Internationality as opportunity / Expected stabilisation of economy in Turkey The fourth R+T Turkey, the leading Turkish trade fair for roller shutters, doors/gates and sun protection systems, will take place in Istanbul from 28 to 30 November 2019. The German-Turkish project team, Manuela Keller and Ufuk Altintop, reports about the current situation in Turkey six months before the event.
Why is R+T Turkey the ideal hub and platform to reach Turkey and neighbouring countries?
R+T Turkey is taking place for the fourth time and has become a fixed date in the trade fair calendar of many national and international companies. Istanbul and Turkey as a hub between Europe and Asia are perfect as a trade fair venue. R+T Turkey is the right platform to make purchasing decisions and then to finalise orders directly on site.
Visitors are also interested in establishing new business relationships and obtaining information about new products. Border crossings to eight countries and the visa-free access facilitate the flow of goods and visitors from Europe, Eastern Europe, Africa and the Middle East. After the last event we repositioned our team locally and are optimistic of launching a superb trade fair at the same level (110 exhibitors, 11,000 square metres), but with even more international visitors and optimal service. Our aim is to offer our exhibitors and visitors a high-quality business platform that covers the entire Turkish sun protection sector and at the same time opens the door for business relationships in the neighbouring countries.
What is the current feedback from the Turkish market and the exhibitors on R+T Turkey?
Many important companies from the Turkish market have already registered because they are convinced of the significance of the trade fair and the easy accessibility of their target markets. The national market demands quality and above all international manufacturers of components (incl. technical textiles, sections, drive technology, etc.), who could find a sales market in Turkey. By contrast, numerous national manufacturers of sun protection systems are focussing on exports and we are working with various partners and organisations in markets such as Greece, Romania or the United Arab Emirates in order to bring the visitors
desired by our exhibitors to R+T Turkey.
The importance of R+T Turkey is also emphasized by the fact that the Turkish Ministry of Trade has included the trade fair in the official programme for promoting foreign trade and is therefore actively supporting our efforts in the Middle East and in North Africa. We greatly appreciate this support because the international appeal of the industry platform in the Turkish market and the region is further strengthened.
In 2017, the top 5 visitor countries were Iran, Kosovo, Morocco, Israel and Romania. For the event from 28 – 30 November 2019 we will increase our activities there, but also enter new markets in North Africa. Our aim is to bring visitors from more than 100 countries to the trade fair.
The Turkish economy and also the currency are currently facing challenging times. What can you expect for the coming year?
R+T Turkey shows that successful trade fairs are important especially in difficult times in order to bring together people from all corners of the globe. Also in the future international trade fairs will be important platforms for the exchange of innovations and technology and for establishing business relationships. Since the first R+T Turkey in 2013, many Turkish companies have started to export for the first time – confirmation for us as an organiser that R+T Turkey makes business
success possible.
In light of past experience, the current situation is nothing unusual.
Turkey has always recovered from similar economic situations in the past and we are expecting the economy to stabilise in the next three to four quarters. That’s why the timing of R+T Turkey in November 2019 is well chosen.
The affiliation to the G20 countries also shows the high trade volume of Turkey.
The fact that there will be no elections until 2023 is encouraging many Turkish companies to obtain information about business opportunities not only in neighbouring countries, but also worldwide.
With the integration in the global network of R+T, every three years in Stuttgart and the international offshoots in Asia and South America, we also make it possible for our customers to reach new markets with the usual service of the R+T team.
More about R+T Turkey and the international offshoots of the world’s leading trade fair R+T: www.rt-worldwide.com
