Iran’s Wide-awake Heart
Business and Exhibitions magazine № 6 (72) 2014
Iran is considered as one of the most technologically advanced and interesting countries in West Asia. It has the second largest GDP in the region after Turkey. The country has well-developed oil and petrochemical industries, machinery, textile, carpet weaving, and food processing industries.
Iran is located at a crossroads of trade routes which has always been an attractive fact for many fans of shopping. Iran plays kind of a bridge role connecting Europe, Asia and Africa.
“Iran’s always wide-awake heart” – this is what locals call their capital, Tehran, one of the largest Asian megacities with a population of almost 14 million people.
Tehran is located in the north of the country at the foot of the Alborz mountain range, south of the Caspian Sea coast. The city is the administrative center of the same province, as well as the political, economic, transport, trade, financial and cultural center of the country.
The Tehran International Exhibition Center is the most important element of Tehran’s business structure. Since exhibitions are the country's trade showcase and an effective tool for producers and exporters, the development of the exhibition industry in Iran attracts much attention.
The Tehran International Exhibition Centre is located in the heart of Tehran, in the quarter Tajrish. This exhibition centre was established in 1969, the year the operated company Iran International Exhibition Co., LTD. (IIEC) was founded. It has long been a major exhibition center of Iran, known by its impressive infrastructure and excellent provided services. The Tehran International Exhibition Centre has been spread over a large area of more than 80,000 square meters inside and 35,000 square meters outside. The center features 34 active exhibition halls. Necessary services and requirements are available at the fairground, such as 9 conference halls, a lift truck, modern communication facilities, a customs office, bank, insurance, restaurants and so on.
The center has three large parking areas: a spacious indoor car park in the western part of the center, an indoor parking area in the southern part and an outdoor parking lot near the north entrance.
The Tehran International Exhibition Centre hosts over sixty different exhibitions every year besides other events. The fairgrounds attract visitors and exhibitors from Iran, as well as visitors from around the world. The exhibition center is an ideal platform for making business, networking with partners and building new contacts, exploring new opportunities and meetings with clients.
The International Exhibition of Furniture Machinery, Equipment and Related Industries ranks among the top greatest projects held on the premises of the Tehran International Exhibition Centre. The event is held with the participation of 220 local manufacturers and more than 100 foreign companies. The exhibition covers more than 30,000 square meters of exhibition space.
It is worth noting the International Environment Exhibition among other events. In 2014 the event was unveiled at the Tehran International Exhibition Centre for the 13th time. The exhibition was attended by such high-ranking officials of the state as: Es’haq Jahangiri, Iranian First Vice President; Masoumeh Ebtekar, Head of Environmental Protection Organization of Iran; as well as by the Minister of Environmental Protection of Armenia, Ambassador of Iran in Italy and Managing Director of the Iran International Exhibition Company. More than 184 Iranian companies together with their colleagues from Germany, Italy and Finland present the newest range of products in the field of ecology during the exhibition. The exhibition covers 19,000 square meters.
Nevertheless, the petrochemical sector remains Iran’s striking force. The Iranplast international exhibition takes the leading place in this area. The exhibition was held for the 50th time in 2012. The exhibition brings together more than 600 business leaders in the rubber and plastics industry arriving not only from the Middle East, but also from all around the world. The exhibition is supported by the National Petrochemical Company of Iran (NPC) and covers over 20,000 square meters of exhibition area.
Unlike many other Iranian cities Tehran is comfortable to visit throughout the year: the snow-capped mountains surrounding the city bring cool air in the summer and protect from cold winds in the winter. Plenty of parks, gardens and canals perfectly fit for leisurely strolls when bustling bazaars keep on seething regardless of the weather.
Alexey Shaburov,
President of Sokolniki Museum and Educational Centre