The 33rd International Woodworking Machinery, Cutting Tools, Hand Tools Fair, WoodTech 2020, which is the first face-to-face specialized fair under the roof of Tüyap in the new era, was flooded by domestic and foreign investors. Organized by Reed Tüyap Fuarcılık in cooperation with the Woodworking Machinery and Sub-Industry Businessmen Association (AIMSAD), the fair received full marks from its participants. WoodTech 2020, which is an example to the world about how to organize a fair under pandemic conditions, was visited by 6 thousand 382 businesspeople from Turkey and abroad. While the majority of the visitors consisted of qualified investors, more than half of the companies participating in the fair were pleased to receive orders during the fair.
After the coronavirus pandemic, WoodTech 2020 33rd International Woodworking Machines, Cutting Tools, Hand Tools Fair, which was the first specialized fair held face-to-face under the roof of Tüyap, was held with great success. Domestic and foreign companies showed great interest in the fair organized on October 10-14 in cooperation with Reed Tüyap Fairs, one of the group companies of Tüyap Fuarcılık, and the Association of Woodworking Machinery and Sub-Industry Businessmen (AIMSAD).
5 million dollars business carried out
In WoodTech 2020, realized with new measures taken due to the coronavirus pandemic; products of 79 companies and company representatives from 8 countries were exhibited. This year, 6,382 visitors from 60 countries attended the fair, which brought together local and foreign professionals operating in the woodworking sector, while nearly a thousand of the participants were foreign visitors.
Businesspeople who wanted to invest showed great interest in the fair, where procurement committees from 11 countries, including Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Moldova, Uzbekistan, Romania, Russia, Serbia and Ukraine, attended.
5 million dollars in trade pleased the participants
The first physical fair of the new normal also received full marks from its participants. According to the survey conducted for the WoodTech 2020 Fair, all of them stated that they will attend the fair again next year. While one of every two companies participating in the fair takes orders during the fair, the rate of order areas after the fair is over 60 percent. The establishment of around 5 million dollars of business contacts at the fair made the professionals of the sector smile.
‘Contact-free Fair’ is experienced for the first time
Participants and visitors of the WoodTech Fair, which is one of the “pioneering” fairs that will relieve the world trade, which has shrunk due to the coronavirus pandemic, experienced a “contact-free fair” for the first time. At the fair organized by Tüyap, the first and only fair organization company to receive TSE COVID-19 Safe Service Certificate, on an area of 15 thousand square meters, the hygiene practices of the new period, fever measurement, common areas suitable for social distance, improvements in ventilation systems and HEPP codes Many measures were taken such as the admission.
“We will wind the shrinking trade with fairs”
Tüyap Board Member and Strategic Marketing Deputy General Manager Zeynep Ünal Öztop stated that they will organize their fairs in the new period with the motto of “Health first for trade” and continued her words as follows; “We carried out WoodTech 2020 in accordance with the guidelines of the Ministry of Health. We are aware of our responsibility as the first and only exhibition company to be awarded the TSE COVID-19 Safe Service Certificate. While we aim to wind the shrinking trade with fairs, we also care about the health of our stakeholders. We are pleased that there is interest in our fairs from Turkey and abroad ”.
“We set an example to the world”
Participants of the WoodTech 2020, 33rd International Wood Processing Machines, Cutting Tools, Hand Tools Fair also made evaluations about the fair. Arif Onur Kaçak, General Secretary of the Association of Woodworking Machinery and Sub-Industry Businessmen (AIMSAD), who is the biggest supporter of the fair, stated that the WoodTech Fair, which is the biggest meeting of the woodworking machinery industry that has not had a current account deficit for the last 5 years, has been realized for the 33rd time with great interest in pandemic conditions. Stating as follows; “The participation of qualified national and foreign visitors who want to invest in our exhibition, and which we have longed for years, has pleased us .” Kaçak made the following assessment: ” While WoodTech 2020 pleased us as the industry, it was also a good example of how to hold a fair in pandemic conditions in Turkey. I hope that many trade fairs will start to be held again and will make great contributions to the economy without leaving the measure. “
Above our expectations …
Stating that they have attended the WoodTech Fair for 33 years since its establishment, Unimak General Manager Nizamettin Coşkun continued as follows; “When the fair was finalized, we decided to participate. In fact, we decided to participate in the fair in terms of the prestige of our company and this year we kept our expectations low. However, when we completed the fair, we saw that we got results above our expectations. The visitor was very professional. There were visitors who needed to invest and buy. In addition, all measures regarding the pandemic were taken very well. “
“90 percent had come to buy a machine”
The Operation Director of Biesse Turkey Yelda Akıncı stated that they had question marks in their minds before the fair, but the results of the fair had pleased them. Emphasizing that the increasing domestic and foreign demand in the furniture sector since June had a positive effect on the business connections at the fair, Akıncı continued her words as follows; “The fair was quite busy on the weekend. Almost 90 percent of the visitors who came during the fair were customers who came to invest in machinery. As Biesse Turkey, we made sales above our targets. Many of the connections we made were hot sales that were concluded during the fair process, whose orders were approved, and the down payment was given ”.
“Our goal is to hold the flag in the skies”
As Metal Deputy General Manager Gürkan Necipoğlu underlined that their participation in WoodTech 2020, which is held under pandemic conditions, is not only material. Necipoğlu said: “This year we had a different fair than usual. The management and the participants took all their precautions regarding the pandemic. The fair was held with the understanding of “first health, then trade”. What we mean by profit is not materiality. The important thing is to keep our 33-year-old flag in the skies before it lands. As Turkish woodworking machinery manufacturers, we attended the fair to give the Turkish industry the support we can. “
“WoodTech regenerated confidence with measures”
Stating that the importance of the WoodTech Fair, which is reassuring with the measures taken, is great for the sector, AES Board Chairman İsmet Toktaş made the following statements: “WoodTech 2020 fair, which we are holding nowadays where we are trying to return to our normal life while the effects of Coronavirus continue, was of great importance for us, the industrialists, in terms of both the fair industry and being the biggest fair in our country. The fact that all the precautions were taken from the first step to the last moment in this fair, which was held considering the new norms, provided great confidence for the participants and visitors. I hope the WoodTech Fair, where we have made sales and new business connections this year, as every year, will be free from the effects of the pandemic, and will be peaceful and full of sales next year. “