International Roundup: Fur & Fashion Frankfurt to Milan

Global tradeshows continue to make news with shows launching and existing shows changing dates and locations, from Africa to Europe to Asia to the Middle East, including big changes for Fiera Milano's MIFUR fur and leather tradeshow.

Trade Conferences Intl. will launch the GPS Southern Africa Conference and Exhibition Aug. 20-22 at the Indaba Hotel in Johannesburg, South Africa. The conference will highlight new applications of global and geographic positioning technology, as well as the penetration of GPS in transport, safety and security, mining and government.

EMBIZ Moscow 2008, the Intl. German-Russian Forum for Energy Efficiency, was postponed from Sept. 17-19 to Nov. 5-7 at the Expocentre Fairgrounds Moscow. OWP Ost-West-Partner of Weiden, Germany, organizes the tradeshow.

TechWeb announced the launch of VoiceCon Amsterdam, the first European venture for the VoiceCon brand, Oct. 14-16 at Amsterdam RAI. VoiceCon focuses on IP telephony, unified communications and converged networks.

After 18 years, the Oct. 16-18 Gewinn-Messe investment consumer show at the Vienna Exhibition Centre, organized by Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien in cooperation with publishers Gewinn-Verlag, will feature its first-ever tradeshow area with access only for professional attendees.

Streamline Marketing Group will launch the Global Space Technology Forum Nov. 16-18 at the Abu Dhabi Natl. Exhibition Centre in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, to focus on the latest space technology and emerging commercial and investment opportunities. Organizers said the conference and exhibition will provide an opportunity for space experts and representatives from non-space-related industries to exchange information.

ArabPlast 2009, focusing on the plastics and rubber industry, will be held slightly earlier than planned. The event was moved from Jan. 11-14 to Jan. 10-13 at the Dubai Intl. Convention & Exhibition Centre in the U.A.E. Al Fajer Information & Services will organize the event with the support of the All India Plastics Manufacturers' Assn. and the Korea Plastics Processing Machine Industry Cooperative.

After introducing a Watch World section at the 2007 Intl. Jewellery Tokyo, Reed Exhibitions Japan will launch a show that will focus only on luxury timepieces. The Tokyo Intl. Watch Fair debuts Jan. 21-24 at Tokyo Big Sight, featuring high-end watches, clocks and products and services related to watches. 1396927554

Street and urban wear tradeshow Bread & Butter Barcelona will be held a week later than usual, Jan. 21-23, at Fira Barcelona (Spain). Show organizer Karl-Heinz Mueller, managing director of Bread & Butter Berlin, said the date change was necessary to keep the popular Wednesday-to-Friday format intact.

The Bahrain Exhibition & Convention Authority will launch the annual Bahrain Intl. Natural Health Products & Green Expo Feb. 5-7 at the Bahrain Intl. Exhibition & Convention Centre in Manama, Bahrain. Billed as the first and largest such exhibition to be held in the Middle East, the event will promote holistic lifestyle practices and green alternative technologies.

Messe Frankfurt will move its Fur & Fashion Frankfurt from Frankfurt, Germany, to Milan, Italy, and be held in conjunction with the MIFUR Intl. Fur and Leather Fair March 4-8 at Fiera Milano. Fur & Fashion, held in Frankfurt since 1949, is declining in attendance and exhibitor numbers. Messe Frankfurt will still hold a fur and leather event, Market Days, March 14-16 in Frankfurt. Ente Fieristico Mifur organizes MIFUR, as well as leather goods show MIPEL, which will be held Sept. 18-21 with a new fall edition of MIFUR. It will become part of the new semiannual umbrella Made in Milano, which in March will encompass the collocated MIFUR, shoe fair MICAM, MIPEL, eyewear exhibition MIDO and Fur & Fashion.

Italy's Fiera de Genova will launch the CPEXPO Community Protection Expo March 11-13 at the Fiera de Genova facility. The tradeshow will feature safety products and systems.

Koelnmesse will launch the Intl. Dental Exhibition and Meeting India Oct. 23-25, 2009, at the Bombay Exhibition Centre. The IDEM India show will be organized in conjunction with 8-year-old IDEM Singapore. Organizers said they expect more than 100 exhibitors at the first IDEM India, where attendees will include dentists, dental technicians and specialist dealers from southern Asia.