Audited exhibitor, space and visitor figures for 2,195 trade fairs and exhibitions in Europe are covered in the brochure “Euro Fair Statistics 2008”, which has now been published as pdf file. The brochure presents data from 11 auditing organisations, operating in 20 countries: Austria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Serbia, the Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine.

With these statistics, the countries involved aim to simplify trade fair planning and the assessment of trade fair success, especially, for Europe-wide-operating companies. For the first time, this brochure has been produced and published by UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry. Manfred Wutzlhofer, UFI President, emphasized, facing the relevance of exhibitions for the global economy, access to reliable data is essential for customers.

The observation of the rules was monitored in each case by one or more public accountants or other independent neutral organisations. In total, at the audited exhibitions 655,000 exhibitors 53m visitors and 25m m² of rented space were registered.

Responsible for the auditing system and the body of rules are: in Austria, Slovenia and Croatia, FKM-Austria, in Germany and for some exhibitions in Verona/Italy, Moscow and Belgrad (Serbia), the Society for Voluntary Control of Fair and Exhibition Statistics (FKM), in Denmark, the Danish Audit Bureau of Exhibitions and Fairs (DO), in Norway, Sweden and for some Danish events, the Scandinavian Fair Control (SFC), in Finland the Finnish Union of Trade Fair Organisers (FUTFO), in France, the OJS – Fairs and Exhibitions Statistics Association, in Italy, the Conference of Italian Regions and Autonomous Provinces, in Portugal, the auditing company BDO on behalf of trade fair organisers in Braga, Lisbon and Porto, in Spain the Spanish Trade Fair Association (AFE), in the Czech and Slovak Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Ukraine the auditing organisation CENTREX and in Russia and Moldavia the Russian trade fair association RUEF.

The brochure “Euro Fair Statistics 2008” which is published only in English, can be downloaded at Media Centre or on the website of the UFI.