LORIS-INTORG, VAL SAINT LAMBERT (Belgium), DEKORATOR, LA PERLA INTERNATIONAL CORP (Taiwan), FORTUNE COLLECTION INCORPORATION (Taiwan), WICKER BONANZA LIMITED (Hong Kong), DЙCOR CONCEPT, DELICATE, ZHOSTOVO DECORATIVE ART MANUFACTURE, BEST-OST (Belarus), BORNER EAST, REMECO, ART EAST, ARS LONGA, FORTUNA, MIRACLE TEAPOTS, EXPOSERVICE, YANIKA, ZEBRA HOME, BRYONI, ETHNICA CHIC, GANG, ELITUPAK and other companies presenting interior & decor items.

"Christmas and Festive Decorations" salon offered a wide range of New Year and festive products: New Year toys and decorations, New Year artificial trees, gifts & souvenirs for holidays, decorative and aroma candles, carnival costumes, floristic decorations, gift package etc. Such companies as HOLIDAY EXCLUSIVE, CONTINENT GROUP / AMADEA s.r.o. (the Czech Republic), АTLAS ART / KOMOZJA (Poland), PHOENIX-PRESENT, FABRIC OF GLASS CHRISTMAS DECORATIONS "ARIEL", FB-TEAM, STYLE-AMPIRE, ELITUPAK, CANDLE WORLD, BENILUX, ZEBRA HOME, ART EAST, GAOZHOU HAOSEN ARTIST PRODUCTS CO., LTD (China), JINWAN SANSHO CO., LTD. (Taiwan), WINDCHIMES HOUSE CO., LTD. (Taiwan) and many others.

The symbol of the next year - tiger as well as New Year decorations of different violet tones were popular at the fair. The salon participants also noted the growing activity in the market. Goods that can be sold not only in New Year season were in great demand (candles, candleholders etc).

"Business Souvenirs and Corporative Gifts" salon presented corporative VIP-gifts, business souvenirs, promotion products, leather business accessories, office supplies, polygraph products, clocks and watches, prizes and rewards, memory cards, lighters, flashlights, flasks, soft toys, gift wrapping etc. Among salon participants: GROUP OF COMPANIES KRUG, KRO, ART EAST, OFFICE EXPRESS, SIBERIAN JEWELLER FACTORY "ATOLL", GALSER, BUSINESS-BOUQUET, FLASH MASTER, ASKENT, ARKHANG, BOGEMIA LUX, АTLAS ART / KOMOZJA (Poland), VIKART, PRIDE, TRADE HOUSE FOLK ARTS AND CRAFTS, NICE, FOLIANT DECOR, MEZA, CONTINENT GROUP / AMADEA s.r.o. (the Czech Republic), WISELY PRECISION TECH CO., LTD (Taiwan), ELITE BOOK, LEATHER INSTITUTE, MAKEY, BUKOS, POLJOT KLASSIKA, DICTUM-ART, BASK +, CRYSTAL ART, ALFA B, ZNACHKIOPT.RU, KALITA-KIROV, POLEZNYE PODARKI, BRIG +, SIMA-LAND, OptoPodarok, CHASOVIK, GOLD OF SYBERIA, SCG, MEGILO CO., LTD. (Taiwan) and many others.

"Costume Jewellery and Accessories" salon introduced to Russian buyers and trade agents the most famous trademarks, new tendencies and the latest collections of fashion accessories, jewellery, bijouterie and decorations. The products assortment presented at the fair was very wide and could satisfy requires of customers with different level of income: jewellery made of gold, silver, precious & semi-precious stones, fashionable high quality costume jewellery (necklaces, bracelets, brooches, pendents, earrings, rings), fittings and stones forbijouterie, cosmetic accessories, scarves, tippets, shawls, hair accessories, watches, glasses, sun glasses, umbrellas, canes, leather accessories, bags.

Such leading companies as ALMAZ-HOLDING JEWELLERY COMPANY, BEAUTY LAND, ARGENTA TRADE, ANTA (the Czech Republic), GOLDEN GALA, MagdaMax, PRECIOSA (the Czech Republic), FOXTROT (the Czech Republic), SIMPLY NOVA (the Netherlands), LeChic (France), WATERFORD (Switzerland), SCARLET LINE, CITY STAR, SHADIS / ARTS&CRAFTS (Norway), KOSTIBAS (Greece), ARTEBALENO (Italy), ACCESSORIES AGENCY, YAROSLAVNA DOBRYANSKAYA, KALIPSO, GLORIUS, MIR ZAKOLOK and many others.

2 opposite trends were marked in this segment: on the one hand massive decorations are in demand: large long beads of bright colors, big garish earrings and clip-onаearrings, glasses of large sizes with colorful rims, chains (gilded or of steel color), massive bracelets and pendants of unusual forms etc. On the other hand the participants noted "minimalist" tendency: simple and light decorations. Black, gray, red, bright blue, different violet tones are popular in this season.

Both organizers and visitors were especially impressed by the level of stands decoration and the high quality of the exposed products. Most of exhibitors presented their goods at exclusive stylish stands of extraordinary design. Creative decoration accentuated corporate style of each company and attracted visitors' attention.

The awarding ceremony was held at the trade fair, 13 exhibitors were awarded in the following categories:

1. "Honored Partner":
• The Hong Kong Exporters' Association
• Taiwan Gift & Houseware Exporters' Association
2. "The Best Products Presentation At The Stand: "Green Country" and "Askent" companies
3. "The Best Stand Design: "Rusel" and "Holiday Exclusive" companies
4. "The Best Creative Stand Idea: "Galser" and "Group of companies Krug"
5. "The Best Stand Style: "Imperia Bogacho" and "Group of companies Business-Bouquet"
6. "Glorious Mood: "Orange" and "Soroka" / "Argenta Trade" companies
7. "Stylish Advertiser: "Renaissance Style" company