As tradition, the exhibition season has been opened with leading construction and interior exhibition – UzBuild, which gathered 143 companies from 21 countries. For the first time in the history of construction exhibitions in Uzbekistan, three national groups – Germany, Belgium and Kuwait – participated at UzBuild.

For local construction industry, the 12th International Exhibition UzBuild 2011 became important tool for promoting and spreading novelty, developing market relations, studying market demands for services and products, as well as exchanging information. Total number of Uzbek companies made up 27% (from total number of participants). Among them were O’zpromholodmontaj, Plastherm Technology, Sam Ros Holod, Uzelektroapparat and others. Among debutant were Magma Group, Marjon Universal Trading, Nur Pulat Savdo, Ntc-Khamkor, Proftexinstrumentov and others. Foreign participants of UzBuild rated the exhibition as effective global industrial field.

Head of Kuwaiti delegation, deputy director-general on industrial export affairs of Main Department of Industry of Kuwait Sakr Al-Anzi in interview to Kuwait News Agency said that participation of Kuwaiti companies and organization at UzBuild-2012 is ideal opportunity for realization of goods in Uzbekistan. In his interview, he said: “Our participation at the exhibition helped Kuwait producers to establish cooperation with local business circles, find interested business entities for supply of our products to markets of Uzbekistan and Central Asia.”

Along with UzBuild, ITE Uzbekistan is also organized the seventh International exhibition “Furniture and production technologies – MebelExpo Uzbekistan 2011”. The exhibition attracted significant number of industry specialists and it became main platform for business contacts in production and creation of local furniture, supporting existing development trends in furniture industry in Uzbekistan. Compared to previous year, the exposition of MebelExpo Uzbekistan expanded to 40 companies from 13 countries due to attraction of new exhibitors. Major part of the exhibition was presented by producers of Uzbekistan. Among participants were Mebel JV, Eman JV, Tus Buero JV, Art Furniture FE, Genmark Furniture FE, Etiqod PE, Art-Metall LLC, Galaxy Orion LLC, Hayriddinov PE, ART Vitraj, which produce furniture for home and office, public and social institutes, and spare parts for furniture production. It is worth to mention that producers organized master classes at their stands, showing opportunities of timber processing equipment.

Exhibitions “Food Industry – WorldFood Uzbekistan” and “Agriculture – AgroWorld Uzbekistan” grasped business mood of the spring events. Both exhibitions gain confidence of large number of businesses, operating in food industry and processing fruits and vegetables. Compared to previous year, the indicators of the exhibition reached record numbers. The 12th international exhibition WorldFood Uzbekistan 2011 and the Sixth International Exhibition AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2011 presented over 140 companies from 28 countries. Over 100 companies participated at WorldFood Uzbekistan 2011 and about 40 – AgroWorld Uzbekistan 2011. Popularity of the exhibition among businesses is clear as main part of exhibitions were occupied by companies, which offered modern technologies and equipment. Hundreds of specialists of food and processing industry of Uzbekistan arrived in Tashkent from all regions to study and use experience of foreign countries.

The main event of April, as tradition, became International Health Week – TIHE, which took special place in life of medical community of Uzbekistan and it transformed to main medical exhibition of the country. This year, TIHE united three specialized medical exhibitions: the 16th Tashkent Medical Exhibition “Healthcare – TIHE”, the Sixth Central Asian International Pharmaceutical Exhibition “AptekaExpo” and the Seventh International Stamotology Exhibition “Stomatology Uzbekistan”. TIHE 2011 attracted over 135 companies from 25 companies of the world. The exhibition was opened by Health Minister of Uzbekistan Adham Ikramov, who said that the role of the exhibitions of TIHE is “invaluable” as they gave feedback chance and allows healthcare specialists to communicate with producers of medical equipment, which will be introduced by medial establishments of Uzbekistan soon. TIHE exhibitions confirmed not only scientific, but also high business attractiveness. This was affirmed by participants. Manager of Magnum medikal servis Bobur Saidahmedov underlined: “Our company effectively use provided wide opportunities at the exhibition and actively develops. Four years ago, we started our activity with production of eight types of disinfection lumps and now produce over 70 types of goods. These are ultrasonic equipment, coagulator for blood stopping, multifunctional beds, and others,” he added.

May was dedicated to energy exhibitions. One of relatively new projects “Energy – Power Uzbekistan” affirmed its special importance for demonstration of scientific-technical achievement of energy sector for effective increasing business activity and developing trade-economic and production relations between local and foreign enterprises of fuel-energy sector. Leading producers and vendors of equipment for production, transmission and distribution of electricity, as well as companies, providing energy saving equipment and technology, control systems, and other products participated at the Sixth International Exhibition Power Uzbekistan 2011. Over 30 companies from Germany, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, France, China, South Korea and Japan participated at Power Uzbekistan 2011. Central event of the exhibition was International energy conference “Energy-2011: innovation, solutions and perspectives”, which was organized for the second time. The forum presented perspectives of energy industry development, innovative solutions for modernization and reconstruction of energy enterprises, modern energy and resource saving technologies. Over 100 top managers and specialists of the industry participated at the event.

International exhibition “Oil and Gas Uzbekistan – OGU” is one of the brightest events of ITE and it marked its fifteenth anniversary this year. OGU appeared in the exhibitions calendar of ITE in 1997 and many doubted on its success. There were many oil and gas exhibitions in other countries and some people believe that Uzbekistan will not be able to compete with them on organizational plan and could not attract famous companies to the event. But the international conference “Oil and gas potential of Uzbekistan” was successfully organized with the exhibition. Address of the President of Uzbekistan Islam Karimov to the participants of the conference, which attracted over 100 companies from 30 countries, can be evidence for that. Underlining successful cooperation of Uzbekistan with some foreign countries, including in construction of Bukhara Oil Processing Plant, preparation of gas-chemical complex at Shurtan field and reconstruction of Ferghana Oil Processing Plant, the Uzbek leader expressed assurance that the conference will open new horizons for joint cooperation and will help to strengthen partnership relations.

Several years passed and enterprises, named by the President, were commissioned. The Fifteenth conference OGU 2011, attracted 200 companies from 26 countries. Number of Uzbek companies significantly grew and among them are Uzbekfetegaz and Neftegazkipavtomatika (traditional participants) and Uzkimyosanoat, ATIB Drilling, Eco Gaz, Mashimport, Nur Pulat Savdo, Savdoinfotex, United actions trading, Gazomir Pro and others. Total share of local companies made up 15%.

State structures and bodies provided significant support and their attention helped to raise importance of exhibitions to new level in context of ongoing reforms, directed at supporting development of businesses and entrepreneurship.

Overall, 688 companies from 47 countries of the world participated at spring exhibition season of ITE Uzbekistan and over 35,000 visitors visited the events. Three exhibitions UzBuild, TIHE and OGU once again confirmed reliability of statistic data and received approval of exhibition audit in line with standard of The Global Association of the Exhibition Industry – UFI.