Numerous countries of Central and Eastern Europe have been E.U. members for a year. With them, the European Union is the largest single market in the world and provides many industries with excellent growth opportunities. Recent surveys show that the timepiece and jewelry industries are profiting from the E.U. expansion to the east. This is a development, which Inhorgenta Europe, the largest jewelry and timepiece trade fair in the E.U., and its organ-izer, Messe München GmbH, have promoted intensively for years.





Twenty percent of the 8,307 foreign visitors at Inhorgenta Europe 2005 came from the up-and-coming economic region of Central and Eastern Europe, i.e., every fifth foreign visitor of the total 28,866 at the trade fair. The exhibitor figures from Eastern Europe have increased five times since 1998. Trade visitors especially from the Czech Republic (414), Hungary (272), Slovenia (224), Poland (187) and Croatia (115) use the trade fair, which takes place annually in February, to establish contacts above all to Western European trading partners.
Growth markets of Central and Eastern Europe: Inhorgenta Europe and Messe München GmbH recognized the chances of the markets there and the E.U. expansion to the east at a very early point in time. It offered specific workshops and seminars this year, which were also suited to promoting a growing together of the markets. Before the trade fair, presentations in Warsaw and Danzig, a roadshow in Warsaw and Moscow, an international panel discussion in Munich and marketing oriented increasingly strongly to Eastern Europe engendered considerable interest in the new member countries. Inhorgenta Europe has proved to be a key to these up-and-coming new markets for years.

Increasing Import and Export Figures in the New E.U. Countries
Statistics of national jewelry associations attest to the positive development of the timepiece and jewelry industries in the new E.U. countries. Poland, one of the largest and most important markets, reports increasing import and export figures for timepieces and jewelry. For example, timepieces and jewelry worth more than 36 million euros were imported in the first three quarters of 2004, 26 million euro of which came from E.U. countries. The value of timepieces and jewelry exported was 28.5 million euros in the same time period, whereby goods valued at 17.14 million euros were exported into E.U. countries. The tendency for 2005: further increases.





The import of silver and goods has increased substantially in Hungary. According to the Hungarian Gold and Silver Standards Office, the quantity of silver submitted for checking increased from barely 15 tons (4,950,459 grams) in 2003 to more than 16 tons (16,257,331 grams) in 2004. This represents an increase of 8.74%. According to the jewelry association Maneosz, more good news can be seen in the development of a young, innovative goldsmith generation, which is starting to make its mark in the designer jewelry sector.
Latvian specialist dealers are also profiting from the E.U. expansion and the related simplification of trading. Latvia’s consumers can find a considerably expanded selection of watch brands in specialty stores. The import of jewelry has also increased substantially. “Competition has begun. There are clearly more marketing activities from the side of Latvian specialist dealers. That’s very good for the industry,” Lydia Lukyanoci, Brand Manager of the specialist dealer chain Rippol Ltd., stated with satisfaction.

German Manufacturers See Great Potential
Many German companies are profiting from the new markets in the East. This is substantiated by a survey conducted by the German Chamber of Commerce (DIHK) among 2,400 companies. The businesses cite the elimination of customs and border controls as the most important benefit of the E.U. expansion. The higher degree of legal security as well as the end of investment obstacles are also very significant for the companies.
The E.U. expansion to the east still provides a great opportunity for the timepiece and jewelry industries in the west and east even after a year, which industry and trade need to take advantage of. The function of Inhorgenta Europe as a tool for promoting trade and business is paying off to a high degree in these growth markets. The trade fair will also be an ideal forum for all exhibitors and trade visitors in 2006 to promote the establishment of contacts with Central and Easter Europe. It promotes trade and mutual exchange of information to the same degree. Consequently, Inhorgenta Europe and its organizer Messe München GmbH are going to continue to strengthen its own country-specific marketing and sales activities in Central and Eastern Europe in the service of all exhibitors and visitors.

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