MVK: Future Prospects
Not an every company can impress with a motto: "To form a beautiful and healthy society." It is the main aim of the International Exhibition Company MVK. MVK President, Andrey LAPSHIN and MVK General Director, also Chairman of the MVK Holding Board of Directors, Alexey SHABUROV summed up the results of the past operating year and shared their plans for the future with the B&E magazine.
B&E: What are the results of the MVK Company for 2008? What are the Company plans for the next year?
A.L.: Next year will be very significant and difficult for us. We want to focus our attention on the projects to be held twice a year. First of all, it is the Polygraphinter-2009 and Engineering / Mashex-2009 exhibitions. As for the new projects, we would like to focus our attention on the exhibition Caravan Expo-2009 devoted to the motor homes and campers, which will take place at Crocus Expo IEC from February, 11th-15th. We also will develop our project of synchronous holding of some industrial expositions. For example, along with the International Forum PCVEXPO such exhibitions as: WELDEx 2009, WASMA-2009 and Filtsep-2009, also ALUMICO —2009 and GasSUF-2009 will be held at Crocus Expo in mid-October. These expositions should complement each other, attract a great number of participants and visitors and create a big industrial Forum in one pavilion on the date as well.
B&E: Your company provides exhibitions of various themes. Which of them are developed quicker?
А.L.: — Every sphere is developed differently, but the exhibition area increases on average 10- 15% per year. However, some exhibitions grow much faster, such as “furniture line”, packaging and horse exhibitions. They increase 15-20% annually. It is pleasure to note that high-tech areas like ATESTex/ Analytics develops progressively.
B&E: How do things go in other regions and abroad?
A.L.: I would say great. MVK-Ural Company has successfully held Evroexpomebel-Ural/ EEM-URAL exhibition in Yekaterinburg this year. The project proved to be a remarkable event. Today, it is the fastest growing and the most attracting event in the Ural region, in spite of its youth. One more project ― Woodex/ Lestechprodukzia-2009 Ural ― will start next year. In 2008 a new project started to run in Yekaterinburg: Packing and Printing Forum, P+R Ural, which included the forum, conference and small exposition. We are also planning to hold a Forum of such a kind in 2009. We run a new project, which is focused on cement, concrete and building mixtures. StroyCem-2008 exhibition will take place from December, 1-3, 2012 in Novosibirsk. It is proposed to hold EQUIROS-South-2009 in May, 2009 in Krasnodar.
A.SH.: — We are also abroad exhibitions contractors. We work in Germany, Israel, North America, India, Turkey and Italy. Recently a new office started to function in Shanghai.
B&E: On the subject of abroad exhibitions, please, share your opinion on the difference between Russian and abroad fairs?
A.L.: — I think that nowadays there is no difference between Russian and abroad exhibitions. Today we hold exhibitions at a high level. I speak about good and modern exhibit spaces like Crocus Expo. Of course, there is a difference in service, but it is a problem of the whole country. However, we do our best to solve any problems of our projects. We can say for sure that MVK’s exhibitions outperform foreign brands in many respects. We attend many exhibitions abroad and try to take the best from these experiences. Our exhibitors note these facts.
A.SH.: — There is a lack of good road interchanges and additional airports in spite of organizing experience. But here we also approach sufficiently high standards. I think Russia holds the fort in the structure of exhibition halls and the number of comfortable hotels.
B&E: Your Company is famous for its original projects and extraordinary ideas. What have you offered this year and what should we expect in future?
A.SH.: — The International Exhibition of Calligraphy was the most remarkable event this year. More than 25 countries participated in it. There is no equal exhibition project in the whole world. We had 10 general counsels, public authorities and representatives of culture and a great number of calligraphers attend the opening of the exhibition. The information concerning this event got spread far and wide. On December, 9th the Contemporary museum of calligraphy will be launched on the territory of Sokolniki Museum and Educational Centre. The museum is to display a collection of more than 300 items. Next year we will launch a new project. But I would like to keep this a secret! I just mention that, anyway, it will be powerful, bright, colorful and original.
B&E: Most big exhibitions are held in Crocus Expo. How does this Fair Ground meet your needs?
A.L.: — Yes, practically all of our exhibition projects take place on the Crocus Expo territory. Today it is the exhibit area of the highest quality meeting all international requirements. Of course, there are some problems, but I hope they will be solved in the autumn of 2009 when a new underground station will start to function on the territory of Crocus Expo. It is pleasant to note that Crocus Expo’s administration meets the needs to solve all the problems and challenges and we are very grateful for it.
B&E: How do you appraise the prospects of fair market? Will the growing financial crisis impact its development?
A.L.: — I think the number of new exhibit projects will increase. Our Company also has long-term projects. But financial crises will exert influence on MVK plans. Our exhibitors are more purposefully focused on planning their exhibition budgets. Despite this fact, I think the crisis will influence big financial corporations investing in the market, rather than small and medium businesses which we work with in most cases.
A.SH.: — The exhibitions will be organized because our life goes on in spite of crisis. Exhibit space is a universal place to sell goods and conclude contracts. Fairs, sales areas and markets have always existed and will exist forever.
Interviewed by Elena Kremenetskaya
Source: Business and Exhibitions magazine № 10 (38) 2008.