New Projects Every Year

Business and Exhibitions magazine № 6 (49) 2010

MVK Company is one of the leading companies involved in organizing fairs and exhibitions on the Russian Market. Andrey Lapshin, president of MVK Company and Alexey Shaburov, general director told us about the results of the outgoing year and plans for the forthcoming one.

Andrey Lapshin

Alexey Shaburov

B&E: The year of 2010 was quite contradictory, the crises had an impact on the beginning of the year, but there was slow positive growth at the end of the year. How is your company getting on by the end of this year?

A.L.: The year of 2012 was both difficult and successful for the company. It was uneasy to foresee anything at the beginning of the year, but in January we were already sure that this year was to be better than the year of 2009. Our later experience proved it. Almost all exhibition events had more success than we expected at the beginning. Business plans and objectives that the company set, went beyond our expectations at 15-20%. It concerns the space square, financial index, and the number of visitors. The MVK Company traditionally starts new projects every year and this year is no exception. For instance, the following projects: NBP Expo dedicated to energy, then the Festival of pregnant women, which was held at the beginning of October and some others.

There were considerable changes on the territory of Sokolniki Museum and Educational Centre in 2010. We carried out repair work in exhibition pavilions, renovated damaged buildings, as well as constructed a new pavilion and beautified the territory around the exhibition centre. It cost a considerable amount. The aim of repairing work was to eliminate defects and to improve working conditions of the Centre in Sokolniki. Today it meets up-to-date requirements.

B&E: Your company holds exhibitions in different spheres. Which of them managed to be the most stable during the crises? Were there any occasions when you had to change the program, for example to extend the exhibition, to delay it or to cancel?

A.L.: Exhibitions that are the leading ones in their spheres and business areas turned out to be the most stable ones. For example: Rosupack is the leader in the packing industry. In 2009 this exhibition was shortened in comparison with the previous year. This year it was enlarged considerably and almost restored its scope. We can say the same about other leading specified exhibitions. Our program is worked out in such a way that almost every exhibition that we hold is the leader in its sphere. That is why we did not have to change anything, to enlarge or to delay as well as to cancel. This year, development of the events has proved the rational character of our program organization and as I have already said all the exhibitions restore rapidly and have great success.

B&E: How successful were your projects in other regions?

A.L.: Strengthening and widening of our standing in the Ural region is one of our achievements of previous years. Particularly we acquired a number of exhibit projects in the field of timber processing complex, which holds leading positions in economics of this region. Next year we are to start a forest industry exhibition Les-prom, Technological Nocturne exhibition, which is the analog of PCV Expo and combines three exhibition events as well as in Moscow.

The Euroexpomebel-Ural Exhibition is developing successfully. It was held in September and it is now 5 years old. This year the exhibition showed its best results in sizes and commercial for the entire period of its existence.

At the present time we can say the MVK Ural in Yekaterinburg is one of the leaders in organization of exhibition events and first of all in timber processing complex. Due to start these projects in our program we can take the leading position in the region among exhibition organizers and it lets us face the future with confidence.

B&E: You probably visit international exhibitions abroad. How has the crises affected exhibition industry abroad?

A.Sh.: This year we did not give much attention to visiting international exhibitions, that is why it is difficult to say for certain how exactly the crises affected them but it had some influence for sure. According to our observations the interest in exhibition events did not fall and there was no cancellation in the exhibition world. All the leading exhibitions and brands, which are held in Germany and other European countries as well as in the USA, showed considerable stability. We can note some rearrangement of exhibitors and appearance of new companies. Generally the exhibition market showed stability.

Successful and rapid development of this sphere in China attracted much attention. Exhibitors of European Countries and the USA are paying much attention to this market. The Exhibition sphere in Asian states is developing rapidly. That is why the situation in the exhibition sphere will be defined by changes that happen in the Asian region.

B&E: What are the prospects for the Russian Exhibition Market?

A.L.: The situation of the Russian Exhibition Market is quite stable and we can see this by the great amount of exhibition projects in different areas. We can certainly say that the projects will be developed. Next year all main spheres will increase by about 15-20% compared to the year of 2010. However it is difficult to say when the exhibition sphere will go back to pre-crises period of 2008, and there is no need to make such comparisons. The situation is different now and we should only work taking into account new conditions.

B&E: Your company is famous for original projects and ideas. What interesting things happened this year and what should we expect in future?

A.Sh.: This year we successfully held the International Exhibition of Calligraphy in Velikiy Novgorod, the largest project all over the world dedicated to the art of writing. We had 114 participants from 43 countries displayed their pieces, and more than 37 thousand people visited the exhibition pavilion. The main collection of unique calligraphy exhibits was displayed in a mobile pavilion of 2,000 square meters in the historical city centre in Yaroslavovo Dvorishche (Yaroslavl's Court). The pavilion construction parts were shipped specially for this occasion from Moscow.

The Novgorod State United Museum Reserve located on the territory of the Kremlin was a partner of the project. Samples of the Russian Script of 11-20 cc. as well as birch bark manuscripts were also displayed here at the same time with the Calligraphy exhibition on the area space of 470 square meters. Masterpieces of young calligraphers from all over the country were displayed in municipal exhibition centre Dialogue on the area of 180 square meters. That is how we managed to unite the present, past and future. We consider it one of the most successful projects. The exhibition turned to be commercially successful whilst it is quite unusual for projects of the cultural sphere.

Next year we intend to hold a presentation of the project International Exhibition of Calligraphy in Paris. This idea has been already supported by UNESCO. Then the project will be sent to the USA and be displayed in NY.
 

Source: Business and Exhibitions magazine № 6 (49) 2010