Over 50,000 people visited the 2015 Spring Fair held at Luxexpo, for the past two week starting on 9 May, and ending Sunday night 17 May, gathering to see over 300 exhibitors from sixty different sectors.
The visitors were delighted to participate in organised activities and competitions, see new products on display and purchase items for special ‘Fair’ prices. Both the sales and visitor numbers, appear to have increased, on initial estimates.
However, exhibitors had mixed experiences and reactions – with some achieving successful results and others finding that the number of sales or orders was not in proportion to the number of visitors.
The Spring Fair stayed true to its character, being a platform for multi-generational interaction and entertainment, as well as a commercial and business event. The five entertainment areas were well linked to the commercial areas.
An example of this was the Via Vinigast, which brought together all the exhibitors from the wine and gastronomy sectors. The Square des Grands Vins et Crémants du Luxembourg gave hundreds of visitors a chance to taste little-known local wines and crémants of exceptional quality, and introduced them to the new AOP Moselle Luxembourgeoise.
The Vintage Gaming Room was filled with children, teenagers and their parents during the two weekends and the Ascension Day holiday last Thursday, especially. The Four Seasons Mini-Golf Club provided a spot for the whole family to unwind – barbecue, sofas for relaxing, mini-golf and a terrace, combining fitness and pleasure.
Well-being enthusiasts enjoyed customised services in the Lifestyle Piazza, receiving advice on make-up, hair styling and general makeovers from beauty professionals.
The Place Gourmande, was as ever, a successful hit with visitors, offering all types of cooking workshops for all ages, along with tasty surprises for all tastes – cakes, sushi, speed cooking, savoury macaroons and more.
In addition to the all the activities, the organisers set up two daily presentations, which emphasised the fair’s concept – WOW! – the Vin’apéro and Charity Barbecue were held every day at 12:00 and 17:00.
Jean-Michel Collignon, CEO of Luxexpo, expressed his satisfaction at the running of the event, saying:
“Together with the exhibitors, we have done everything possible to provide the public with an exceptional visit from the point of view of comfort, entertainment and the products on sale. We have broken new ground! You cannot achieve changes like this just by clicking your fingers. There are cultural changes, which demand time and support at all levels of the project. Making these changes in three years is a real challenge. This is the minimum time we need to win over the traditional visitors and persuade new ones to come to the Fair.”
Chief Operations Officer at Luxexpo, Morgan Gromy, echoed these words and said the information campaign will continue into next year, “As Jean Nohain said, ‘Success is a little bit of knowing, a little bit of know-how and a great deal of information’ – so we are facing a major challenge. Together with our exhibitors, we must succeed in telling the public about the changes we have made and convince them to come to the Fair with the whole family, so that they can enjoy it to the fullest.”
Although it was observed that the number of foreign visitors progressed, in relation to past years, the organisers mentioned that the number was still considered to be insufficient – a shame given that those who did visit, assessed the Fair positively, citing its diverse and entertaining aspects.
