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More than 100 participations, 40 of which were sports federations and sports goods and equipment companies, will kick off the 4th Sportexpo on 10 April at the Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre. This year’s expo, which is being co-organised by TIF-Helexpo and the General Secretariat of Sports, marks the cooperation of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania for the joint bid to hold major sport events.
Sportexpo’s goals include, among other things, promoting the work and programmes of the sports federations and associations, and side events will be organised in that framework, such as tournaments, shows, seminars, etc., aiming at making more obscure sports known to a broader public, as well as creating a sports consciousness.
“It is very important to create a sports celebration surrounding Sportexpo, and to imbue it with an international character. We are being given this opportunity to bid for major international events through the cooperation of Greece, Bulgaria, Serbia, and Romania. Through this cooperation we want to build a major international sports expo”, noted President of TIF-Helexpo, Mr Tasos Tzikas at the Sportexpo press conference today. “Forty sports federations, 18 clubs-bodies, and 20 fitness stations are just some of the numbers from the 4th Sportexpo”, he stated.
On his side, the CEO of the national exhibition agency Mr Kyriakos Pozrikidis noted that Sportexpo focuses on daily exercise, sports in the school environment, team sports, volunteerism, and sports for people with disabilities.
His belief that the sports family of Thessaloniki and beyond will support Sportexpo, the largest - as he characterised it - sports expo in Greece, was expressed by Mr Dimitris Akritidis, special adviser to the Deputy Minister of Culture and Sports Mr Giorgos Vasiliadis. He also revealed that there will be a wide range of events and shows at Sportexpo, where new, less well-known sports will be promoted, while there will be everything from a pool and boxing & kick-boxing ring, to a mountain-climbing wall and beach volley court in the exhibition spaces. In fact, as he stressed, from Wednesday 10 to Friday 12 April, approximately 5000 students will visit Sportexpo.
Lastly, the deputy general director of TIF-Helexpo Mr Alexis Tsaxirlis referred to the other exhibitions and events that are also going at the International Exhibition Centre, such as Freskon, the Recycling Festival, and the Thessaloniki Dance Festival. The head of organising Sportexpo Mr Panagiotis Chatziioannou was also present at the press conference. He wished the event the best of success.
It should be noted that this year Sportexpo is coinciding with the 'Alexander the Great’ International Marathon, which is being held on Sunday 14 April by the MEAS TRITON sports club.
Entry to Sportexpo is free, while there will also be free parking for exhibitors and visitors who can enter through the Trade Gate.
The opening hours of the exhibition are: Wednesday to Friday 09:00 to 20:00 and Saturday 10:00 to 20:00. The Sportexpo opening ceremony will be held on Thursday 11 April at 19:00, at pavilion 17.