Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 12 / Trend /
In 2010, Iteca Caspian plans to hold 18 exhibitions and three conferences, including two new events in Azerbaijan.
The first event to take place will be the Caspian Banking & Finance conference in the Gulistan Palace Apr.13-14. Following this event will be Azerbaijan's other traditional spring events: AITF, World Food Azerbaijan, TransCaspian and Caspian Oil & Gas. The autumn season will feature BIHE, Education & Career, BakuBuild, BakuTel, CIPS, etc.
This year, Iteca Caspian will continue building its business outside Azerbaijan's capital city. In September, the West Azerbaijan Infrastructure exhibition and WestAzBuild will take place in Ganja. Amongst the new events this year is OilTech Baku, a regional conference on petroleum engineering. Iteca Caspian will also be organising the traditional GIOGIE Conference & Showcase, which takes place on 24-25 March in Tbilisi, Georgia.
The company's main objective for 2010 is to develop its established shows, providing more opportunities for exhibitors. New developments planned for 2010 include express registration, match-making programmes, etc, which will help visitors make the most of their trip.
The significance of Iteca Caspian's events is proved by the level of support they receive. All Iteca Caspian events are officially supported by relevant Azerbaijani government departments, such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Youth and Support, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, the Ministry of Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Communications and Information Technologies, the Ministry of Transport, the State oil company (SOCAR), the Chief Security Office of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Chief Department of the State Traffic Police, the State Committee on City Planning and Architecture, the Chamber of Commerce, the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs' (Employers') Organisations, the Union of Architects and the Azerbaijan Tourism Association.
A number of prestigious international organisations also lend their support to the exhibitions, including the United Nations (UN), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the World Tourism Organisation (WTO), the Permanent Secretariat of the Intergovernmental Commission (TRACECA), the United Nations Global Alliance for ICT and Development (GAID), the Regional Commonwealth in the Field of Communications (RCC) and the Association of Tourism Fair Organisers.
Exhibitions organised by Iteca Caspian are audited and many are approved by UFI (the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry): Caspian Oil & Gas, BakuBuild, World Food Azerbaijan, BIHE, BakuTel and Autoshow Azerbaijan. UFI approval is granted in recognition of the event's importance to the industry and its quality. UFI approval also guarantees the reliability of the show's published statistics.
Iteca Caspian's partners play a vital role in the organisation of its events. Pasha Sigorta (insurance provider), Caspel (technical support) and Oafgaz Point Hotel (official hotel) will be working with Iteca Caspian in 2010.
Iteca Caspian benefits from a large network of offices located all over the world, making up the ITE Group. The following offices regularly bring international participants to Iteca Caspian's events: ITE LLC (Russia), EUF (Turkey), GiMA (Germany), ITE China (China) and ITE Gulf (UAE). Iteca Caspian's events form an integral part of ITE's portfolio of events, which includes several strong, globally-renowned brands. Close cooperation between all of ITE's offices is key to the success of the company.
Over the last year, results from exhibitions all around the world have declined compared to previous events. However, the strength of Azerbaijan's economy helped 2009's international exhibitions to remain strong, with high levels of participation. Many exhibitors have rebooked their stands for the 2010 events, including the International Bank of Azerbaijan, SOCAR, Idrak Technology Transfer, Nokia Siemens Networks, Nobel Oil, Azenergy, BP, OMV, Cross Caspian Oil & Gas Logistics LLC, Saipem Eni, TMT, Garadagh Cement OJSC and Manat A. In addition, national groups from Germany, Italy, China, Malaysia, Turkey, and a number of other countries, have confirmed their participation in the 2010 events.
The strength and resilience of the Azerbaijan economy has attracted a lot of interest from international companies. The Doing Business 2009 report named Azerbaijan the top reformer in improving business regulations among 185 assessed countries. In 2009, Azerbaijan's GDP grew by 8%, and forecasts by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) put GDP growth in 2010 at 7.4% - the highest in CIS. Iteca Caspian envisages a positive impact on exhibition figures as a result of these predictions. The country's favourable investment climate, combined with a portfolio of exhibitions that meet international expectations, will make Azerbaijan a focal point for the exhibition industry in the Caspian and Caucasus regions.