subscribe to news A meeting of the Exhibition Committee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry took place on the Eurasian Event Forum platform

Today, the platform of the Eurasian Event Forum (EFEA) in St. Petersburg hosted an open meeting of the Committee of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry on Exhibition, Fair and Congress Activities on the topic of Event Infrastructure as a Factor of Competitiveness of Russian Regions.

The meeting was moderated by the Committee’s Deputy Chair and Deputy General Director at EXPOCENTRE AO Sergey Selivanov.

The meeting participants raised a number of relevant issues. What does the current event industry have to include? What are the main problems and objectives of the development of the event industry in Russia? What do venues need for successful implementation of events? What is the role of the government, industry associations and companies in providing regions with quality event infrastructure?

“The issue we are discussing today is one of the key issues for the development of the domestic congress and exhibition industry,” said Sergey Selivanov. “The availability of special venues and advanced infrastructure not only provides new opportunities for the industry, but also has a strategic importance for the development of the economies of cities or regions.”

In his speech, Sergey Selivanov noted that according to the data of the Exhibition Research Centre there are 59 specialised congress and exhibition venues in the Russian Federation, with a total area of more than 1 million square metres. Only 165 Russian cities have the opportunity to hold major congresses and trade shows. There are no specialised venues in 55 Russian regions.

According to the Strategy for the Development of the Congress and Exhibition Industry Until 2030, Russia's current share in the global market of venues is 2.8%. According to the same Strategy, by 2030 the target is to reach a share of 4% of the global volume of indoor exhibition space by 2030.

The Central Federal District, and more specifically Moscow and the Moscow Region, account for 65% of the total volume of indoor exhibition space in this country. At the same time, according to statistics, the Moscow region hosts about 75% of all events.

“However, we see that even in the capital and its region, the existing areas are not able to fully meet the demand for events,” continued Sergey Selivanov. “The difficult situation with the lack of space in the Moscow region is connected, among other things, with the withdrawal of EXPOCENTRE from the turnover since June 1 this year for reasons known to all, renovation at VDNKh, and conservation of Sokolniki for a Covid hospital. But, at the same time, the current situation due to the shortage of professional space in Moscow allowed regional venues in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar and other regions to supplement their calendar with events in the capital, the organisers of which decided to move to the regions.”

According to Sergey Selivanov, it is necessary to take drastic measures to reduce the shortage of exhibition space in the regions, especially in the Urals. At the same time, when making a decision to build or upgrade the infrastructure, it is necessary to conduct very thorough marketing research of market needs and capacity, the competitive environment, and prospective formats of events. It is important to determine how the new facilities will be used in the future and what events will be held there.

In conclusion, Sergey Selivanov noted the role of regional chambers of commerce and industry. The chambers organise hundreds of exhibitions and fairs. Dozens of chambers of commerce and industry provide services in the event sphere. Many regional chambers of commerce and industry act as organisers and co-organisers of group stands and pavilions. In addition, many chambers have experience in implementing and supporting investment projects. Chambers of commerce and industry can act as reliable partners of the state and business in the development of activities related to congresses and exhibitions, and specialised infrastructure in the regions.

The committee meeting was attended by Ilya Zubkov, Vice-President at the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Irina Manuylova, Vice-Governor of the Novosibirsk Region, Vladislav Barmichev, Director at the Department of Foreign Trade Regulation and Development of the Trade Representation System of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade, Daria Ostrovskaya, Director General at the R&C Russian Research and Development Centre, Sergey Baran, Director of the Belexpo Exhibition Centre, Sergey Voronkov, President at the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs and General Director at ExpoForum-International, Marat Mukhametshin, Vice-President at Gazprombank, Sagid Zaremukov, Director at the National Congress Bureau Association, Andrey Romashevsky, Executive Director at Novosibirsk Expocentre, and other industry experts.

A meeting of the Presidium of the Russian Union of Exhibitions and Fairs and the General Meeting of the Union’s members took place on the eve of the Eurasian Event Forum (EFEA). Its participants heard a report on the work of the Union in 2024 and outlined plans for 2025.

Press Service, EXPOCENTRE AO