The 81st TIF has invigorated Greek-Russian relations

The 81st serves as a ‘bridge’ for strengthening Greek-Russian relations, enabling the growth of new partnerships between enterprises from the two countries.

In fact, bilateral relations may continue and intensify in view of the other upcoming exhibitions being organised by the national exhibition agency, such as the ‘Philoxenia’ international tourism exhibition, which will be held from 18 to 20 November 2016 in Thessaloniki.

The President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tassos Tzikas, stressed the above when interviewed by 7 Russian journalists who were visiting the Fair and Thessaloniki in the context of Russia’s participation in the 81st TIF as the Guest of Honour.

Mr Tzikas noted that the two countries share numerous sectors of common interest, such as tourism, energy, food and culture.

In turn, the Deputy Regional Governor of Thessaloniki, Ms Voula Patoulidou, welcomed the Russian journalists and underlined the importance of growth of tourism relations between the two countries.

The Deputy Regional Governor for Tourism and Culture of the Region of Central Macedonia, Mr Alexandros Thanos, highlighted the Region’s cultural initiatives that focus on twinning with specific Russian regions.

The Russian journalists, who work for widely circulated newspapers and magazines, focused on the issues of further growth of bilateral relations and facilitation of travel of Russian tourists to Greece, while underlining the successful initiative for Russia to be the Guest of Honour at the 81st TIF.

16/09/2016 – 17:17

The largest TIF of the last five years opens on Saturday

The largest TIF of the last five years, in terms of exhibitor numbers and exhibition space covered, will open its gates from 10 to 18 September. The 81st TIF coincides with the event’s 90th anniversary, lending this year’s fair a celebratory atmosphere.

Over 1,000 (in fact, nearly 1,015) exhibitors will be participating in the 81st TIF, reaching their highest levels since 2011, while the area covered (both inside the pavilions and outdoors) will take advantage of every available square metre of Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre. There will be 18 official state participations (as compared to 14 in 2015), namely from Cyprus, Iran, Slovakia, Poland, Luxembourg, South Africa, Armenia, Indonesia, Uruguay, FYROM, Bulgaria, Romania, India, Italy, Tunisia, Egypt, Russia and Turkey.

Russia is the guest of honour this year, coming to TIF and Pavilion 16 with enterprises representing the sectors of agricultural production and processing, food, energy and industry. In the context of the parallel events of the ‘guest of honour’ institution, a Greek-Russian Business Forum will be held to explore the prospects for cooperation between the two countries. There will also be a football match between veteran football players and politicians from Russia and Greece.

The overview of the 81st TIF is as follows:

  • It is the first time that 42 Chambers of Commerce and Industry from all around Greece will be participating, thanks to an initiative by the Union of Hellenic Chambers, with 230 member-enterprises. The Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry has set up a special anniversary Pavilion to commemorate the 100th anniversary of its founding.
  • An extravagant theme park of European standards has been created as a historical moment of cooperation with children’s writer Eugene Trivizas. ‘The Secret Worlds of Eugene Trivizas’ will reveal only a small portion of their hilarious secrets during the 81st TIF, before their grand debut on October 24.
  • The Art, Science & Technology Festival is a new project by TIF-Helexpo, through which the national exhibition agency aims at participating in the European programme ‘Artecitya. Envisioning the City of Tomorrow (2014-2018)’. Alongside eGaming, which is now part of the Artecitya Art, Science and & Technology festival, three projects are being presented this year: Amanda, Enter the Game and AURA-Advanced Urban Responsive Art.
  • The ‘ENERGIA-NATURAL GAS’ exhibition will feature over 30 participants, with all the major enterprises and agencies of the sector present.
  • AKADEMIA is the new thematic exhibition on education and career opportunities, with the participation of public and private agencies, enterprises and foundations active in the field of education.
  • TIF has always been and remains an excellent opportunity for the presentation of new car models. This year’s participants include JEEP, PEUGEOT, HYUNDAI, KIA, FIAT, ALFA ROMEO, CITROEN, SKODA and FORD. This year’s event will feature the national debut of the Peugeot 308 GTi by Peugeot Sport, the SUV Peugeot 2008, the revised DS3 and the Citroen Jumpy professional model.
  • Thessaloniki Metro will participate in the Fair with a demo-carriage, highlighting the renaming of the Metro station at Sintrivani as ‘Sintrivani-Ekthesi’ (Sintrivani-Fair).
  • Visitors to the Fair will have the opportunity to see ‘Moutzouris’ (‘Smudgy’), the original engine of the Mt Pelion train, which TRAINOSE has brought to the 81st TIF. At the same time, the ‘bus for the homeless’ will be set up inside the International Exhibition Centre during TIF.
  • The hot-air balloons of the 81st TIF, which continue travelling to various cities in Northern Greece, will be anchored inside the exhibition centre and above the city seafront for the duration of the Fair, offering exciting rides for all ages.
  • Thessaloniki is getting its own MONOPOLY set, which will, in fact, have its world première at the 81st TIF, on September 14.
  • The concert schedule of ‘Music Events Live’ is particularly rich this year, with events taking place every night at 21:30 on the main stage under the Thessaloniki YMCA Arch. In fact, during the concert by brothers Konstantinos and Matthaios Tsarouchidis on September 13, an attempt will be made to win a place in the Guinness Book of Records for the longest and most populated ‘Omal’ dance of the Pontians (Greeks of the Black Sea).
  • The Thessaloniki YMCA arch will be beautifully lit and will stand out as a unique landmark, unlike anything ever seen before.
  • The ‘4th Theatre Festival for Children and Adolescents’ will be a competition this year, with free entry for all Fair visitors, held under the auspices of the National Theatre of Northern Greece in partnership with the Hellenic Theatre/Drama Education Network.
  • Cheapart will also be present, bringing TIF visitors original works by dozens of artists, available for purchase at very attractive prices.
  • A large 16-metre long pirate ship will drop anchor at TIF. The sword-fighting pirates, acrobats and magicians will create a unique experience.
  • With 13 myths and 7 stories about Thessaloniki, the city’s legends will come alive before visitors’ eyes in Pavilion 1.
  • The 81st TIF as a Multi-Event

 

TIF is a multi-event that contributes more than any other to the size of TIF-Helexpo, as the President of the National Exhibition Agency, Mr Tasos Tzikas, noted during today’s press conference, on the occasion of the event’s opening. In fact, he stressed that as such, it must be safeguarded by all, visitors, politicians and protestors. 

The deputy Minister of the Interior and Administrative Reconstruction (Macedonia-Thrace), Mrs Maria Kollia-Tsaroucha, expressed the hope that the 81st TIF marks the beginning of a new course towards growth for the country. She also announced that the Pavilion of the Ministry of Macedonia-Thrace at this year’s fair will have a very real role to play, as it will inform visitors of the new developmental law.

The motivation for TIF to move forward will be the memories of the people that will unfold at the 81st Fair, stated the CEO of the company, Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, who noted that the exhibition this year will be more mature than ever.

“90 years may be a long time for a human, but not for TIF, which, thankfully for Thessaloniki and Greece, is alive and kicking”, stressed the Consul General of Russia to Thessaloniki, Alexey Popov, noting that Russia has been participating for 90 years. According to Mr Popov, the opening ceremony of the Fair will be attended by a Russian delegation, headed by the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian government, Arkady Dvorkovich.

“Our presence here is a strong message that Thessaloniki is concentrating its forces and is turning its back on a negative past and idleness”, noted the President of Attiko Metro, Mr Yiannis Mylopoulos. In fact, Mr Mylopoulos revealed that the Metro carriage that the company has brought to the Fair will remain on the grounds of Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre, in order to function as a space in which to educate children on multiple transportation issues.

In turn, the Vice President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Lazaros Lazaridis, stressed that the Fair is not just a celebration, “a small festival”, it is a multi-faceted multi-event. “One visit alone will not be enough this year if you want to see everything we have prepared for the 81st TIF”, he underlined.

At this very moment, over 500 people are working at the Fair, a number that will rise to a few thousand when TIF opens, as noted by the Deputy General Director of the company, Mr Alexis

Tsaxirlis. He also noted that everything will be ready at 10am on September 10.

As far as admission is concerned, popular tickets will be available at a cost of 3 euros on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, with a 10-euro family ticket. On all other days, admission will cost 5 euros, with a family ticket available at 15 euros. Large families and people with disabilities can purchase 3-euro tickets regardless of the day of their visit.

AUTh has provided its parking lot free of charge for all Fair visitors, while Taxi Way will offer people with disabilities and their carers free transportation to and from the 81st TIF if their home is within Thessaloniki.

The Official Bank is the National Bank of Greece and the Official Power Supplier is DEI.

08/09/2016 – 13:07

TIF-Helexpo expanding its extroversion

TIF-Helexpo is expecting immediate, visible results from the intensification of its contacts and the exploration of partnerships with Chinese exhibition organisers and enterprises interested in exporting to or investing in our country.

This was the culmination of the visit by the President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tassos Tzikas, and the CEO, Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, to Beijing and Shanghai, within the framework of the official government delegation accompanying the Prime Minister, who recently visited China.

More specifically, the meetings held with ten exhibition organisers from the Chinese state and private sector resulted in specific interest in the participation of Chinese enterprises in the largest trade fairs organised by TIF-Helexpo, such as Philoxenia, Hotelia, Detrop and Freskon.

Chinese interest is focused on tourism and Greek agricultural products, as well as exports of machinery and industrial products to our country.

During the visit to China, the administration of TIF-Helexpo

visited the Beijing Exhibition Centre and met with the deputy general director of the Chinese Investment Promotion Agency.

Furthermore, meetings were held at the Shanghai Chamber in order to explore potential partnerships with representatives of agencies and private enterprises organising participations in international fairs and exhibitions.

The internationalisation of the activities of TIF-Helexpo and the expansion of its partnerships in China is the most fertile opportunity for the initiative by the national exhibition agency to nominate China as the guest of honour at the 2017 General Fair.

13/07/2016 – 12:21

The 'Infacoma' & 'Aqua-Therm' exhibitions to be held from 3 to 6 March 2017

The future is being built at the Infacoma and Aqua-Therm exhibitions, which will be held from 3 to 6 March 2017, focusing on the sectors of construction, energy and water management. The two international exhibitions, which will focus on innovation, sustainability and environmentally conscious construction, will be held for the first time in Athens in 2017, at Helexpo Maroussi exhibition centre.

After 33 years of successful events, the Infacoma exhibition, which has defined trends in the building and construction sector like no other exhibition, is being held in Athens, raising the bar for the building and construction sector. It will be held concurrently with the internationally renowned Aqua-Therm exhibition, the result of a partnership between TIF-Helexpo and Reed Messe Wien, the Austrian subsidiary of Reed Exhibitions, the largest exhibition group in the world. This is one of the most specialised exhibitions in the sectors of domestic and industrial heating, air-conditioning and ventilation, water supply and sewerage, as well as water management.

The two exhibitions are being jointly organised by TIF-Helexpo and the Be Best company.

The two exhibitions will be visited by hosted buyers, who will solely and exclusively meet with exhibitors, in order to achieve new partnerships and conclude commercial agreements.

Finally, Infacoma and Aqua-Therm 2017 will be supported by a rich schedule of parallel events.

 

13/07/2016 – 13:40

The heart of tourism is beating at Philoxenia & Hotelia


The big ‘date’ of Greek tourism and the domestic tourism industry will take place from 18 to 20 November 2016 at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre.

 
The exhibition ‘duo’ of Philoxenia and Ηotelia will bring together Greek hotel and tourism enterprises, as well as professionals active in the broader field of hospitality and catering.
 
The goal of this year’s Philoxenia and Hotelia exhibitions is their further internationalisation.

The two exhibitions attract thousands of trade visitors from dozens of countries and are supported by parallel events with an international character.

 
Judging from the attendance of trade visitors alone, the increase achieved at Philoxenia 2015 was 17% compared to the previous event, while the same percentage for Hotelia 2015 was 95% compared to Hotelia 2014.
 
The number of international trade visitors alone increased by 39% at Philoxenia and 78% at Hotelia.

Philoxenia welcomed a total of 107 hosted buyers from 32 countries, who attended over 3,000 prearranged meetings with exhibitors.

The hosted buyers came from the sectors of “Tour Operators”, “MICE”, “Corporate” and “Media”, and exclusively met with exhibitors.
 
 
The 32nd Philoxenia International Tourism Exhibition, along with the Hotelia International Hotel Equipment Exhibition, will be supported by a rich schedule of parallel events, workshops, happenings, etc.

The Philoxenia B2B Workshops, the Branding Destinations by Philoxenia conference and the happenings of the exhibition aim at the implementation of new partnerships and agreements between exhibitors and visitors.

Hotelia, where the sectors of hotels, restaurants and cafés are presented, also includes DPOINT SPACES, where distinguished Greek architects will present special hotel installations, the Hotelia conference and the multi-event titled ‘The Art of Drinking’, where top professionals from the world of spirits and coffee will impress the audience with their techniques.

 

21/06/2016 – 10:58

The future of livestock & poultry farming at the 10th ZOOTECHNIA

The biggest ‘appointment‘ of the livestock and poultry sector is at the 10th ‘Zootechnia’ International Fair, being held by TIFHelexpo from 2 to 5 February 2017 at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre.
 
Zootechnia‘ is the epicentre of livestock-poultry developments, bringing together Greek and international participants to present developments in the field concerning both the domestic and the global market.
 
The various types of food-producing animals, machinery, services, research and innovations fall within the privileged scope of ‘Zootechnia‘.
 
The only specialised fair of the sector in Greece and the broader Balkan region is the most fertile ground for the development of commercial contacts and transactions, for information on developments in the livestock-poultry sector, for the presentation of indigenous Greek animal breeds, as well as the sector of domestic animals and horses.
 
The 10th Zootechnia‘ follows the 9th event, which was held in January 2016 and broke every visitability record, welcoming 50,354 visitors, as compared to 42,164 during ‘Zootechnia’ 2013. The performance of ‘Zootechnia2015 was also impressive in terms of trade visitors, whose numbers increased by 114% compared to the previous event, while the number of hosted buyers was increased by 278%.
 
With such a heritage, ‘Zootechnia2017 has paved the way for an event that lives up to the capabilities and prospects of the livestockpoultry sector.
 
The Fair will also be supported by a large number of parallel events where, among other things, innovations will be presented in automatic milking and the equipment of livestock holdings that incorporate new knowledge in livestock management, in cooperation with the Animal Husbandry Laboratory of the School of Veterinary Medicine of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and pioneering enterprises of the sector.
 
The Fair is being supported by the top agencies of the sectors, i.e. the Greek Association of Manufacturers of Agricultural Machinery, the Hellenic Feed Industry Association and the Machinery Importers‘ – RepresentativesAssociation.

06/06/2016 – 10:57

The 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair will begin on Thursday, 12 May

The 13th TIBF will open its doors to the public on Thursday, 12 May, while at 19:00 in the evening of the same day, the official inauguration will take place for this year’s Fair, which is begin organised by: Hellenic Foundation for Culture, TIF-HELEXPO, Greek publishers and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, under the supervision and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

For four days, Thessaloniki will be the centre of interest for publishers, authors, professionals of the sector and the large book-loving public expected to visit Pavilions 13 and 15 of TIF-Helexpo until Sunday, 15 May, at the annual book meeting. Above all, the Fair is once more an important interactive meeting place for people, creators and readers, concerning books, art and culture.

With Russia as the guest of honour and a thematic exhibition titled ‘Refugees, then and now’, the Foreign Literature and Translation Festival, the 3rd Young Writers’ Festival, the beloved Children’s and

Teen’s Corner, TIBF features a wealth of events.

The Fair in numbers

The total number of publishers participating in this year’s TIBF is almost 300, of whom 214 are Greek and 80 are foreign, coming from 20 countries.

A total of 284 events will be held, of which 135 are events included in the general programme, 27 will be held within the framework of the Refugee exhibition, 46 within the framework of the Translation Festival and 76 in the field of the children’s and teens’ corner.

Over 500 speakers will be participating in all the above events, including: authors, illustrators, translators, academics, critics, visual artists, musicians, journalists, librarians, teachers, publishers and specialised professionals from the field of publishing.

The Press Conference

As noted by the President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tassos Tzikas, during today’s Press Conference regarding this year’s event, the 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair will bring a creative ‘disruption’ to the city. The President also spoke about the role of Russia as the guest of honour, which is a foretaste of Russia’s participation in the 81st TIF as guest of honour.

On his side, the Mayor of Thessaloniki, Mr Yiannis Boutaris, noted that the goal of the Municipality, in cooperation with the national exhibition agency, is to render Thessaloniki International Book Fair a true ‘child’ of Thessaloniki and not permanently dependent on the capital. “We want TIBF to be the first example of Thessaloniki becoming autonomous”, he noted.

The Deputy Mayor for Culture, Ms Elli Chryssidou, spoke about the capability of Thessaloniki to support major events and noted that this year, the Municipality’s central stand will focus on refugees and all its actions will deal with the refugee issue.

Mr Giorgos Papanastassiou, a member of the Board of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture and associate professor of Philology at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, characterised the effort made to keep the TIBF institution alive as gargantuan, but stressed that this year’s event will justify the characterisation of the Fair as the top cultural event in the country. “Apart from a vehicle for culture, books also serves as a ‘pretext’ for culture”, he stated, adding that the programme to be presented by Russia will be first class.

According to Ms Elena Sartori, the representative of the Russian delegation, the Russian participation in the 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair as the guest of honour will provide a significant boost to the long relationship between Greece and Russia.

Finally, the deputy general director of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis, spoke about a major endeavour and multi-faceted event for Thessaloniki and all of Greece, underlining the efforts of all the stakeholders and the staff of the national exhibition agency.

The axes of the 13th TIBF

This year’s Fair includes numerous events:

Α. The cultural programme to be presented by Russia, the guest of honour, within the framework of the Year of Greek-Russian Friendship, 2016, will be a journey to the History, Art and Culture of Russia. This major tribute to Russia will feature discussions with authors, round tables, book presentations, lectures, poetry evenings, film showings, exhibitions, collaborative actions with major Russian museums, educational, linguistic and translation programmes, as well as actions for children and teens. This programme consists of numerous action axes in order to present the cultural profile of Russia and its ties to the fields of Books, Art and Education, thus showcasing the contemporary cultural reality of the country. At the same time, existing or potential relations to the cultural life of Greece will be presented, whether these concern the presentation of the programme for the subsidisation of the translation and publication of Russian books in the Greek language or the modern

publishing activity of Russian monasteries on Mount Athos. More specific details can be found in the Press Release concerning the guest of honour.

Β. The thematic exhibition of this year’s Thessaloniki International Book Fair, titled Refugees, then and now, aims at highlighting the modern reality of the problem as well as its historical dimensions, and includes: Scientific and sociopolitical Discussions and Colloquiums, Literary approaches and Testimonies, Documentary showings, Artistic exhibitions with works from various forms of art – painting, engraving, sculpture, video art, constructions – book presentations and readings with audiovisual background imagery concerning classic publications as well as publications in the form of comic books, thematic book exhibitions and photography exhibitions.

These numerous events will be held at the premises of the Fair as well as the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, with the participation of distinguished academics, University professors, authors, illustrators, journalists, visual artists, directors, actors, musicians and professionals from the field of book publishing.

The thematic exhibition is being organised in cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, the Historical Archive of Greek Refugees of the Municipality of Kalamaria, the Central Municipal Library of Thessaloniki, the Macedonian Museum of Contemporary Art, Publishers, ERT3, the Association of Greek Librarians & Information Scientists (EEVEP), the School of Fine Arts of Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (Greek Office), the ‘ex-ils’ artist group and other creators.

C. The spirit of multiculturalism that permeates the international character of TIBF is being supported at this year’s event by the participation of 24 foreign authors and a Translation festival that focuses on and discusses issues of language and communication of ideas through translations and translators.

More specifically, the foreign authors who will participate in the 13th TIBF and will meet their fans at the Fair include: 3 from England (Rob Davis, Daniel Hahn, Philip Kerr), 2 from France (Marc Boutavant, Laurent

Binet), 1 from Germany (Carmen-Francesca Banciu), 5 from Israel (Yishai Sharid, Orly Castel-Bloom, Avirama Golan, Alon Hilu, Yael Dayan), 2 from Italy (Diego Marani, Luigi Ballerini), 4 from Canada (Rawi Hage, Madeleine Thien, Joseph Kertes [invited from the Toronto Literary Festival] and Denis Thériault), 1 from Croatia (Ivan Srsen), 2 from Romania (Rostas Zoltan, Monica Savulescu Voudouri), 3 from the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (Vladimir Martinovski, Stojcevska Antik Vera, Vlada Urosevic) and 1 from the Basque Country (Katixa Agirre Miguélez).

A total of 20 countries are participating in this year’s Fair with their own stands: Albania, Bangladesh, Belgium, Bosnia-Herzegovina, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Egypt, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Germany, Israel, Italy, Romania, Russia (guest of honour), Serbia, Slovakia, South Korea, Turkey and Ukraine.

The Foreign Literature and Translation Festival will be held in the hall named ‘BABEL – in the world of translation’ found in building 15, focusing on the important role played by our ‘global language’, translation, and highlighting its contribution to multiculturalism through a comprehensive four-day schedule of events, actions, workshops and discussions.

D. Following the 1st Young Writers’ Festival, which was organised in December 2011 by the National Book Centre of Greece, as well as the 2nd Festival that was organised by the Hellenic Foundation for Culture (during the 12th TIBF) and its warm reception by young writers and the public, this year the 3rd Young Writers’ Festival is being held to provide a platform for young literary voices to be heard.

The criteria for the selection of participants were the following: being up to 40 years old, having published up to two books and not having participated in the two previous Festivals.

An effort was also to keep a ‘multilateralism’ between Athens and Thessaloniki (and the ‘peripheral’ regions of the country), poets and prose writers, short story writers and novelists, men and women, and between all ages, as well as to cover most trends in the literary

production of younger authors and to represent, through them, older-established publishing firms, as well as more recent independent publishing firms and magazines. At the same time, recent works are being represented through young creators who have already won or been nominated for state or other important awards. Moreover, the participation of the winners of the 1st Young Writers’ Festival was requested, so that they could share their five years of experience since their awards.

The venue of this year’s Festival also reflects its identity, as it is being held for the first time in ‘Exostis’ Hall of Pavilion 15 of TIF, creating an open and, at the same time, protected ‘nest’ (a ‘nestival’ of sorts), away from – and in constant communication with – the hustle and bustle of an International Book Fair. The Festival will begin on the afternoon of Friday, 13 May and will continue throughout Saturday, 14 May.

The Festival will include three discussions, numerous readings and various actions, in order to create a trace of interaction between young writers and the public, with the assistance of other arts, the participation of musicians, acting students and actors, coordinated by director Sophia Karakantza.

E. One of the most dynamic attractions for visitors of the Fair is the well-established Children’s-Teens’-Teachers’ Corner, which will feature numerous events that include narrative, interactive and novel presentations of current book production, as well as presentation of subjects that concern the social and school life of all contributors to Education, as well as parents.

The organisers were also inspired in creating an important action titled Traces with words and images. In the framework of the thematic exhibition of this year’s Fair, over 100 authors and illustrators answered the organiser’s call to write phrases and paint pictures on the theme of refugees. Their words and images will become the traces that young and old visitors to the Fair will follow on their way towards the Children’s Corner.

The main part of the programme was prepared on the basis of proposals by 27 publishers of children’s and teens’ books: Angyra, Anatypo, Kyriakidis Bros, Varfi, Captainbook.gr, Diaplassi, Diaplous, En Plo, Epomenos Stathmos, Fagottobooks, Ikaros, IWrite, Kastanioti, Kedros, KeyBooks, Kokkini Klosti Demeni, Kokkino, Kyriakidi, Livani, Mati, Methexis, Metaechmio, Nephele, Children’s Law Library, Pataki, Porfyra, Syghroni Orizontes.

The participation of Foundations, Institutes and Agencies is important, as they will present their work and contribute to the Fair with their experience and actions. More specifically, the following institutions will be participating:

Onassis Cultural Centre (Cavafy Archive), the French Institute of Thessaloniki, the Greek IBBY National Section – Circle of Greek Children’s Books, the Association of Greek Librarians & Information Scientists, the Municipal Library-Gallery of Thermi and the Artistic Bindery of N. P. Livadiotis.

F. During the 13th TIBF, various Special Events will take place, including:

* Events in honour of Aristotle on the occasion of the official year of Aristotle 2016. In view of the ‘Aristotle, 2400 Years’ World Congress being organised by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki from May 23 to 28, a pre-congress discussion will take place on the same topic, with the participation of: Pericles Mitkas, Professor at the School of Electrical & Computer Engineering; Rector of AUTh, Dimitra Sfendoni-Mentzou, Professor Emeritus of Philosophy of Science at AUTh; Ioannis Siradakis, Professor Emeritus of Astrophysics at AUTh; Zacharias Skouras, Professor of Genetics at AUTh; Aris Stylianou, Associate Professor at the School of Political Sciences of AUTh; Konstantinos Katsambalos, Professor at the School of Rural & Surveying Engineering of AUTh; Stavros Avgoloupis, Professor of Astronomy at AUTh; Spyros Pavlidis, Professor at the School of Geology of AUTh.

Presentation of the Complete Works of ARISTOTLE and, more specifically, the new annotated scientific bilingual publication (Nissos Publications), with Vassilis Kalfas, Professor of Philosophy at the Faculty of Philosophy of AUTh, and Pantelis Bassakos,

Professor of Philosophy at the Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, as speakers.

* Events in view of the Year of Kazantzakis 2017. THE ECUMeNICAL AND TIMELESS WRITINGS OF KAZANTZAKIS. An early celebration of the ‘vigilant’ Greek writer, on the occasion of the proclamation of 2017 as the year of ‘NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS’. A representative of the Hellenic Foundation for Culture will address the audience. Speakers will include: Zoe Samara, Professor Emeritus at AUTh – poet – translator – President of the Thessaloniki Society of Authors; Dimitris Kokoris, associate professor, Faculty of Philosophy of AUTh; Kostas Arkoudeas, author. Excerpts from the works of Nikos Kazantzakis will be read by the actor Dimitris Vayas. Supervisor – presenter: Stelios Loukas, journalist, poet. Organiser: Thessaloniki Society of Authors / ‘Each book a journey’ broadcast on the TV100 network / Hellenic Foundation for Culture.

* Presentation titled NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS, THE REFUGEE OF GREEK LITERATURE. Speakers: G. Stassinakis, President of the International Society of Friends of Nikos Kazantzakis; D. Ch. Gounelas, Professor of Modern Greek Literature at AUTh. Coordinator: Yuli Ierapetritaki, historian – archaeologist – representative of the ISFNK in Thessaloniki. Organiser: INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF NIKOS KAZANTZAKIS.

* Events on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death. Presentation of the bilingual edition of the book ‘The Sonnets’ by William Shakespeare, Introduced and translated by Lenia Zafiropoulou. Speakers: Lenia Zafiropoulou, poet – translator; Orpheus Apergis, poet – translator; Kostas Dardanos, publisher.

Event titled ‘William Shakespeare – 400 years later / The tomorrow we saw yesterday’. Five poets converse, through their own original texts, with excerpts, fragments and sonnets by the great British playwright. Participants: Thomas Ioannou, Elsa Korneti, Dimitris Leontzakos, Dora Kaskali, Georgia Trouli.

Coordinator – reader of biographical information: Yiorgos Alissanoglou (1st part). Dimitris Dimitriadis as a translator of Shakespeare’s work. Coordinator: Yiorgos Alissanoglou (2nd part).

At the same time, professional meetings, thematic colloquiums, translation workshops, round tables, film showings, artistic and dramatic events will be held throughout the Fair.

The 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair remains faithful to the goal of expanding the horizons of reading, supporting Greek publishers, showcasing young and recognising older domestic and international creators, as well as linking all the above to national and international socio-political circumstances. Above all else, this year’s Fair is an important interactive meeting place for people (creators and readers) around the focal point of books, art and culture, while the participation of Authorities, scientific and cultural Foundations and Agencies, as well as the city’s University and school community is active at both the actual and the symbolic level, bestowing upon the Fair the character of a major social event.

A detailed schedule of events and thematic Press Releases can be found at the TIBF website: www.thessalonikibookfair.gr

THESSALONIKI INTERNATIONAL BOOK FAIR

12 to 15 May 2016

TIF– HELEXPO, PAVILIONS 13, 14 & 15

Free admission www.thessalonikifookfair.gr facebook.com/thessalonikibookfair Tel.: 210-6776540 / Fax: 201-6725826 / e-mail: info@-tbf@hfc.gr

23/05/2016 – 15:02

Αυξημένοι κατά 35% οι ξένοι εμπορικοί επισκέπτες στη 2η Freskon

The 2nd ‘Freskon’ International Trade Show for Fruit and Vegetables, organised by TIF-Helexpo at Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre from 21 to 23 April, was intensely international and welcomed an increased number of participants. In fact, the international appeal of Freskon was reflected in the 35% increase in the number of hosted buyers who visited the trade show.

For three days, the ‘heart’ of the fresh fruit and vegetable sector was beating in Thessaloniki, with over 2,500 B2B meetings between exhibitors and hosted buyers taking place, laying the groundwork for partnerships and commercial agreements and establishing Freskon in the minds of producers and retail chains. The international character of this year’s trade show was underlined by the presence of representatives of international media from Germany, Great Britain, Russia, the Netherlands and Poland, which promoted Freskon in their respective countries.

The exhibition scale of this year’s Freskon was 30% greater than the first trade show held last year. In total, 246 exhibitors from 25 countries participated in Freskon, which welcomed 137 hosted buyers from 31 countries and 310 specialised trade visitors in group delegations from neighbouring countries. One noteworthy participant was the Iranian business delegation, consisting of representatives of retail chains and distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables who sought trade partnerships and exchange of technical knowledge. This year’s trade show covered three pavilions, one more than last year.

Additionally, major Greek and international supermarket chains that control a significant distribution network came into direct contact with fresh fruit and vegetable distribution companies at FreshCon Market, a special section held within Freskon.

The 1st Congress on Green Vegetables & Asparagus welcomed a significant number of participants and featured prominently in the programme of parallel events at Freskon. The interest of the public in developments in these two sectors was intense, with 300 participants attending the works of the Congress.

Furthermore, specially formulated areas within Pavilions 13 and 15 housed numerous other parallel events, speeches and presentations focusing on the sector, which attracted the interest of visitors. In preparing the parallel events, TIF-Helexpo cooperated with ‘Froutonea’ magazine.

At the end of the trade show, the exhibitors’ fruit and vegetables were donated to the charity organisation ‘The Smile of the Child’.

10/05/2016 – 13:12

The greatest book celebration is coming to Thessaloniki

 

Culture drives developments and growth, teaching cooperation and humanism. With these priorities in mind, with Russia as the honoured country and with a thematic event titled ‘Refugees, in the past and present’, this year’s 13th Thessaloniki International Book Fair (TIBF) is being held from 12 to 15 May 2016 at the city’s International Exhibition Centre.

The 13th TIBF is being jointly organised by TIF-Helexpo, the Hellenic Foundation for Culture and the Municipality of Thessaloniki, under the supervision and with the support of the Ministry of Culture and Sports.

The exhibition has always aimed at expanding the horizons of reading, supporting Greek publishers, showcasing young and recognising older domestic and international creators, as well as linking all the above to national and international socio-political circumstances.

At the same time, the Fair is a major social event, as it interactively connects creators and readers, while providing substantial motivation to cultural, scientific and educational agencies during an event of international and supra-local interest.

The 13th TIBF, which will have free admission, will cover three pavilions and will focus on numerous timely subjects and fields, the most important of which are:

  • The cultural programme presented by Russia, the honoured country of the Fair, within the framework of 2016 as the Year of Greek-Russian Friendship, with the participation of Russian publishers and authors. The participation of Russia will cover numerous fields and include presentations of authors and poets, modern aesthetic and literary movements, showings of films and animations, as well as translation programmes (from Russian into Greek). Furthermore, the treasures of Russian museums will be presented and the public will have the opportunity to attend numerous events that will highlight the relationship between Russia and Greece.
  • The thematic event of this year’s Fair, titled ‘Refugees, in the past and present’ and being organised in cooperation with the Municipality of Thessaloniki, aims at highlighting the modern reality of the problem, as well as its historical dimensions. The event will include a thematic book exhibition, discussions-round tables, book presentations, an extensive exhibition of photographs by photographers and photojournalists who have captured snapshots from the journey of refugees, showings of related films in cooperation with the Thessaloniki Film Festival, etc.
  • The Young Authors’ Festival is being expanded during its 3rd incarnation with international participants from the Toronto Literary Festival and other countries, once again providing a platform for young literary voices to be heard.
  • The Translation Festival will be hosted at a separate pavilion and will feature numerous informative and interactive events, with the participation of European agencies, institutes and the corresponding departments of Greek universities. Events will include translation seminars, presentations of new programmes for the support of literary translation, as well as ‘The Language Project–Translation Slam’, with the participation of emblematic figures from the field of translation.
  • The participation of publishers and authors from numerous countries, such as China, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Ukraine, Israel, Egypt, Turkey, Croatia, Slovakia, Serbia, Romania, etc. The institutes of these countries that operate in Greece will participate actively in the event.

Other events will include numerous literary and professional meetings, thematic colloquiums, translation workshops, speeches, round tables, a children’s & adolescents’ corner, as well as the literary café, film showings, and artistic and theatre happenings.

Thessaloniki will also be celebrating during the 13th TIBF and numerous cultural events will be held at various locations throughout the city.

For further information regarding the Fair, please visit: www.thessalonikifookfair.com & facebook.com/thessalonikibookfair

 

10/05/2016 – 13:14

The fresh fruit & vegetable sector will be at FRESKON

The 2nd FRESKON exhibition, being held from 21 to 23 April 2016, is developing into a major international commercial multi-event, with the participation of almost 80% of domestic fresh fruit and vegetable distributors.

FRESKON, which is being organised by TIF-Helexpo, is transforming Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre into a point of reference for the fresh fruit & vegetable market of South-East Europe.

With a 30% increase in the scale of the exhibition compared to last year’s first event, the 2nd FRESKON will be attended by 137 foreign hosted buyers and 210 specialised trade visitors in group delegations from neighbouring countries.

“FRESKON was an international event ever since it was first held last year. This element is being bolstered this year and we are being pleasantly surprised”, stressed the President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tassos Tzikas, during today’s Press Conference.

The CEO of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis, noted that FRESKON has become one of the most international events held by the national exhibition agency. In this

context, it attracts exhibitors from over 25 countries. In total, there will 246 exhibitors and over 2,500 B2B meetings have been scheduled between representatives of Greek enterprises and producers and the foreign hosted buyers, who will be coming from 31 countries.

The publisher of ‘Froutonea’ magazine (which is cooperation with TIF-Helexpo in the framework of FRESKON), Mr Panayiotis Orfanos, emphasised the attendance of a major business delegation from Iran.

The Iranian delegation to FRESKON consists of representatives of seven retail chains and distributors of fresh fruit and vegetables who will be seeking trade partnerships and exchange of technical knowledge.

Mr Christos Katsanos, the coordinator of the 1st Congress on Green Vegetables and Asparagus being held within the framework of FRESKON, referred to the work of the upcoming congress.

Mr Katsanos underlined that the congress will feature specialised speakers from Germany, Belgium and Italy, presenting modern trends in green vegetables and asparagus, the role of packaging, innovative forms of cultivation, the demands of consumers, as well as the products that appear to have a bright future.

The Deputy General Director of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis, underlined the prospects of FRESKON and noted that the goal is to include the event in the top 5 or 6 exhibitions in the sector in Europe. He also pointed out that the fact that it is being held in Thessaloniki is directly related to the development of new commercial networks focusing on the city in order to promote fresh Greek fruit

and vegetables to foreign markets.

The project manager of FRESKON, Ms Tonia Nikolaidou, stated that the exhibition is contributing towards increasing the extroversion of the sector and approaching new markets.

The exhibition will cover a total area of 12,000 m2, i.e. three pavilions, which would be one more than last year.

Exhibitors will be coming from Greece, Bulgaria, Spain, the Netherlands, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, France, Germany, Denmark, the United Kingdom, Japan, India, Israel, Italy, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand, Turkey and Finland.

The role of FRESKON as an important intermediate link between the Greek production of fresh fruit & vegetables and the international markets is highlighted by two innovations.

FreshCon Market, a special section being held within the framework of FRESKON, is a business event with the main objective bringing major supermarket chains that control a significant distribution network into direct contact with professionals of the agricultural sector, creating the ideal conditions for direct agreements.

The largest supermarket chains of the Balkans (Bulgaria, Ukraine, FYROM, Romania, Serbia and Greece) will be present and 15 major retail networks have already confirmed their participation.

At FreshCon Market, each supermarket will have its own stand staffed by the buyers of the fresh fruit & vegetable departments of these chains.

The buyers will attend targeted, scheduled appointments with representatives of Greek companies selling and distributing fresh fruit and vegetables, as well as productive enterprises of the sector.

Apart from FreshCon Market, during FRESKON, the 1st Congress on Green Vegetables & Asparagus will be held (you can find the detailed schedule at the following link: http://freskon.helexpo.gr/el/2016_CongressLahanika_prgramme)

FRESKON will feature many other parallel events, as numerous speakers will analyse crucial issues concerning the fruit & vegetable market this Friday and Saturday at Pavilions 13 and 15.

The opening of the exhibition will be held this Thursday, 21 April, at 18:30 at Pavilion 15 of Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre.

Finally, it should be noted that all the fresh fruit & vegetables brought by the exhibitors of FRESKON will be donated to the charity organisation ‘The Smile of the Child’ after the completion of the event.

 

*From left to right, the coordinator of the 1st Conference on green vegetables & asparagus, Mr. Christos Katsanos, the publisher of Froutonea magazine, Mr Panayiotis Orfanos, the CEO of TIF- HELEXPO, Mr. Kyriakos Pozrikidis, the president of TIF- HELEXPO, Mr. Tasos Tzikas, the deputy general director of TIF- HELEXPO, Mr. Alexis Tsaxirlis and the project manager of the FRESKON  exhibition, Mrs. Tonia Nikolaidou.
 
 

27/04/2016 – 14:19