• Best result in the history of the Inter-tabac
• Consistently high level of internationality
• 55 Million Euros Turnover

On the occasion of its jubilee anniversary the Inter-tabac smashed through the 6,000 visitor mark for the very first time: 6,251 trade visitors (+13.3 %) made their way last weekend (19-21.09.2008) to the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund. The level of internationality remained almost constant in comparison with 2007, the general increase in visitors spreading equally among the national and international visitors. “This new record with regard to the number of visitors as well as exhibitors and floor space has brought the Inter-tabac the best results it has ever had“, enthused Stefan Baumann, Managing Director of the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH. 252 exhibitors from 25 countries – accounting for an increase of 8 percent on 2007, and of those 38 percent from abroad, exhibited on over 9,440 square metres net area their new products and other goods such as tobacco goods, smokers’ supplies, shop fittings, spirits, wines, organisation aids, specialist literature, stationery goods and magazines.

The tremendous success story of the Inter-tabac started back in 1978. With 78 exhibitors and 1,750 visitors the premiere already got off to a very convincing start. Today Inter-tabac is the greatest Europe-wide specialist trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories and thanks to this jubilee result its position amongst the few significant world-wide trade fairs of this kind has been strengthened even further.

The branch celebrated the Inter-tabac’s 30th birthday in appropriate flamboyant manner on the evening of the first day of the trade fair at the Swing Together Party. Here around 500 guests from across the globe experienced a top-class evening in true Golden Twenties style with performances from musicians, artists and swing dancers.  Highlights of the evening were provided by the “smoky heights“ act by Christine Gruber and the performance of the legendary pianist and cigar producer Avo Uvezian.

Around 26 percent of the visitors travelled from abroad this year, some of whom even came from as far afield as Australia, North, South and Central America as well as Asia. These were the results concluded through a survey carried out by an independent market research institute.

The Brothers Heinemann were delighted about the number of visitors at their stand: “Our team was in no danger of getting bored at all, in particular on Friday there wasn’t a single quiet moment “, according to Marketing Manager Mario Šamec. The increase in the  internationality of the visitors was a further distinctive positive feature: “The Inter-tabac is the trade fair in Europe, visitors here are from everywhere, even from the USA“, commented Sales Manager Bernd Kemen. For Heinemann the Inter-tabac is one of the most important communications platforms: ”We don’t go to any of the other trade fairs any more“, Šamec pointed out.

“The Inter-tabac is the Highlight of the Year“

“The international popularity of the Inter-tabac has grown immensely. Our export business is booming and it is exactly this that leads us to expect a good after-fair business effect”, commented Peter Täufert, national Sales Manager of Planta Tabak-Manufaktur. The company has been exhibiting consistently at the Inter-tabac since the premiere back in 1978. Täufert commented with keen acknowledgement on the development of the Inter-tabac.: “The new concept with three halls is very attractive both for the exhibitors and the visitors.” For him one thing is clear: “The Inter-tabac is the highlight of the year.”

A highlight for which the visitors are willing to undertake a long journey. 33.7 percent of the trade visitors travelled more than 300 kilometres. Flying is one of the most commonly used modes of transport, along with cars. In order to provide more transport comfort between the airport and the trade fair the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund organised again this year a bus shuttle-service.

The new entrance Messe-West was opened for the first time at the Inter-tabac. This did not only make it easier for many of the arrivals but the visitors were able to start out from both hall 4 and hall 8 and thus plan their visit through the trade fair more effectively. This improvement proved very popular with the public: More than 90 percent of the visitors awarded this new aspect grades from one to three (on a scale of one to six, one being very good) and of these a third gave a grade one.

According to the survey the trade visitors come to the Inter-tabac with the objective of fostering business contacts and establishing new ones and to receive general information and market orientation and also access to information about new products and trends within the branch. The ordering business also plays an important role: At the time of the survey 61.3 percent of Inter-tabac visitors had already placed orders for goods for an average sum of 14,262.30 Euros, in some cases even for more than 100,000 Euros. Altogether there was a turnover of approx. 55 million Euros  at the trade fair.

In many cases the exhibitors achieved better turnover results than in 2007. The number of exhibitors who claimed to have concluded a significant amount of business deals increased considerably compared to the previous year (2008 – 10.5 percent; 2007: 7.3 percent)

Good Export Business

The exhibitors were also able to report on increases with regard to foreign business transactions: “Our export business is booming. We have even just exceeded the level of 2007“, claimed Alexander Eckert, Managing Partner of the VAUEN Vereinigte Pfeifenfabriken Nürnberg GmbH (United Pipe Factories Nuremberg Ltd). And in response to the question as to whether the company would be exhibiting again in 2009 he replied: “Of that I am certain – there’s no doubt about it!“

The Tobacco Management & Consulting Company (TMCC) showed itself most satisfied with its second appearance at the Inter-tabac: ”The positive feedback has just continued where it left off. We had to increase our staff by 150 percent this year and we were still busy the whole time!” explained Jessy Phillipp, Marketing Manager of TMCC. “We came to the Inter-tabac with the aim of further increasing awareness and acceptance of our trade name Skavenbeck and to boost our export business. Our participation here has proved very effective and we expect good after-trade-fair business”, continued Christian Weiss, Head of Legal, Human Resources and Public Relations Office at TMCC.

The visitors here are of very high specialist quality. The Inter-tabac is visited primarily by private businessmen, managing directors and other managers. According to the results of the survey 92.3 percent of the visitors are either sole decision makers, are involved in decision-making or are sought for their advice when it comes to purchasing decisions within their companies.

“For us Dortmund comes before the USA.“

Heinz Hauser, Managing Director of the company of the same name was clearly very satisfied with a “high-class specialist public”. He was equally satisfied with the way the trade fair was run, underlining the “perfect organisation“ and welcomed the aspiring development of the Inter-tabac: “For us Dortmund comes before the USA.“

Stephan Figy, from Sales and Marketing of Emil Scheibel Schwarzwald-Brennerei, (distillers) was surprised at the “overwhelming amount of interest“ in his products: ”I have had very many intense conversations with potential customers.” His specialities which centre around premium quality fruit schnapps, he tells us, are made precisely for those people who have a conscious taste for pleasure and therefore ideally complement the assortment of selected tobacco product retailers.

The most popular groups of products at this year’s Inter-tabac were cigars, cigarillos and cigarettes, smokers’ accessories as well as fine-cut tobacco, pipe tobacco and pipes. Furthermore the visitors showed great interest in the supplementary product ranges and products such as spirits and wines, and also for press items. In particular with regard to this last topic the Inter-tabac extended its programme this year. Along with specialist magazines, publishers, press wholesales and the regional newspapers such as the WAZ (Westdeutsche Allgemeine), the Westfälische Rundschau and the Ruhrnachrichten, there were also the national newspapers Süddeutsche Zeitung and Frankfurter Rundschau who presented their own stands for the first time.

Inter-tabac-Talk: What is the future role of the classical press trade?“

In order to promote sustained turnover for trade retailers selling press items the press wholesalers and publishing companies have agreed on a bunch of measures. These consist of employing elements for the promotion of sales and customer loyalty as well as support for traders with investments such as for installing shelf-lighting or modernising racks.  This was the subject of this year’s Inter-tabac Talk on the trade fair Saturday in the Inter-tabac Lounge (hall 8). Led by Dr. Adam-Claus Eckert, Managing Director of the company group Eckert and member of the Executive Committee of the BTWE (German Federation of Tobacco Retailers), a group of experts was called upon to discuss the current situation of the press market and future expectations, ideas and changes, and to present recipes for success.

But also otherwise it was this Inter-tabac Lounge which again formed the communication centre of the trade fair. Located just a little aside from all the hustle and bustle of the trade fair, here was the perfect atmosphere for those important talks with customers and other branch members. It was here too that on the trade fair Sunday the award ceremony took place for the Inter-tabac Stars - the three most interesting new products at the trade fair and also the awarding of the Cigar Trophy for qualitative achievements in the production of cigars over the past years.

This year’s Inter-tabac went down altogether very well with the visitors. 93.1 percent awarded the range on offer at the Inter-tabac the grades very good to satisfactory (1-3 on a scale of 1-6). Of these 22.7 percent even found it very good. 87.2 percent of visitors who had already visited the Inter-tabac in 2007 judged the Inter-tabac 2008 as being better or equally good compared with the previous year, of those 17.4 percent event found it had  improved significantly.

Trade Fair Location Dortmund confirmed once again

The location of the trade fair itself in Dortmund also received in 2008 grades which were well above average. 42 percent of the trade visitors gave the trade fair venue the grade “good“, a further 24.5 percent even judged it as being ”very good “.

Correspondingly positive therefore is the decision of most to re-visit the Inter-tabac. 92.5 percent of the trade visitors plan to visit this specialist trade fair in the future.
And it is a similar picture with the exhibitors: 88.4 percent of the exhibitors said at the time of the survey they would definitely or very probably also take part in the Inter-tabac 2009. No single exhibitor expressed an intention not to take part again. The remaining exhibitors had, at the time of the survey, not yet formed an opinion.

In 2009 the Inter-tabac will take place in the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund from 18th to 20th  September.

Media information 113 / 2008 - 23.09.2008 - Interim final report
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