I heard about an interesting program that the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is launching. The organization will have a dedicated Illinois Pavilion at the World of Industry (WIN) 2014 trade fair, which be held at the TÜYAP Fair Convention and Congress Center in Istanbul, Turkey in March 2014.
WIN Turkey, a show I wasn’t familiar with, bills itself as the largest industrial trade fair in Eurasia for the Automation, Electrotech, Hydraulic & Pneumatic and Materials Handling sectors.
I’m used to seeing national pavilions at different trade shows, and on occasion, something more regional … but it’s nice to see Illinois, one of the manufacturing strongholds of the country, promoting itself this way. Here’s the interesting take—the DCEO will actually provide funding and support for 10 eligible Illinois companies to exhibit in the pavilion. The 10 companies chosen will only have to pay 25% of the travel costs, making the trade show a great deal. In addition, the companies will receive exhibition services valued at more than $7,500 … all as part of DCEO’s export funding program.
The WIN Automation 2014 show, scheduled from March 19-24, 2014, expects to attract more than 75,000 attendees from 77 different countries.
“WIN Automation is a well-established trade fair that has actively promoted new technologies to the manufacturing industries of Turkey, Eurasia and the Middle East for 20 years,” said Larry Turner, president and CEO of Hannover Fairs USA (HFUSA). “We are thrilled that the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity is working closely with HFUSA to support Illinois businesses looking to develop and enhance export business in this part of the world.”
The Illinois Pavilion will be positioned between the Automation and Hydraulic & Pneumatic sector exhibition halls. WIN Automation 2014 is expecting strong international attendance from Tunisia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Uzbekistan, Azerbaijan, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Algeria, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan and Morocco.
“Our goal for the WIN Automation 2014 Illinois Pavilion is to increase the number of Illinois businesses that are exporting to Eurasia,” said Daniel Goff, deputy director of DCEO’s Office of Trade and Investment. “WIN Automation 2014 is the ideal platform for Illinois companies active in the Automation and Hydraulic & Pneumatic fields to increase their exports to this fast-growing region. Companies interested in exhibiting in the pavilion should immediately contact us and also get in touch with Hannover Fairs USA.”
According to the Association of Industrial Automation Industrialists, the industrial automation industry in Turkey grew between 8 and 10% in 2010 and will continue to grow as a result of investments of international companies. Turkey is the 16th largest economy in the world and the 6th largest in Europe. The total volume of its industrial automation industry is estimated to reach $5 billion in the near term.
For more information an applying to the trade mission, contact Iwona Bochenska of DCEO at (312) 814-6029, iwona.bochenska@illinois.gov or Aryan Zandieh of HFUSA at (312) 805-8740, azandieh@hfusa.com.