22 January 2014
An extended meeting of the RF CCI Committee on Fair and Exhibition Activities was held in St. Petersburg. The event was part of the Europe+Asia Event Forum which had been opened in the Northern Capital.
Sergey Bednov, Chairman of the RF CCI Committee on Fair and Exhibition Activities, General Director of Expocentre noted that the industry needs a law to regulate the activities of market participants. The RF CCI Committee meeting was held in anticipation of Parliament hearings to be held February 19 in the Federation Council of Russia. The matter 'On the legislative basis of fair and exhibition and convention activities as a mechanism to improve competitiveness and promote products and services in the domestic and foreign markets' will be considered at the Parliament hearings. According to Sergey Bednov, adoption of the law is not a panacea for all problems, but a chain of legal instruments to address the situation in the market must be developed. Participants of the discussion noted several issues: lack of a common program for exhibitions and conventions in the country, holding industry events in the same period at different venues, the existing contradictions in the product advertising laws, such as for alcoholic products.
Igor Alexeevich Korotin, Director of the RF CCI Department for Exhibition, Trade Fair and Convention Activities made a point that the market should be regulated and transparent. He said that all the necessary documents for the Parliament hearings in the Federation Council have been prepared, but the RF CCI Committee is open for constructive suggestions, and participants of the Europe+Asia Event Forum might provide such. Having noted the importance of standards to regulate the exhibition and convention activity, Sergey Trofimov, President of RESTEC® Group, said that St. Petersburg is actively working on the formation of the industry cluster. During the Europe+Asia Event Forum, this project will be discussed by representatives of the city administration and market participants. The St. Petersburg exhibition and convention cluster is intended to conduce to effective work of the meetings industry in the region.
