Expo Centre Sharjah, the exhibition wing of the Sharjah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, successfully organised and staged eight trade exhibitions from January until the first week of May this year.

The exhibition organisers gave a rundown of the events they held during the period. 
SteelFab, the Middle East’s largest display of steel working machinery, and WoodWorking Middle East, the region’s first and only exclusive trade show for the woodworking industry, were held from January 22-24.
SteelFab featured 212 brands and companies from 29 countries and displayed Steel, fasteners, accessories, surface preparation, machinery and tools, welding and cutting, finishing and testing equipment, and coatings and anti-corrosion material.
In all 2,481 trade visitors were registered for the show. A large number of visitors were from the GCC region especially Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Qatar, apart from the UAE. A substantial number also came from the Indian sub-continent, besides Iran, Iraq, Jordan, the UK, Yemen, Afghanistan, Australia, the Netherlands, Denmark, and Bangladesh  among other countries. The three-day event also attracted 934 visitors to the Wood Working Middle East exhibition.
WoodWorking Middle East hosted 30 leading companies representing some of the most sought after brands in the global woodworking industry.
The show featured the full requirements of the woodworking industry starting from wood/panels to machinery, coatings, tools and equipment, furniture accessories including the entire range of veneers, plywood, laminates, glues, lacquers, fittings, and total supplies for woodworking equipment and consumables.
Retail Middle East - The Retail Middle East Exhibition, the region’s only dedicated trade show for the retail industry, which was held from April 17-19, was visited by key players from the retail industries of 43 countries. The total number of visitors to the show was 2,162. A majority of them came from the GCC region. The show and the accompanying Retail Professional’s Conference held on April 18 were a huge success, according the Expo Centre.
Gulf Maritime - The Gulf Maritime Exhibition, held from April 24-26, attracted 2,708 trade visitors from the maritime industry of 45 countries. Of the total visitors, 1,368 visitors were from the GCC states. The Gulf Maritime Exhibition is one of the Middle East’s premier maritime events and is dedicated to meeting the complete requirements of the commercial, government, and military maritime industry.
The event was in its fourth edition this year and hosted over 150 leading marine companies from across the world. A major attraction for the regional maritime industry was the product presentation sessions and the industry-specific seminars held on the sidelines on all three days of the show. The product presentation seminars were an important platform for maritime professionals to familiarise themselves with new launches in the region and with the advances taking place globally in the field of maritime technology.
“Whereas almost all exhibitors reported receiving good response at the show, a significant number confirmed receiving secure orders,” an Expo Centre spokesman said. The UAE-based Al Masaood Group’s MTU Marine Engines Division announced on the floor of the exhibition hall that it had received a confirmed order amounting to 1 million euros for supplying a ship set to a shipbuilding company from Hamriyah Free Zone (HFZ).
FRONT Middle East - The second edition of Front, which Expo Centre describes as the only trade show in the region for doors, windows, walls, related equipment, accessories and machinery, and the fourth edition of Roof Middle East and Cladding Middle East showcased the emerging trends in roofing and cladding in the regional market. They were concurrently held from May 2-4, 2006. The events featured more than 200 leading brands and over 150 companies from 24 countries.
Exhibits at the shows included the complete range of windows, doors (wooden, glass, aluminium, steel, automatic, crane doors etc), grills, gates, shutters and sun protection, sun blinds and awnings, louver blinds, interior roller blinds, glass and glass products, paints and chemicals, door operating devices, roller blinds, drives and drive technology, raw materials, components and machinery, accessories, working and business safety, wall coverings, locks and access control systems, roofing systems, architectural cladding, structural glazing, curtainwalling, façade engineering, metal building systems, skylights and domes, waterproofing, and insulation material.
The shows attracted 2,638 trade visitors with 1,579 visitors coming from the GCC markets.
The spokesman also gave a preview of some of the shows to be held in the remainder of the year.
Two new trade shows are to be launched, namely Mepol and Conmex. Mepol, which will be a specialized international event for internal state security, police equipment, industrial site security and civil defence, will be held from November 6-8, while Conmex, an exclusive platform for construction-related machinery, equipment and vehicles, will be held from November 25-28.
The other important B2B events for the period are Italian Lifestyle in the Emirates (May 23-26), Texpo (September 18-22), Chinese Commodities Fair (November 25-29), and Autoparts Re-export (November 27-29).
Expo Centre Sharjah has been the organiser of several premier B2B events since 1977.
Expo Centre Sharjah is one of the few trade exhibition facilities in the region catering to the complete requirements of exhibitors on site. The complex has its own sophisticated wastewater treatment and de-centralised air-conditioning systems. It also offers wireless data, internet, and telephone connectivity throughout the complex, increasing visitor transparency. An extensive network of built-in floor ducts and trenches ensures easy access to utilities, including compressed air, data communication services, and telephone and Internet lines. Visitor registration is done through a state-of-the-art system and entry is controlled through turnstiles.