Construction to start on hotel next to "Novosibirsk Expocentre" in 2013

- Has the site lived up to expectations? The main risk was its distance from the city.

- This risk was taken by "Siberian Fair" (Author’s note: the main exhibition operator of "Novosibirsk Expocentre") a year ago. In fact, everything has turned out the other way around,the remoteness of the centre has worked as a kind of filter for visitors that don’t fit the profile,  and as a result, the exhibitors now have quality visitors,  potential customers, those who make decisions at the company. This dramatically increases the efficiency of work because exhibitions run only four days and exhibitors really do not want to be distracted by small talk. This year's show was organized in a b2bformat (Author’s note: Business to Business) a business exclusive format. And we estimate that the increase in professional visitors this year was about 40 percent.

- Why did "Siberian Fair" leave the enduser format? Was that your condition?- No, it’s just that for exhibition organizations it is natural to run activities in a b2b format. This is the essence of industrial exhibitions, a place where not the target buyer and seller meet like at the fair, but a place where new technologies and products are introduced and move toward the market. The exhibition is the place to find business partners, this is the most important aspect that participants and visitors expect from it, a promising long-term partnership.

- And going back to the issue of the remote site, are you planning to improve the accessibility to "Novosibirsk Expocentre" next year?

- Of course, that is one of the first tasks that are waiting for us next year, concrete solutions to the accessibility of the centre. The solution may be additional buses running from Marx as well as from Garin-Mikhailovsky stations during peak times. So far, honestly, we are planning to organize a bus service for Novosibirsk Expocentre’s e

mployees running from the Ob train station. The bus would take people to and from the train, and later it can also become a good alternative for visitors.

- What was the most attended exhibition and which one was the most profitable this year?

- The most visited, as expected, was "StroiSib", it runs for two weeks and was visited by about twenty five thousand people.The most profitable was also "StroiSib."

- Are you preparing any infrastructure improvements for next year?

- The most important infrastructure innovation that we want to do next year is to start the construction of a three stars hotel with 200 rooms. We are ready to start work right away, as soon as the frost and snow thaw. That is in the spring, and for this there are no difficulties on sight. The hotel will be connected to the expocentre through the second floor, and accommodations will cost about 3000 rubles a day.

- How much do you estimate is the necessary investment for the construction of the hotel? When do you plan to finish it?

- The project we did costs 550 million rubles. I would like to believe that it will be completed in 2014. We want to introduce it on the first week of "Stroisib.", and this exhibitionstarts in early February.

- What will the second phase of the project consist of? How quickly do you plan to build it?

- The second phase of "Novosibirsk Expocentre" is the construction of two more pavilions. We have a pavilion A, a pavilion B, and the project includes two more. The existing pavilions cover an area of 7250 square meters, and the next two will add 6000 sq/m more. As to the question, when will they materialize? ... In 2013 the entire exhibition calendar is full, but the halls have not yet been filled up 100%. That means that many exhibitions have the potential to grow within the existing halls. In my estimation, it will all be concluded in three years.

- This year an auto show took place at "Novosibirsk Expocentre", it was a demonstration of various techniques. Can you name the most significant events that you are planning to organize next year?

- There are the so-called Travel Exhibitions, these are, as a rule, entertainment projects which move around the world, and they are generally aimed at the mass market. Such projects last for periods of 3 to 6 months, and they are placed as a rule in museums, exhibition centers and some on the street. These exhibitions include amusement parks, moving robots, dinosaurs, auto and motor shows, modern art exhibitions and educational exhibitions. We are in negotiations with some organizers of these travelling exhibitions.  I hope this would be in demand in Novosibirsk.

- How much did the interest in Novosibirsk rise this year as an exhibition venue by Russian and foreign companies?

- Of course, foreign participants have become more active. Also  we can count organizers, mostly German, as well as Russian exhibitors, who have become more interested by our market. Many participants say: "Well, finally perfect conditions, great features, I feel at home."