Home Trade Shows Show News

New Research Projects Growth As People Remain In Their Homes Longer National Hardware Show Organized To Enable Exhibitors to Profit from This Growth (NORWALK, Conn. USA Oct. 24, 2008) - - - -While a slowing economy is making headlines, the National Hardware Show® is being organized to enable its exhibitors to take advantage of the opportunity that this economy presents. New research issued in Aug. 2008 by the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI; Global Insights Report) projects a +1.6% growth in home improvement products in 2009 after declining in 2007 and 2008. The research concludes that the market for home repair and home improvement products is expected to grow in 2009 as homeowners remain in their homes longer. This predicted growth will be driven by homeowners’ behavior to “do it themselves” versus paying for a company to perform these services in a challenging economy. In other encouraging news, new housing inventory was at its lowest point in Sept. 2008. This fact coupled with an increase in new housing starts in 2009 to fill the void also portends demand for new products. In fact, HIRI is projecting that housing starts will increase +5% in 2009. All of these facts clearly indicate the U.S. hardware market will be strong in 2009. As a result, the National Hardware Show is taking steps to leverage the opportunities for exhibitors by better organizing its show floor and reaching key buyers who are focusing on growing retail sales to homeowners who are staying in their homes longer. The 2009 National Hardware Show is also taking advantage of new research detailing the fact that a slowing economy means consumers will alter their behavior by taking less vacations; staying home on weekends and eating out less often. As people spend more time in their houses instead of traveling, they will make improvements to augment their enjoyment such as adding outdoor living components, purchasing unique amenities to enhance their lifestyle and increase the use of cleaning and homewares products to address their homes’ maintenance and upkeep needs. In order to support the increased demand for home improvement products, the 2009 National Hardware Show will offer several marketing platforms on which buyers can preview products. These include: “Stay-Cation”: Recessionary economy prevents families from taking vacations, but rather, opting for enjoyment and pleasure close to home while doing chores, repairs and easy maintenance projects. Staying at home creates increased demand for products. “Saving Money, By Saving Energy”: Demand for products that will help homeowners reduce energy use ultimately saves money. “Why Pay, When You Can Do It Yourself”: Pinching dollars means doing a lot more of the home improvement projects that used to be relegated to a contractor. Since many homeowners often don’t have the tools to compete a project, a trip to the home improvement store is necessary. This drives demand. “Green and Eco-Friendly Products”: With global pressure to reuse or recycle, homeowners are seeking products that support the environment. These new areas will fuel new growth projected over the next several years meaning that the $428 billion US home improvement marketplace is open for business and ready to offer increased opportunities for Chinese manufacturers despite news of the slowing economy. “The US home improvement market’s increase over the next several years is an indication of the business potential for China,” said Ed Several, Group Vice President and Show Manager for the 2009 National Hardware Show. “We are quite confident that the US market will increase demand for new, private label and competitively priced products, especially in a slowing economy, where housing starts are down and homeowners are staying in their homes longer. On the National Hardware Show floor, we have created a comprehensive plan for Chinese suppliers to increase sales; build new relationships with domestic US buyers and their operations and R&D colleagues and make the process a lot more efficient and effective.” To be continued

The Golden Purchasing Chain in China, composed of Canton Fair, China (Shenzhen) International Toys & Gifts Fair and Hong Kong International Toys & Gifts Show, has been inevitably affected by the current financial crisis. According to feedbacks from exhibitors who have attended relevant gifts exhibitions in Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Guangzhou, this year’s Canton Fair saw a substantial drop in attendance of international buyers while the gifts show in Hong Kong lost steam as well. On the contrary, the gift fair in Shenzhen, concluded on Oct. 27 at Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center, displayed a flourishing trend in both purchase and sales, without the least trace of recession. This has gone far beyond the expectations of exhibitors mentally prepared for a drop in buyer number. As the largest gifts and houseware exhibition in China, Shenzhen Gift Fair has constantly focused on domestic market. As the export market is now mired in downturn, many exports-oriented businesses, under the guidance of the Fair, then turn to the domestic market to explore new channels and improve their risk-resistance capability. As a result, their market shares may even go up instead of falling down. Mr. Su Zhongyang, General Manager of Guangzhou Long Fa Hang Fine Carving Craftwork Company, has a profound feeling about this: “We also exhibited in Canon Fair. However, we received much less visitors this year than before. The amazing effect of this year’s Shenzhen Gift Fair is really beyond our expectation. We see many foreign visitors and of course, there is even a bigger proportion of domestic clients. This year, we mainly focus on domestic trade, aiming to provide more services for customers. 2 additional exhibitions halls are opened at this edition, from which we may also tell how successful the Fair is. As we have more visitors here, there are more exciting products on display. The visitors that we receive at the event bring us lots of nice surprises.” Most exhibitors think the high demand on domestic market has driven fruitful order achievements for them. On the 16th anniversary of the Fair, Reed Huabo officially unveils its new brand image. The new brand focuses on quality services and added value, endowing a more profound connotation for the fair. It indicates that Reed Huabo is now shifting its focus from gifts to both gifts and houseware. A more refreshing and powerful brand image of gift fair is now emerging. Mr. Mike Jiang, Managing Director of Reed Huabo, said: “To build a good brand we have to excel in ourselves, so as to promote the brand-oriented development philosophy for the whole industry. Shenzhen Gift Fair has been focusing on domestic market for 16 years. The organizing committee has made unremitting efforts in providing a platform for enterprises to exploit domestic market, and we are committed to withstanding ‘the Cold Winter’ together with gift and houseware enterprises. For instance, we have always encouraged exports-oriented companies to allocate 30% of their efforts to the domestic market. Besides, at this event, we made great efforts in inviting more corporate buyers to the event. As a result, we see the attendance of over 30 big buyers with a purchasing need of more than RMB 20 Mio., such as HOLA and RT-MART. We also organized 63 visitor groups from chambers of commerce, associations and toy & gift marketplaces in various light industry bases. CCAGM and Wang Fu Jing Department Store also send delegations here for business talks. All these efforts have brought new business opportunities to exhibitors.” Show statistics indicate that the 16th China (Shenzhen) International Toys & Gifts Fair has attracted total 129,859 visits, with a steadily increasing presence of trade buyers with great purchasing power. Compared with the last edition in April this year, the event witnessed a strong rise of 25% in the number of trade buyers. Mr. Peng Yuan, Deputy Director of Steering Committee of Special Edition of Xinhua News Agency 2008, attended the Fair for the second time. He commented, “It’s really unbelievable and amazing to present such a huge fair, which is real feast to eyes. This year, we are impressed with a higher level of service and buyer quality. I also attended the reception for Reed Huabo’s new brand unveiling, which is truly remarkable and represents a new level of value and service. I hope this fair will become an event with international influence in the future.” Overseas buyers from 66 countries including USA, Malaysia, Australia, Singapore, Korea, India and Thailand visited the event. Trade development authorities or gifts & premiums associations from Indonesia, Korea, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and other countries were also present at the fair. The overwhelming success of the fair cemented their confidence in the event. They expressed a strong desire to participate in the fair next year with exhibitors from their respective countries. The organizer of Shenzhen Gift Fair, committed to pilot the attention of their customers to domestic market through value-added services, so as to avoid the risks caused by international economic recession and create new business opportunities, has received wide applauses and is regarded as a good example for both exhibition and gift industries to address the financial crisis in a proactive way.

This year, National Hardware Show® has added exciting new programs while expanding on existing ones to reflect current customer trends and provide as many opportunities as possible for you to find the "next big thing". New Product World® New Product World® - Looking for New Products? Find them in our Expanded New Product World®. You can find the latest trends and newest innovations in New Product World®, showcasing thousands of the hottest new products, with hundreds of thousands of SKU's in every conceivable category. New Product World® is a centerpiece of National Hardware Show®, Lawn & Garden World® and the Homewares Show™, where countless new products in every interest category are previewed and reviewed. See what will drive the retail home enhancement industry for years to come. There are two New Product World® areas, one for National Hardware Show® and another for Lawn & Garden World®. New Product World® remains one of the most high-profile areas of the Show. Green Product World™ Green Product World™ - Looking for Green Products? Find them in our new Green Product World™, a brand new, specially designated area on the Show floor that addresses current environmental concerns. Located directly adjacent to New Product World®, Green Product World™ highlights the latest in green, eco-friendly products. Currently, this trend is at the forefront of consumers’ minds as they look for ways to conserve the environment and reduce their carbon footprint. Green Product World™ offers a diverse selection of environmentally safe products that feature exciting new innovations. Inventors Spotlight The 63rd National Hardware Show® - the largest gathering in the home improvement industry! NHS and the United Inventor's Association are continuing thier alliance, giving unique access to entrepeneurs who are inventing hardware/home improvement products. Your product must be patent pending or patent approved but has not yet gained distribution be to showcased in our newly expanded Inventor’s Spotlight area or the show floor. This is your chance as an inventor to interact with leading retailers, manufacturers and media, who can write about or even fund your innovation. There are two Inventor Spotlight areas - one near Hardware and the other near Lawn & Garden. Both Inventor Spotlights will be located near our New Product World®, one of the most visited areas on the Show floor. It will also be located near the newly launched Green Product World™ to ensure that this will be a must-see area for all attendees and in the case of the Inventor’s Spotlight - exhibitors will be sure to stop by too! Nearly 30,000 industry professionals will gather at NHS in Las Vegas looking for the best and most innovative new products in hardware, housewares/homewares, lawn & garden products, paint, home decor and more. Major players like The Home Depot, Ace Hardware, Sears/K-Mart, and many more, join thousands of retailers, wholesalers & distributors, manufacturers and the press to discover new products. Put Your Product In Front Of The People Who Can Make A Difference To Your Business: You will get a complete exhibit package that includes: 4 ft. Draped Table with color drape in highlighted area of the Show Floor • 2 Chairs • Company Signage • Carpeting • Listing in the Official Show Directory on a special page • Listing on our Website and Floor Plan • FREE Press List along with your company info sent to all media pre-show • Pre-show promotion to top media, high volume retailers and manufacturers. All you need to do is show up with your invention! Global Hardware Expo® The National Hardware Show® is the largest sourcing event for foreign and manufactured products for the home improvement industry. Global Hardware Expo® at the National Hardware Show® features over 1,200 international companies showcasing products for the indoor and outdoor home enhancement sector. Every conceivable product category is covered including; lawn & garden, hardlines, paint, home décor, homewares, pet products and more. Attend the Global Crossroads Seminar – A round table discussion, open to all international attendees and designed exclusively for global retail home enhancement players that will feature six major global retailers and offer insights into the world market. Network with other international attendees at the International Reception to take place following the Global Crossroads Seminar. Stay at the specially designated International Hotel conveniently connected to the convention center and network easily with your peers from around the world. Store Tours organized by the World DIY Council will allow you to tour some of the major U.S. retail chains including Home Depot, Lowe's, Target, Costco and more. Open to Buy Days Open to Buy Days - Top retailers and wholesalers participate in Open-To-Buy-Days to see as many exhibiting vendors at one time - in one place - to ensure that they will keep they're competitive edge and find the "Next Big Thing" first! Independent Retailer Program National Hardware Show® Brings World of Home Improvement to One Location. As an independent retailer you have complete access to the entire world of home improvement products and trends, all in one location—the 63rd annual National Hardware Show® in Las Vegas. And this year, we have taken extra steps to make the show easier for independent retailers to work and more cost effective for them to attend. Take a look at what the National Hardware Show® has to offer.

National Hardware Show® offers FREE educational seminars designed to build Industry knowledge and allow for professional development while at the Show. These seminars, produced by leading Industry sources and led by top experts, offer the latest research, trend analysis, best practices and more. Tuesday, May 6, 1:00 PM, Room S223, South Hall Merchandising Strategies for Successful Retailing Producer: Casual Living Presenter: Norman Hamilton, Publisher Casual is one of the hottest topics today. Retailers and manufacturers of casual furnishings and accessories will want to discover what trends are emerging from penetrating research by the #1 editorial resource for what’s shaking in North America’s backyard living rooms. Tuesday, May 6, 2:00 PM, 2PM, Room N240, North Hall Don’t Let Your Brand Get Washed Away By The Rising Tide Of Private Labels Producer: Hardlines Presenter: Beverly Allen How is your brand positioned? How are you making the choice about whether to develop private label or not? Canada’s unique view of private labels vs. brand names is developed from years of adaptation and adoption, beginning with the grocery industry. Hear how it’s worked - and how to choose - from Beverly Allen, publisher of Hardlines, the information network for Canada and North America. Tuesday, May 6, 3:00 PM, 3PM, Room N242, North Hall Future Trends in Home Improvement Producer: HIRI Presenter: Fred Miller Success in the home improvement business requires an understanding of the mega-forces that are reshaping the industry. How do you build your own business and capitalize on future trends? With insight into over 90 leading companies in the industry, the Home Improvement Research Institute (HIRI) is in a unique position to provide these critical insights. HIRI’s Fred Miller brings it all into focus. Share the highlights of a major study that looks five years into the future. Tuesday, May 6, 4:00 PM, Room N240, North Hall 2008 Retail Top Guns Producer: Hardware Retailing Presenter: Dan Tratensek Top guns always draw top attention, and success breeds success. Join the lively panel discussion as the industry’s most impactful and influential independent retailers exchange views. This panel demonstrates what "differentiated" means to their business. You’ll learn how they got so good at what they do. What works. Manufacturers, you too don’t want to miss this session! Wednesday, May 7, 10:00 AM, Room S223, South Hall The New and Changing World of Sustainability Producer: Lawn & Garden Retailing Presenter: Stan Pohmer, Jr. "Sustainability" suggests a buzzword that is greener-than-green. Can retailers cash in on the trend? Stan Pohmer, Jr. reveals how Earth-friendly Boomers are making the cash registers ring as they "validate" their outdoor purchase decisions. Wednesday, May 7, 11:00 AM, Room N242, North Hall How America Is Meeting The Challenges Of Today’s Home Channel Market Producer: Home Channel News Presenter: Jeff Arlen The home channel’s tabloid news maven, Jeff Arlen, gives his take on "The State of the U. S. Home Improvement Marketplace." Eager home sellers are fixing up properties like never before in this depressed real estate market, and the news is good for retailers. Find out how to get your piece of the action! Wednesday, May 7, 1:00 PM, Room N240, North Hall India: The Emerging Quality Supplier Producer: Sourcing Hardware Presenter: Deepak Gupta Is India the new China? Hardware experts like Sourcing Hardware’s Deepak Gupta explain India’s rise to prominence in product quality and high levels of service. Global buyers get a snapshot of brass and steel hardware, hand tools, lighting and lighting accessories — all with a view toward cashing in on a whole sub-continent worth of growth. Wednesday, May 7, 3:00 PM, Room N242, North Hall Taking A Lesson From Europe Producer: BHB Presenter: John Herbert, Chairman Euroland—does it lead or follow North American trends? Retail expert John Herbert explores the brand-loyal buying habits of Europeans in his penetrating exploration of "The European Home Improvement Marketplace. " Wednesday, May 7, 4:00 PM, Room N242, North Hall The State of the Canadian Retail Home Enhancement Market Producer: Hardlines Presenter: Michael McLarney Michael McLarney, President, Hardlines Inc., and Managing Director, NRHA Canada, will be showing how Canada, as the gateway to the largest home improvement retailers in North America, can teach you how to enter this lucrative market, one step at a time. Thursday, May 8, 10:00 AM, Room N240, North Hall Essential Strategies for Effective Public Relations Producer: Money Pit Presenter: Tom Kraeutler This talk will look at the role of third-party certification, the importance of credible standards, and the risks associated with "greenwashing" and hidden environmental trade-offs. Known as an FSC certifier and by their Green Cross logo, Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) is a leading third-party certifier of environmental claims.

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Green design, from rugs to furnishings to accessories, is the hottest home design trend for 2008. Addressing current, environmental concerns, the National Hardware Show® is launching a new, specially designated area on the show floor that highlights the latest in green, eco-friendly and sustainable products. Located directly adjacent to New Product World, Green Product World™, will focus on what The American Society of Interior Design recently reported is "one of the fastest growing segments of its industry." The new attraction and focus will offer a diverse selection of environmentally safe innovations and is sponsored by EarthTronics, manufacturer of high quality lighting products that are designed to save energy. "Since the National Hardware Show is a representation of everything relevant to home enhancement, the show will reflect the move towards more sustainable products at retail," said Dean Russo, senior vice president for the National Hardware Show. "The brand-new Green Product World will showcase the latest in green, eco-friendly and sustainable products that consumers will be buying to protect the environment reduce their carbon footprint and encourage responsibility for the future." This year, there will also be a new, Green Innovation Award for the best green product on display. In education seminars, experts will discuss how to turn green products into profitability at various "Hot Topics" classes, presented at the National Hardware Show. "The New and Changing World of Sustainability" will be led by Lawn & Garden Retailing and "Going Green – Is it Important and How Do You Make it Happen?" is being produced by Scientific Certification Systems.

-Shining some daylight on environmental issues -Chinese exhibitors sparking high presentation The world's biggest trade fair for the digital industry, CeBIT, turned down its curtain today in Hannover, Germany. The six-day show from 4-9 March has exceeded all the expectation and continued its unparalleled success in attracting 5,845 exhibitors from 77 countries and regions on a total display area of 241,000 square meters. Comprising 1,198 exhibitors (China Mainland: 501, China HongKong: 207, China Taiwan: 490) and occupying 27,488 square meters area, China pavilion once again ranks the No. 1 overseas exhibiting country. As the world's largest event showcasing the information and telecommunications industry, CeBIT consistently incorporates and reflects the trends of the ICT industry. Millions of professionals who attended this year's CeBIT have witnessed the coming-of-age of mobile communication and market success of the Internet. This year the trade fair focused its attention on a single topic of great importance. IT companies from every corner of the globe work on the issues of energy efficiency and climate protection. That is "Green IT". CeBIT's Green IT Village in Hall 9 showcased a range of the latest technologies, in its networked office, home devices, energy-saving PCs, alternative power sourcing and other environmentally friendly innovations. At the same time, an extensive program of conferences and presentations involving specialists from business and research aimed to stimulate debate and encourage the exchange of ideas. " We focus on the environment protection, energy-saving for all Aigo products and strictly abide to the criteria for green IT design when the goods exported overseas," said William Ma, Aigo's Marketing Department Media Director. "CeBIT is not only a good place to meet with new suppliers and agencies, but an ideal platform for showcasing Aigo's even the national image as well. Within the first two days, we have clinched quite a few business deals with the customs. They are very interested in our products, especially the Aigopen and Digital microscope which newly open to the market. We are delighted to be here and satisfied with the show. It is for sure that we will come again next year." Ms. Helen Hu, Sales Manager of Golden Field Industrial Co., Ltd. told journalist pleasantly, " CeBIT is a grand big show. The coming visitors and buyers are quite professional. The reasons for us to be here is to promote our products, establish business contacts and what's the most important is to stand the brand image. Though it is already our seventh time to take part in CeBIT, we are still aiming to expand the European market and learn more about the overseas technologies and innovations." "Green IT", this year's main buzzword at CeBIT, has brought a ware of products trying hard to be less harmful than their predecessors. As well, Chinese exhibitors are more considering and learning about foreign cutting-the-edge technologies and step closely to the European market or even the entire globe. The way CeBIT unfolded has given Chinese exhibitors a particularly positive outlook on future sales in Germany, and business prospects in Europe as a whole. CeBIT 2008 stands out with excellent attendance of high-quality visitors, as well as active communications among exhibitors from the related ICT sector. The success exhibitors experienced at this year's show confirm their choice of CeBIT as a key component of their marketing strategies. In this case, CeBIT is undoubtedly the optimum platform for China ICT manufacturers to tap into international market.

The relaunch of CeBIT was a success: The new CeBIT format has succeeded across the board, drawing an enthusiastic response from visitors and exhibitors alike. The 5,845 exhibitors from 77 countries reported they were leaving Hannover with bulging order books. Despite the shorter run of the new show (six days versus the previous seven), attendance was up three percent over the previous year, totaling 495,000. Visitors from abroad accounted for one out of five attendees - a total of over 100,000, with the Americas accounting for a particularly big increase. VIPs from research and industry as well as government figures used CeBIT 2008 to debate and promote issues of core importance to the information society. Top marks for new-format CeBIT Exhibitors and visitors alike gave the new-format CeBIT top marks across all four of its key categories: business solutions, public sector solutions, home & mobile solutions and technology and infrastructure. CeBIT visitors connected with an average of 29 companies per capita. Visitor traffic at the stands was reported to have topped last year’s figures for each exhibition segment. Attracting new talent to the ICT industry CeBIT 2008 was also highly successful in attracting new talent to the ICT industry, where there are currently over 43,000 unfilled vacancies in Germany alone. This year’s CeBIT joined forces with the "IT Fitness" initiative to generate enthusiasm for IT careers among students and career novices. Women@CeBIT campaign The Women@CeBI campaign, coinciding with International Women’s Day, brought a significant increase in the number of women interested in finding out about the latest technology and applications, with over 10,000 of them registering online for the special Saturday program. And, on Saturday, one out of every four visitors was female. CeBIT Global Conferences A brand new feature at this year's event, the CeBIT Global Conferences, provided significantly greater coverage of ICT themes of relevance to the industry and its target clientele. CeBIT again provided a showcase for new trends and topics. With the success of CeBIT 2008, Deutsche Messe has triggered increased growth and dynamism in the international ICT industry. Renewed momentum for our Franco-German partnership The French ICT industry was also happy with is year's CeBIT, speaking of "renewed momentum for our Franco-German partnership". The French companies at CeBIT identified many new growth areas, forging new leads from around the world. France’s status as this year's Partner Country laid the foundations for even closer cooperation between companies in Germany and France in this key sector. The decision on CeBIT’s partner country for 2009 has not yet been made. Planet Reseller The success of the "Planet Reseller" showcase impressively underscored CeBIT's leading role as a pan-European retail forum. Higher attendance by SMEs again demonstrated CeBIT’s importance to small and medium-sized businesses looking for new technology to facilitate their growth.

China overtakes Taiwan as the largest foreign exhibitor region. 5,845 exhibitors from 77 countries taking part in this year's show. Record participation by Partner Country France. Hannover. Top of the agenda for CeBIT when the world's most important trade fair for the digital industry opens its doors to the public on 4 March in Hannover is the keynote theme Green IT'. A long list of exhibitors will be presenting solutions, products and innovations addressing the issues of energy efficiency in the ICT industry and ICT user industries. Famous-name companies will be presenting displays in Hall 9 in the 'Green IT Village'. Speaking in Hannover on Tuesday was Ernst Raue, who sits on the Board of Deutsche Messe AG: 'This year CeBIT has decided to focus on Green IT, with a broad international line-up of contributors bringing together all the key activities of the ICT industry here in Hannover.' This year CeBIT has for the first time adopted a new display concept based on the four major categories 'Business Solutions', 'Public Sector Solutions', 'Home & Mobile Solutions' and 'Technology & Infrastructure'. Another key component of the new-look show is the reorganized supporting program, now known as CeBIT Global Conferences. According to figures quoted by Raue, 5,845 exhibitors from 77 countries will be presenting their products, solutions, and innovations for the ICT industry at this year's show. The individual exhibitor stands and special displays at CeBIT 2008 cover an area of 241,000 square metres. 'Since January the situation has developed much better than we had been expecting', said Raue. He went on to point out that CeBIT remains as internationally representative as ever in 2008. '3005 exhibitors are coming to Hannover from outside Germany.' This figure, he added, underlines the global reach of CeBIT and its function as the flagship international trade show for the digital industry. He also said that the overall decline in exhibitor numbers (down from 6,153 in 2007) is due to three principal factors. 'The weak dollar has dramatically pushed up costs for exhibitors from important ICT countries. On top of that, in 2008 exhibitors from a number of countries become liable for the first time to pay German VAT at the full new rate. And despite the increased appeal of CeBIT, we have not been able to absorb these price increases', said Raue. At the same time (he noted) there is strong predatory competition in the world's key ICT markets, coupled with a pattern of amalgamations and take-overs. This is reflected in the numbers, said Raue. 'China has now overtaken Taiwan for the first time in the history of CeBIT as the largest foreign exhibitor region, with 500 exhibiting companies. Many hardware manufacturers are shifting their production from Taiwan to China.' Last year China's presence at CeBIT amounted to 469 exhibitors. In 2008 Taiwan drops down to second place with 490 exhibitors (2007: 599). Raue was very pleased to note the record participation by France, this year's official Partner Country. '150 companies from the French ICT industry are coming to CeBIT 2008. The audience response to CeBIT in France has been fantastic', said Raue. One of the high points of this year's partnership with France will be the German-French IT Summit on 4 March, which is due to be opened by Federal Minister of Economic Affairs Michael Glos. The number of German exhibitors has risen slightly from 2,809 last year to 2,840. In keeping with past tradition, North Rhine-Westphalia heads the league table of German states with 562 exhibitors, followed by Bavaria with 475. Meanwhile the 'home state', Lower Saxony, is represented at CeBIT 2008 by 277 companies.

Vintage clock and homewares company Newgate said that it had a record Spring Fair this year, with an appearance by celebrity designer Oliver Heath and a slot on Midlands TV show Central News driving buyers to its stand. It said that its strong stand position next to the thoroughfare between Halls 4 and 8 also helped to attract visitors. On the first day of the fair, Newgate invited former Changing Rooms star Oliver Heath to talk to its customers at the stand about his love of vintage clocks. While Heath has not collaborated with Newgate on a range of products, he is a firm fan of the supplier's product lines. The next day, Newgate benefited from a prime-time slot on Midlands TV after ITN's Central News spent four hours following a local buyer from Shropshire, Jude Leach from McLaren's Furniture, who happens to be one of Newgate's customers. A spokesperson for Newgate said: "We have enjoyed a record-breaking fair. The stand, as always, looked fabulous and the atmosphere was fantastic. "The buzz on the stand was all helped along as the lovely Oliver Heath joined us and Central News filmed a very bubbly Jude Leach, one of our regular buyers. Jude loves the vintage feel of Newgate, created in our British design studio and quality finish of our clocks and mirrors."

CP Productions is celebrating its 50th Spring Fair this year. The company, which sells framed pictures and mirrors, has been exhibiting at the show since the event was run out of a multi-story car park in Blackpool half a century ago. However, this will be the last show for one of the CP Productions team. Sales director Ronnie Taylor will retire this year, making this his last ever Spring Fair. Officially, that is. Although Taylor is set to retire in Easter, he said that he will more likely than not be making a few last trade show appearances. Taylor started at the company more than 50 years ago as a message boy when he was just 14. He has stayed with the company throughout his professional life and said that his initials ART, which stand for Albert Ronnie Taylor, mean that he was born for the job. Taylor said that while he is looking forward to a more leisured pace of life, he will miss all the people involved in the business. "I enjoy selling and I enjoy people," he said. "I'll miss meeting people. They’re not just customers, they’re friends." As testament to the impact that Taylor has made throughout his working life, one of his customers travelled all the way from Cardiff to Spring Fair to wish him happy retirement. "They weren't coming for any other reason, just to see me," he said. CP Productions is based in Northern Ireland and has a range of more than 800 products.