EXPONATEC COLOGNE

February 15-18, 2006

Koelnmesse GmbH

Cologne (pts011/16.01.2006/10:38) EXPONATEC COLOGNE 2006 looks set to be a success

Trade fair continues to expand with optimised concept and over 100 suppliers from 12 countries

Professional supporting programme will feature symposiums and conferences
Parallel event: Premiere of Koelnmesse's new art fair: COLOGNE FINE ART

"The second EXPONATEC COLOGNE from 15th to 18th February 2006 looks set to be a big success. We won't just meet our targets, we'll surpass them," says Oliver P. Kuhrt, Executive Vice President of Koelnmesse, who is convinced that the International Trade Fair for Museums, Restoration and Cultural Heritage "will soon become a well-established event in the international art, culture and cultural heritage scene." According to Kuhrt, the event's new subtitle fittingly expresses the trade fair's concept, which was optimised in cooperation with the sector: "There's been a positive response throughout the sector, including organizations from abroad." Unlike its European competitors, Koelnmesse continues to grow, a fact that speaks in favour of the company's concept of interlinking EXPONATEC with COLOGNE FINE ART and holding the two events in parallel.

Koelnmesse expects to post further growth, provided that the international markets do not experience a significant decline. In fact, the current exhibitor figures already exceed last year's final result by 23 per cent. "We are looking forward to hosting more than 100 suppliers from 12 countries," says Kuhrt. In addition, a greater proportion of the exhibitors will be coming from abroad. The largest foreign contingents will be from Austria and the UK. What's more, the event will also feature companies from Belgium, Finland, France, Italy, Canada, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the USA.

EXPONATEC will showcase a broad range of products and services. It will thus attempt to bring together all of the expertise, tools, equipment and investment goods that the sector needs and which museum operators previously had to look for at various specialist fairs throughout the world, Kuhrt says. Doing so had cost a lot of time and effort, while bringing the sector's members little useful information.

The trade fair's main product groups are new and restructured buildings, planning, personnel service providers, public relations work, visitor research and orientation, exhibition design, house and exhibition technology, media, entrance and exit areas, museum shops, museum catering, security and transport, administration supplies, restoration, conservation, preparation and material testing.

Kuhrt points out that a professional supporting programme was developed for this target group early on in which the focus is not only on the German market, but also on the needs of foreign organizations, particularly those in eastern Europe. Museum directors, exhibition organizers and curators increasingly need to develop convincing concepts for presentations that show off the exhibits in the best light in order to attract visitors and get them interested in the exhibition topics. EXPONATEC is geared not only towards art museums, but also towards all other types of exhibition venues. The trade fair also encompasses the areas of restoration and conservation, including the entire field of cultural heritage preservation.

EXPONATEC COLOGNE's cooperation partners are the international organizations "The Best in Heritage" and "Europa Nostra", which contribute to the fair's supporting programme.

EXPONATEC is especially designed for visitors from cultural and educational institutions, event organizers, experts responsible for the protection of art, culture and historic monuments, professional model builders and exhibitors, art curators and restorers, scholars, representatives of foundations and cultural associations, and administrators of castles, stately homes and other cultural buildings. Added to these are the exhibitors and visitor target groups of the premiere event of COLOGNE FINE ART (15th to 19th February 2006): gallery owners, art and antique dealers, private and institutional collectors, museum experts, curators and art lovers in general. A total of 29,000 visitors are expected to attend the two events.

"As an international specialist fair, EXPONATEC COLOGNE aims to foster communication among the experts and with suppliers from industry and the services sector," says Gérard A. Goodrow, Vice President Art & Culture at Koelnmesse and Director of ART COLOGNE, who considers the trade fair to be a comprehensive information platform that provides further training opportunities in the fields of culture and practical museology.

The Art Loss Register (Germany) is organizing the supporting program symposium "Hot art, cold cash" on the topic of the prevention and investigation of art-related crime from an international perspective. This also includes the special exhibition "Der gestohlene Blick" (The Stolen Glance). The European Heritage Association, Zagreb, is organizing the two-day event "The Best in Heritage Excellence Club". Europa Nostra, The Hague, is participating with the symposium "Museums, Museology and Cultural Heritage - Will the 21st Century Bring Change or Will Memory Fade Away?" The TÜV Rheinland Group will hold its fifth international fire-extinguishing symposium as part of EXPONATEC COLOGNE, enhanced with an accompanying trade exhibition on potential dangers in public buildings open to visitors. According to Goodrow, the focus will be on missing or ineffective fire prevention equipment.

Koelnmesse is contributing the panel discussion "Marketing Art + Culture". The Cologne University of Applied Sciences is represented with two events: the panel discussions "Contemporary Art and Restoration Theory" and "Preservation of Buildings - A Boost for the Economy?" And Registrars Deutschland will lead a panel discussion on the topic "EU Tendering Law and Exhibitions: Application, Call for Tenders, Problems." A special exhibition from the company will address the topic of framing and frames, using examples.

COLOGNE FINE ART will provide a cultural supporting programme for EXPONATEC COLOGNE by presenting works from 180 international galleries, art dealers and antiquarians. It will range from ancient times to contemporary works and will include both fine art and arts and crafts. In addition, there will also be special shows on topics such as the artists' group ZERO, outsider photography, pre-Columbian art and the work of Marcel Broodthaers.

Aussender:	Koelnmesse GmbH, EXPONATEC COLOGNE
Ansprechpartner:	Dirk Mangold
Tel.:	+49/221-821-2907
E-Mail:	d.mangold@koelnmesse.de