OREANDA-NEWS. July 14, 2011. The promotion of business development was the driving force behind the exhibitions organised by ITE Uzbekistan this spring, all of which reflected the concept of small business and private entrepreneurship that is being promoted in Uzbekistan.

According to tradition, the exhibition season opened in March with the leading building and interiors exhibition UzBuild, which brought together 143 companies from 21 countries. For the first time in the history of construction exhibitions in Uzbekistan, UzBuild featured three national groups: Germany, Belgium and the State of Kuwait

For representatives of the domestic construction industry, UzBuild 2011 was an important tool for promoting and spreading innovations, developing market relations, studying market demand for products and services, and sharing industry information. Domestic companies made up 27% of all exhibitors, and included: O'zpromholodmontaj, Plastherm Technology, Sam Ros Holod, Uzelektroapparat - Electroshield, Tashkentskiy Opytno-Eksperimental'niy Mexanicheskiy Zavod and many others. Among the newcomers were: Magma Group, Marjon Universal Trading, Nur Pulat Savdo, Ntc-Khamkor and Proftexinstrumentov. UzBuild is considered an effective international industry platform by its foreign exhibitors. The head of the Kuwaiti delegation, Saqr al-Anzi, Deputy General Director for Industrial Exports of the Department of Industry of Kuwait, told the Kuwait News Agency that the participation of Kuwaiti businesses in UzBuild-2011 is an ideal opportunity to sell Kuwaiti products in Uzbekistan. In his interview he said: “Our participation in it will allow Kuwaiti manufacturers to establish cooperation with the local business community, and find people interested in their products, both in Uzbekistan and across Central Asia.”

MebelExpo Uzbekistan was held alongside UzBuild. The exhibition attracted a significant number of industry professionals, and was a key platform for business contacts in the production and creation of locally made furniture, supporting existing development trends in Uzbekistan’s furniture industry. Compared with the previous year, MebelExpo Uzbekistan increased its number of exhibitors to 40 companies from 13 countries. A large part of the exhibition was taken up by Uzbek manufacturers. The exhibitors included: Mebel JV, Eman JV, Tus Buero JV, Art Furniture FE, Genmark Furniture FE, Etiqod PE, Art-Metall LLC, Galaxy Orion LLC, Hayriddinov PE, and ART Vitraj, which produce furniture for homes, offices, and public and social establishments, as well as parts for furniture production. Manufacturers organised master classes at their stands, demonstrating woodworking equipment.

World Food Uzbekistan and AgroWorld Uzbekistan continued the business mood of the spring events. Both exhibitions gained the confidence of a large number of food businesses. This year, the exhibitions recorded their best ever results: World Food Uzbekistan 2011 and AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2011 together presented over 140 companies from 28 countries. Over 100 companies participated in World Food Uzbekistan 2011 and about 40 exhibited at AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2011. The popularity of the exhibitions among businesses is clear, as the exhibitions were largely made up of companies offering modern technologies and equipment. Hundreds of food and processing industry professionals from across the country came to Tashkent to learn from the expertise of foreign countries.

The main event in April was, as usual, International Healthcare Week – TIHE, which occupies a special place in Uzbekistan’s medical community, and has become the country’s main medical exhibition. This year, TIHE united three specialised medical exhibitions: TIHE 2011, the 16th Tashkent International Healthcare Exhibition; Stomatology Uzbekistan 2011, the 7th Uzbekistan International Stomatology Exhibition; and Apteka Expo 2011, the 6th Central Asian International Pharmaceutical Exhibition. International Healthcare Week – TIHE 2011 attracted over 135 companies from 25 countries. The exhibition was opened by Uzbekistan’s Health Minister, Adkham Ikramov, who said that the role of the exhibitions within International Healthcare Week – TIHE is invaluable, as they provide an opportunity for direct feedback and communication between healthcare professionals and manufacturers of medical equipment. Comments from exhibitors demonstrate the business attractiveness of the exhibitions. Bobur Saidakhmedov, Manager of Magnum Medikal Servis (Uzbekistan), said: “Our company uses the numerous opportunities offered by the exhibition effectively, and is developing actively. Four years ago we started out with the production of eight types of sterilising lamps and now produce more than seventy types of products - ultrasonic equipment, coagulators, medical equipment for physiotherapy, leg traction beds, wheelchairs and much more.”

May was dedicated to energy exhibitions. One of the relatively new projects, Power Uzbekistan, affirmed its importance for demonstrating scientific and technical achievements in the energy sector, increasing business activity, and developing trade, economic and production relations between local and foreign energy companies. The exhibition presented leading manufacturers and suppliers of equipment for electricity production, transmission and distribution, as well as companies offering energy saving equipment and technology, control systems and other products. Over 30 companies from Germany, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, France, China, South Korea and Japan participated in Power Uzbekistan 2011. The central event of the exhibition for the second consecutive year was the international conference entitled “Energy-2011: Innovations, Solutions and Prospects”. The conference included papers on the prospects for the development of the energy industry, innovative solutions for the modernisation and reconstruction of energy businesses, and modern energy- and resource-saving technologies. Over 100 top managers and industry professionals participated in the event.

The OGU international exhibition is one of ITE’s key events, and marked its fifteenth anniversary this year. OGU was launched in 1997 in the capital of the Uzbekistan, and at first there were some who doubted its success, saying there are already several major oil and gas exhibitions in other countries and Uzbekistan is unlikely to be able to compete with them in terms of organising the event and securing the participation of well-known companies. However, the exhibition and a conference on “Uzbekistan’s Oil and Gas Potential” were great successes. The address of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to the participants of the conference, which attracted over 100 companies from 30 countries, is evidence of this. Noting Uzbekistan’s successful cooperation with a number of foreign companies - particularly in the construction of the Bukhara Oil Refinery, the preparations for the construction of a gas-chemical complex at the Shurtan field, and the radical reconstruction of the Fergana Oil Refinery - the president expressed his confidence that the conference would open up new horizons for cooperation and promote the further strengthening of partnerships. It has been only a few years, but the businesses named by the president have already come into operation. OGU 2011 brought together over 200 companies from 26 countries, with increased participation by local companies, such as: Uzbekneftegaz, Neftegazkipavtomatika, and debutants: Uzkimyosanoat, ATIB Drilling, Eco Gaz, Mashimport, Nur Pulat Savdo, Savdoinfotex, United Actions Trading, Gazamirpro, Mahsus Kurilish-3, Tashkent Bulimi, and Uzkommunenergosozlash. In total, domestic companies accounted for 15% of all the exhibitors.

Government bodies and departments provided significant support to the organisation of the spring events, and their involvement helped to increase the importance of the exhibitions amid the ongoing reforms to support the development of business and entrepreneurship.

In total, 688 companies from 47 countries participated in the spring exhibitions organised by ITE Uzbekistan, and over 35,000 visitors attended the events. Three exhibitions - UzBuild, TIHE and OGU - once again received “UFI Approved Event” status, demonstrating the reliability of the exhibition statistics.