Turkish Hosted Buyer Delegation to Dubai

Dubai World Trade Center (DWTC) held below food events concurrently in their exhibition halls between November 19th and November 21st, 2012:

- SEAFEX Middle East & Africa Seafood Exhibition,

- SWEETS & SNACKS Middle East

- SWEET & SNACK TECH Middle East

- The Specialty Food Festival

- Food Logistics Forum

As DWTC’s Group Buyer Coordinator in Turkey, I built a delegation of 14 businessmen to visit and meet with the exhibitors of these events. 

Turkish Hosted Buyers, consisting of the top management of Turkish supermarket chains and wholesale food distributors have met with more than 150 exhibitors during these events. Food retail chains in the delegation were mostly interested with canned fish, ready meals and confectionery while wholesale distributors met with an overwhelming interest from Far Eastern fish suppliers.

Frozen Yoghurt and Ice Cream Covered with Crisped Rice in Great Britain Pavillion at The Specialty Food Festival were among the new products which attracted interest from all the buyers in the delegation.

All parties concerning the events -exhibitors, Turkish companies in the delegation and the organizers- were extremely pleased with the potential and performance put forth by the presence of such an efficient group of buyers all through the exhibitions.   

EXHIBITION CENTERS IN ISTANBUL

Istanbul hosted many important and large scale international events within the last decade and became a preferred destination for international events. Istanbul's worldwide ranking in ICCA association meeting statistics rose from 40th in 2000 to 17th in 2009 by the number of association meetings held. 

Click on the picture to reveal a Google Map of the Exhibition Centers in Istanbul

Below is a list of exhibition centers with over 1000 sqm space in Istanbul. Information presented here is sourced from industrial directories and/or the operators’ websites. The focus of this study is exhibition facilities therefore conference halls are excluded from the charts. To see all exhibition centers on an Istanbul map, please visit this link.

Venue	:	TUYAP EXHIBITION CENTER
URL	:	www.tuyap.com.tr
Total Covered Space	:	98.000 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	12
Largest Hall	:	9100 sqm
Notes	:	TUYAP Exhibition Center is located in Beylikduzu which is a recently developed section of Istanbul rather distant to downtown. However the company organizes the best and most attended trade fairs in Turkey like WIN, UNICERA, YAPI and works with almost all of the important organizers in Turkey. TUYAP is the oldest and most experienced name in Turkish exhibition industry and operates fairgrounds in five cities including Istanbul. Metrobus line installed by Istanbul municipality  considerably increased the accessibility of the venue for public transport users however it is still a long way from city center by car and traffic around the venue can be hectic from time to time.

Venue	:	CNR EXHIBITION CENTER
URL	:	www.cnrexpo.com
Total Covered Space	:	81.542 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	8
Largest Hall	:	11.858 sqm
Notes	:	CNR is located right across the airport and in close proximity to downtown Istanbul. Its location is the key feature of its success. Exhibitions in CNR also have the option of hiring 3 IFM halls located right next to the fairground in case they require more space. More than 50 international trade fairs are organized in CNR which draws next to 5 million visitors. The venue is connected to mass transit system via subway.

Venue	:	IFM ISTANBUL EXHIBITION CENTER
URL	:	www.ifm.com.tr
Total Covered Space	:	18.000 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	3
Largest Hall	:	6500 sqm
Notes	:	Istanbul Exhibition Center is owned by World Trade Center Istanbul management. It is located right next to CNR and in close proximity to the airport, World Trade Center and downtown Istanbul. The management is always helpful and highly capable. The venue has everything an organizer requires in case he needs less space than 7000 sqm.

Venue	:	ICEC LUTFU KIRDAR CONVENTION CENTER
URL	:	www.icec.org
Total Covered Space	:	23.000 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	2
Largest Hall	:	4500 sqm
Notes	:	Lutfu Kırdar Convention Center is located right in the center of the downtown Istanbul. The area around venue is named “Congress Valley” because nearly all important international conferences have been held in this venue including NATO Summit, OECD Ministerial Conferences and so on. Apart from its 2 Exhibition halls it has 25 conference halls in various sizes. Total exhibition space is 7000 sqm in two floors. Exhibition halls are connected via escalators.

Venue	:	FESHANE
URL	:	www.feshane.com.tr/
Total Covered Space	:	4087 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	1
Largest Hall	:	3000 sqm
Notes	:	Feshane is a historical factory converted into a convention center. It is in fact an industrial monument. The venue is located on the bank of world famous “Golden Horn” waterway.  Feshane is operated by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality. Most important setback about the place is the columns within its halls. The exhibition hall is supported by more than a hundred thin metal columns which considerably limits the usability of the place.

Venue	:	ISTANBUL CONGRESS CENTER ( ICC )
URL	:	www.iccistanbul.com
Total Covered Space	:	120.000 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	2
Largest Hall	:	11.818 sqm
Notes	:	Istanbul Congress Center is a gigantic venue located right in the middle of “Congress Valley” in the center of the city and right next to ICEC Lutfu Kırdar Convention Center. The place is constructed in 2009. The most important event it hosted was the 2009 World Bank Governors and IMF Annual Meeting which brought more than 15.000 delegated to the venue. Apart from its 2 Exhibition halls it also has 24 conference halls and more than 100 meeting rooms (workshops) in different sizes. ICC  is publicly operated by Istanbul Metropolitan Municipality.

Venue	:	ORA CONVENTION CENTER
URL	:	www.oraconventionistanbul.com.tr
Total Exhibition Space	:	9000 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	2
Largest Hall	:	5400 sqm
Notes	:	This metropolitan complex is situated in the flourishing new urban center on Istanbul’s European side. Is next to the Intercity Bus terminal and easily accessible with subway and light rail system. 15 minutes from the airport and downtown. The venue is integrated with two 5 star hotels ( Crowne Plaza and Holiday Inn  ) and a shopping mall.

Venue	:	WOW CONVENTION CENTER
URL	:	www.wowhotelsistanbul.com
Total Covered Space	:	8500 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	1
Largest Hall	:	3108 sqm
Notes	:	This venue is more a conference facility than exhibition center. However its 3108 sqm main hall without columns can make a good space for exhibitions attached to industrial conferences. The venue is located inside WOW Hotels right next to World Trade center and across to the airport.

Venue	:	HILTON CONVENTION CENTER
URL	:	www.istanbul.hilton.com
Total Covered Space	:	2824 sqm
No of Exhibition Halls	:	2
Largest Hall	:	1480 sqm
Notes	:	Hilton Convention Center is an attachment of Istanbul Hilton Hotel. It was a preferred location for trade events in the past. With a surface area of over 1500 sqm the lower level can be partitioned in three sections if required. The 1350 sqm upper floor has no columns and has an additional gallery level. Hilton Convention Center is situated next to ICC and in the heart of the “Congress Valley”. It may be a small venue for most trade fairs but is an ideal location for congresses with small exhibitions.

Chungnam Trade Mission from S. Korea to Istanbul

Manufacturers from S. Korea's richest province Chungnam are coming to meet with Turkish businesses in September. 

Nine manufacturing companies based in S. Korea's richest province Chungnam are coming to Turkey in September to meet with Turkish importers which may be interested in sourcing products from S.Korea. The trade mission consists of small to medium sized Korean manufacturers which are looking for marketing channels in Turkey. Delegation participants are active in the following sectors:

• Glassware 
• Steel Doors 
• Paint & Coating Pigments 
• Heating Films 
• Lenses 
• PVC Raw Materials 
• Anti Slip Coatings 
• Cosmetics 

As the delegation's country consultant my job is to ensure that each company meets with at least five potential importers which conform to the participating companies' requirements. S. Korean companies will meet with Turkish importers at September 18th, 2012 in Titanic Business Hotel Europe.

Korean Optics Industry Trade Mission to Turkey

Korean Optics Industry Support Council ( KOISC ) had organized a B2B matchmaking event in Istanbul on June 22nd, 2012. Eleven Optics Exporters from Korea have met with more than thirty Turkish importers during the event.

I have been commissioned by KOISC to invite Turkish importers to the meeting in Titanic Business Hotel, Bayrampaşa.  The mission was successful as you can see in the picture above.

For the purpose of attracting Turkish importers to the event, I contacted more than 160 Turkish optical importers. Most of these companies were already importing from China so I had to dig deep to reach to companies that are positive about importing from Korea.  All through the organization, KOISC executives were able to track my progress through Google Maps and Excel Reports I sent them regularly.

I believe the Free Trade Agreement discussions between Turkey and Southern Korea will result in more business between these countries and the all participant companies will derive important profits with the contacts they met during this event.   

I wish to use this chance to thank for all KOISC and Russia Search executives which I worked with in this event and express my desire to work with them in the future for similar projects.

Exhibition Cities

Click on city names to access exhibition venue information for that city. You can zoom in or out using mouse wheel or the slider on the left. Full scale map can be seen following this link

This map marks exhibition venues above 100.000 sqm. Map is built according to figures provided by UFI in 2011 World Map of Exhibition Venues and venue operator websites. Some venues like TUYAP in Istanbul or ADNEC in Abu Dhabi have been included because of their importance even though they hold slightly less space than 100.000 sqm mark.

Update 20.02.2012: Convention & Visitor Bureaus are added to the map.  Hong Kong has been added as a location.

The map will be updated each month. Amendment or update requests can be sent to: kaansekerciler@gmail.com

EXPO 2020 Izmir: A Multi-Million Dollar Job for Global Event Marketers

EXPO organizations are some of the most important mega-events in global events agenda. Starting with The Crystal Palace Exhibition in London in 1851, Expo organizations attracted millions of visitors to various metropols around the world. Most recent expo organization is EXPO 2010 Shanghai attended by 200 countries and attracted 73 million visitors to its host city. 

 

In order to hold an expo, a city must win the election held in BIE (Bureau of International Exhibitions) Headquarters in Paris – the organization which grants expo rights to world cities since 1928. Aware of the huge potential of these organizations major cities of the world are in competition for obtaining the rights to hold the next EXPO in their own premises.

 

BIE divides expo organizations in two categories; first are the World Expos –or World’s Fairs- which are organized in every five years and stays erect for six months. EXPO Shanghai in 2010 was a World Expo. In the second category are International Expos, which are smaller events organized between two world expos. At the moment there is one international expo which will be held in South Korean city Yeosu in 2012. There is also another planned event in 2017 for which Kazakhstan city Almaty and Belgian city Liege are competing. Next World Expo, EXPO 2015 will be held in Milan. 

 

Below cities are competing for EXPO 2020 organization with the following themes: 

• Izmir (Turkey) – New Routes for a Better World / Health for All
• Sao Paulo (Brazil) – Strength of diversity, harmony for growth
• Yekaterinburg (Russia) – Global mind: uniting all humanity in a single conversation
• Ayutthaya (Thailand) – Redefine globalization: balanced life, sustainable living
• Dubai (United Arab Emirates) – Connecting minds, creating the future

Turkish city Izmir which is one of the competitors is currently seeking for a global advertising or public relations agency to manage the promotion of its EXPO 2020 candidacy. Izmir gives special importance to obtaining an expo organization, an event which will allow the city to wriggle itself out of the shadow of Istanbul –Turkey’s mega city and commercial capital. Expo is a hot topic in Izmir since 2000 however the city was not successful in obtaining the rights to hold the event up to this day. Turkish government is also backing the efforts of city for this project. Last race for EXPO 2015, which Izmir lost to Milan, saw Turkish president making a presentation in BIE Office Building in Paris.

 

 

EXPO 2020 Izmir Execution Committee has announced that it will make a tender for the acquisition of advertising and promotion services for its campaign on February 29th, 2012. Tender document’s detailed and comprehensive approach reveals that defeat for EXPO 2015 race has only sharpened the city’s ambition to organize a World Expo. City’s marketing budget will no doubt reflect authorities’ ambition to seize the event.

  

Much is expected from the advertising agency. The agency will be responsible for everything from designing mugs to managing social media campaigns. However, the real challenge will be to make a killer presentation that will win the votes of BIE delegates in Paris. All the multi-million dollar promotion campaign is mere collateral to gain this result.

 

Izmir already made a presentation to BIE in June 2012. The city has to present its case four more times until the decision date on November 2013.

 

  

You can visit this link to examine the interesting bits of the tender document such as list of jobs expected from the agency, Committee’s evaluation criteria for the applicants and financial requirements.

 

Full set of tender documents can be seen visiting this link.

 

I would like to use this opportunity to offer my assistance to global advertising agencies that wish to apply for this tender but do not have an office in Turkey. As an event marketer it is no surprise that I am also interested to participate in this project and would be more than happy to work with an advertisement agency meeting the requirements specified in the tender document.

 

Interested parties may mail a message to me at: kaansekerciler@gmail.com or through my LinkedIn profile.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXPO 2020 Izmir: Excerpts from the Tender Documents for Marketing Services Acquisition

Izmir, one of Turkey’s important cities is nominating for EXPO 2020 with the theme: “New Routes to a Better World / Health for All”. Expo 2020 Izmir Execution Committee has opened a tender for marketing service acquisition on February 6th, 2012.

Basic guidelines for the tender are 18 pages long. There is also a second 11 page guide book for Digital Media Service Acquisitions. Fortunately for any curious event marketers I skimmed the document and excerpted the interesting bits out of the exhausting passages in specifications booklet. However any interested parties may download full tender documents from this link. 

Below excerpt form the Administrative and Technical Specifications explains what is expected from the advertisement agency of the Project:

1. Enrichment of EXPO 2020 Izmir Visual Identity Manual
The COMMITTEE shall provide the AGENCY with visual identity utilization standards and basic visual identity operating stationery. Accordingly, below items are expected to be designed.

1.1 Design and/or construction of booths to be used in fairs, congresses, etc.

1.2 Design of e-templates

1.3 Development of a presentation template to be used in various software including MS Power Point, Apple Keynote.

1.4 Development of an e-mail template which shall be displayed problem-free on web based e-mail providers

1.5 Design of promotion materials (pins, mugs, USB drives, magnets, t-shirts, caps, VIP gifts and other items that may be proposed by the AGENCY)

1.6 Dressing transportation vehicles (land, air, sea)

1.7 Dressing buildings
1.8 Outdoor decoration

1.9 A short promotion video which includes 3-d animation of the logo (30-45 seconds)

1.10 Other elements that may be proposed by the AGENCY.


2. Design and Production of Advertisement Campaigns
2.1 EXPO 2020 Izmir advertisements to be used for national/international campaigns (for visual and printed media channels including TV, Radio, Internet, Newspaper, Periodicals, etc.)

2.2 Motto proposals related to the theme (Upon completion of the Theme file, it shall be prepared in harmony with sub-themes.)
2.3 One-page EXPO 2020 Izmir advertisement with five different contents for printed press (It shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the United Nations; Arabic, Chinese, French, English, Spanish, Russian; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed). The translation office which will translate the text shall be approved by the COMMITTEE. In case of any deficiency or error in translated versions, the COMMITTEE shall be entitled to have the translations made by any translator and invoice the cost of such translation to the AGENCY.)

2.4 One-, two-, and four-page EXPO 2020 Izmir advertorials for the printed press (shall be prepared in three versions in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed)

2.5 Five different EXPO 2020 outdoor advertisements (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed)

2.6 Five different EXPO 2020 Izmir advertisements to be used on advertisement boards at the airports, subway stations, but stops in Turkey and abroad (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed)

2.7 Five different EXPO 2020 Izmir posters (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.).

2.8 Five different EXPO 2020 Izmir roll-ups (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.).
2.9 Comprehensive EXPO 2020 Izmir booklet (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed)
2.10 EXPO 2020 Izmir mini brochure (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.; visual elements and the text shall be ready to be printed)

2.11 PowerPoint presentation for promotion of Izmir’s bid for EXPO 2020 (shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the UN).

2.12 Production of a communication and promotion manual in Official Languages of the U.N., including information on members of EXPO 2020 Izmir Steering Board, Executive Committee, and General Secretariat to be distributed to BIE delegates and to others, as necessary.

2.13 Shooting classic and panoramic pictures of Izmir to be used in promotion activities and candidature file, provided that copyright to such pictures belong to EXPO 2020 Izmir General Secretariat (Examples include pictures of thermal facilities, historical artifacts related to health, healthy crops grown in the region, historical and modern facilities where such crops are harvested and processed, cuisine, sports facilities, treatment centers, alternative vacation options, daily life etc) and development of a photo archive.


3. Production of EXPO 2020 Izmir Promotion Video in Three Different Lengths ( (30 seconds - 45 seconds) – 1 minute – 2 minutes ) (shall be prepared in three versions in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.)

This video shall have following elements.

· Key messages related to the city should be communicated effectively
· Different aspects of the city should be demonstrated
· Existing infrastructure of the city should be shown to emphasize that Izmir is capable to host EXPO
· It should be underlined that Izmir’s candidature theme is one of the most important items on the global agenda
· The relationship between the theme and Izmir should be reflected
· Potential sub-themes should be emphasized
· It should be authentic and has a high visual quality
· New shootings should have been used in the production.

4. Development of Strategic Public Relations Plans
4.1. Preparation and implementation of campaign idea(s) aiming to increase national and international awareness related to Izmir’s candidature


4.2 Innovative idea contests

4.3 Management of Expo 2020 Izmir Volunteerism Program (Identifying areas in which the volunteers will work, ensuring coordination among volunteers, planning and implementing studies aiming to train, motivate and mobilize volunteers wherever necessary).

4.4 Upon request of the COMMITTEE, carrying out and when necessary managing communication and promotion efforts for every step of social responsibility activities which will be performed under the coordination of the COMMITTEE in necessary areas, and which will contribute to lobbying activities.

4.5 Preparation of a one-page EXPO 2020 Izmir manifesto, which shall be focused on Izmir, Turkey and the theme and used in national and international activities during Izmir’s EXPO 2020 candidature and submission of minimum 3 alternatives to the COMMITTEE related to this text (It shall be prepared in Turkish and Official Languages of the U.N.)

5. Design and Development of Digital Communication Tools
5.1 Development and regularly updating EXPO 2020 Izmir website in coordination with EXPO 2020 General Secretariat.

5.2 Design and management of social medial tools

Technical Issues: Minimum technical requirements related to Design and Development of Digital Communication Tools is given in Annex-3: Specifications on “Purchasing Digital Media Applications”.

5.3 Production of EXPO 2020 Izmir viral video (length and script shall be decided jointly by the AGENCY and the COMMITTEE in line with the proposals of the AGENCY.) The idea behind the movie and its budget shall be indicated in the presentation and in the bid.


6. Planning and Implementation of EXPO 2020 Izmir Presentations
6.1 As regards Izmir’s EXPO 2020 candidature, three presentations shall be made in Paris and one presentation shall be made in Izmir for BIE Delegates. Acceptation of projects to be proposed related to the presentations shall be at the sole discretion of the COMMITTEE, and should the AGENCY fail to fulfill requests and observe recommendations of the COMMITTEE, the COMMITTEE shall be entitled to work with other agency or agencies, including Digital Media Application Purchasing service to be provided by the AGENCY under these Specifications. In such case, the AGENCY agrees, acknowledges, and undertakes that it shall not claim any balance fees, compensation or any amounts under whatsoever name, and it shall be responsible for sharing all kinds of documents, visuals and other instruments that may be necessary in such activity within the scope of this service procurement, and if required, it shall work in coordination with the new company to be selected. Any expenses arising therefrom shall be deducted from the AGENCY’s budget.

6.2 Preparation of the contents of minimum four presentations to be made at BIE within the scope of Izmir’s EXPO 2020 candidature, according to the strategy to be determined in coordination with the COMMITTEE; and design and production of visual materials to be used during the presentation.

6.3 Preparation and coordination of presentations to be made during the Forum to be held in Izmir for BIE delegates related to the theme and sub-themes proposed by Izmir for EXPO 2020.


7. Design of the Candidature FileThe AGENCY is expected to design the Candidature File, which shall be prepared according to the criteria set forth by BIE, an intergovernmental organization located in Paris and in charge of overseeing the organization of EXPO 2020, and such Candidature File shall constitute the main
reference document. The COMMITTEE shall approve one design out of minimum 5 alternative
designs. Should the COMMITTEE not approve any of the alternative designs submitted by the
AGENCY, the AGENCY shall be responsible for preparing 5 more alternative designs, taking therequests and demands of the COMMITTEE into account. It shall include alternative size/cover design, design of example pages, and different types of paper.


8. Providing National and International Media Purchasing Services

The COMMITTEE shall request budgets to be prepared for national and international media
purchasing services to include net prices and agency commission fees as separate items. The bid shall contain commission rates for national and international media purchasing services. Should the budgets submitted by the AGENCY be disapproved, the COMMITTEE shall become entitled to directly purchase media, including Digital Media Application Purchasing service to be provided by the AGENCY under these Specifications. No extra payment shall be made for development of Media and Communication Plans to be requested by the COMMITTEE.

9. Monitoring and Evaluation
In order to measure efficiency of the efforts spent related to the corporate identity, the AGENCY shall adopt scientific methods to measure perception, and to plan and carry out relevant activities, evaluate and report relevant findings. Reports shall be provided by the AGENCY to the COMMITTEE within maximum 7 days upon completion of each service. Monitoring and evaluation of the performance of the Agency and/or Consortium shall be made by the COMMITTEE (for instance in every three months), and as a result certain adjustments may be requested.

Below table reveals the evaluation criteria that will be used by Expo 2020 Izmir Execution Committee to evaluate the performance of the agencies bidding in the tender:

		First Level Evaluation Criteria	Max. Score
Corporate	1	Profile, organization and shareholding structure of the agency, international connections	10
	2	Existing clients, client retention rate, new account acquisition, achievements	10
Strategic Abilities	3	Project perception and approach	7
	4	Creative approach, innovative ideas and proactive practices	7
	5	Draft Media and Communication Plans	6
Creative Ability	6	Proposed advertisement campaign and poster designs	15
	7	Web site interface design, social media and viral film proposals	15
	8	Proposed Strategic PR Plan	10
Client Focus	9	Number of persons devoted for the project, responsibilities and qualifications of the project team	10
	10	Customer satisfaction indicators, performance criteria and measuring proposed for the company/project	10
		TOTAL	100

And as for the financial requirements bidders are expected to bond an amount corresponding to 3% of their bid however letters of guarantee from the banks or blocked checks are accepted instead of cash.

ARTICLE 9 – BID BOND
1. Each bidder shall submit a bid bond corresponding to 3% of their bid. Any bidder, who submits a bid bond which is less than 3% of its bid, shall be disqualified.

2. Bids that are not submitted with an acceptable bid bond shall be disqualified by the COMMITTEE due to failing to meet participation requirements.

ARTICLE 10 – ASSETS THAT MAY BE ACCEPTED AS A BID BOND 

1. Below assets may be accepted as a bid bond:
 a. Turkish Currency in circulation.
 b. Letters of guarantee and blocked checks issued by the banks

2. Any letter of guarantee issued by a foreign bank which is authorized to operate in Turkey under applicable legislation; and any letter of guarantee issued by a bank operating in Turkey relying on the counter guarantee of a bank or a financial institution operating abroad may also be accepted as a bid bond.

EXPO 2020 Izmir campaign is an important, multi-million dollar campaign and is a significant business flow for any global marketing agency. It is also a project I am very interested. If any event marketer out there is interested to involve more with this project and need local help in following procedures, they can contact me via my e-mail address: kaansekerciler@gmail.com or through my LinkedIn profile.