Good atmosphere in Singapore    

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Linda Tan, head of events for aquatics & paper at UBM Asia Trade Fairs Pte. Ltd., the organiser of Aquarama 2009, was an understandably relieved woman at the end of this year’s Aquarama show. As she commented, “All along, we have been receiving tremendous encouragement from our international and national supporters. However, until the show got under way, we didn’t really know whether this support would translate into attendances and sales for our exhibitors. It is therefore hugely uplifting for us all to see that our combined efforts, under very difficult operating conditions, have resulted in such a successful show for all parties.”
Visitors from 80 countries
She was right. This year’s Aquarama at least matched its predecessors, and in some instances out-performed them, despite the gloomy economic climate pervading both the preparation period and the period of the event itself. Although the overall size of the exhibition was slightly down compared to the 2007 edition and although there were slightly fewer trade visitors, the event was a success, with overseas visitors from 80 countries attending (68 countries were represented in 2007). I spoke to as many exhibitors as I could –and to quite a few visitors as well – and there was a definite and widespread “feelgood” factor among them. What particularly struck me was how often exhibitors told me that they were delighted with the amount of business they were doing and what they referred to as the “quality” of the visitors themselves. This last statement was perhaps the consequence of the economic crisis itself in the sense that, this time round, there were fewer casual visitors, with a corresponding rise in serious visitors, i.e. those who were prepared to undertake the costly journey to Singapore to do business, rather than just have a look and a holiday.
As for the exhibits themselves, these offered something for everyone, with all the latest models and trends in full evidence. The seminar programme once more proved a huge success, with full audiences, while the ever-more-prestigious competition was fully subscribed. So were the farm visits, with all 120 or so seats taken up well in advance of Aquarama itself. And to cap it all and proving that the exhibitors were indeed satisfied with the way things had gone, some 40 per cent of them had already reserved space for 2011 (Suntec Singapore, 26-29 May) by the end of the show.
John Dawes