Save the date: October 9th-12th, Istanbul; 18th Watercoolers Europe Fair & Convention
May 18, 2012
Istanbul is calling all WE members this Fall! The 18th WE Trade Fair and Convention, “Watercoolers, Health & Hydration", will take place on October 9th-12th at the Hilton Istanbul Hotel. The venue will provide an exotic and beautiful backdrop for all the workshops, exhibitions, awards as well as the traditional Gala Dinner.
The annual event gives attendees an ideal opportunity to exchange information, experiences and views around the entire water cooler industry.
Jeroen Peters, WE Chairman, answered our questions about this upcoming convention. His excitement and high expectations were obvious.
Why was Istanbul chosen as the venue? Can we take it that this is an indication of plans to link up with Asia?
JP: WE always wants to organize the annual Trade Fair and Convention in a different part of Europe. Istanbul is Turkey’s main financial centre and one of the most interesting cities in Europe. Our industry is growing fast in Turkey - as is the Turkish economy - and all this makes Istanbul a great location to meet and look into the future.
What do you expect from the 2012 18th Trade Fair and Convention?
JP: I expect nothing less than the same success as we had last year in Odessa. Odessa was a memorable location with good meetings and events, not least thanks to the contributions of our Ukrainian and Russian partners. The Istanbul meeting has the potential of becoming as successful.
Is WE expecting more participants this year?
JP: I expect us to reach the same level of participation as we did in Odessa. Last year we experienced an increased number of attendees from Eastern Europe and I hope to see them all attending again, and many more.
With six months to go, can you disclose any of the subjects and issues to be discussed at the convention?
JP: We are still working on the program, with the aim of covering as many exciting, topical and relevant subjects as possible. We will look into facts and figures of the industry and we will organize interesting workshops and presentations. I encourage people to keep an eye on this website as the registration details will be published soon.