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Tripoli, 24 April:
So many overseas construction companies are eager to appear at the LibyaBuild 2012 exhibition in Tripoli next month, say . . .[restrict]the organisers, that extra display space is having to be found and a waiting list run for would-be exhibitors.
This, the 8th International Building and Construction Exhibition, to be held in Tripoli’s International Fairground from 20-24 May, looks like it is going to be the largest ever with at least 550 exhibitors covering the entire site.
ATEX, the international exhibition organisers behind the show have said the countries from which the largest number of companies is coming include Italy, France, Turkey, Malta, Egypt and Tunisia. Italy is the largest participant with 111 firms exhibiting. France has 42 exhibitors in the French pavilion organised by Ubifrance, the French Agency for International Business Development. This is double the French attendance at the last LibyaBuild, held in May 2010.
“We had anticipated a bigger interest in the event, ” said an ATEX spokesman, “but were surprised when the request for participation exceeded the allocated space and the massive outdoor area required to display the heavy equipment and different material.”
One European diplomat commenting of the size of the exhibition, said : “This scale of interest makes it not just a commercial operation; its a political statement about the new Libya. Foreign companies have confidence in the country. Companies are clamouring to come to Libya. Moreover, they are getting support from their governments. In many cases, the governments — such as the French — have booked the space and are subsidising the companies to come.”
ATEX point out that along with foreign exhibitors, there will also be participation from local building and construction companies. The 2010 LibyaBuild exhibition attracted around 21,000 visitors over the four days. The organisers are expecting far more this year. [/restrict]
