In its 110th year, the fair is getting ready to construct new halls.
The Zagreb Fair will celebrate its 110th anniversary next year, but in recent years, this once mighty institution has slowly started to lose its influence and a sense of how it should develop, reports Poslovni.hr on August 1, 2018.
In the last few years, the only two exhibitions which have been able to attract a substantial number of visitors are the Interliber book fair and the Zagreb Autoshow car fair. That is the reason why the company, which is part of the city-owned Zagreb Holding, has presented a restructuring model that should bring it the better future.
The company, headed by Dina Tomšić, decided to adopt a transformational strategy aimed at changing the business model, redesigning the premises and intensifying the basic activities. The repositioning started in 2016 and the fair is trying to turn itself into a communication platform which, through the organization of fairs and events, promotes and connects the business community of Zagreb and Croatia with the European and global environment.
“One of the more visible changes is an increase in the number of events held at the Zagreb Fair, which is currently more than 200 at an annual level. Efforts invested in the basic trade fair activities are visible in the growth of 10% in financial indicators in the first half of 2018, during which we have successfully organised eleven fairs: Nautica, Hotel&Gastroteh, Olive Festival, Beauty&Fitness Days, Zagreb Auto Show, Biam, Welding, SiFC, Crafts Fair, Right Time, and Dentex,” said the company.
It added that, with a more proactive and thoughtful approach in the recent times, the Zagreb Fair has become a popular place for holding business meetings, as well as a dynamic business, media and sports platform. “In addition to fair events, numerous business and entertainment events are also held here, and some of the exhibition halls have been turned into the sports zone, with venues for football, athletics, basketball, boxing, badminton and many other activities,” the Fair announced.
Since the Zagreb Fair premises are too large for its fair-organising needs, and it covers a very valuable and large area in the urbanised part of the city, a discussion was held on the topic “Development of the Zagreb Fair complex: yesterday – today – tomorrow,” aimed at prompting discussion on further development and the transformation of the complex. It has been proposed that the eastern part of the Fair should get new technologically well-equipped halls and a congress centre. Other parts would focus on other activities, and the entire complex would be open to citizens.
In recent days, another often mentioned topic is the possible construction of a national football stadium, and the Zagreb Fair and the surrounding Kajzerica neighbourhood are often mentioned as one of the possible locations. The stadium, according to the latest ideas, could be built in three years, have the capacity for between 30,000 and 35,000 spectators and cost at least 120 million euro.
Translated from Poslovni.hr (reported by Darko Bičak).
