Gulf Construction Online - Best of Turkey goes on show at Unicera

Events

A record turnout ... sections of the crowd at the exhibition.

Best of Turkey goes on show at Unicera

01 April 2012

MORE than 80,000 visitors attended the 24th edition of Unicera – the international ceramics, kitchen and bathroom fair – which showcased the best of Turkish ceramics and tiles as well as pioneering bath and kitchenware, in innovative, colourful and eco-friendly designs.

Considered to be Europe’s second largest fair for the ceramic sector, the event was organised by Tüyap in co-operation with Turkish Ceramic Federation and Timder and was held at Tuyap Fair Convention and Congress Centre in Istanbul last month (March 14 to 18). Also held concurrently with the event was Kitchen World, the eighth international kitchen bathroom furniture and built-in appliances fair organised in co-operation with Muder.

“As one of the most significant sectoral fairs in Europe, Unicera was well attended by leading players of the construction sector and individual consumers this year as well,” said Bahadir Kayan, president of Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group (TCPG).

“This year, 300 exhibitors from across 43 countries showcased their best in ceramic tiles, vitreous wares, granite, glass mosaic, vitrified products, pools, saunas, taps, bathroom and kitchen furniture,” he added.

According to Kayan, this year’s event stood out for its product launches, new innovations, latest trends, production technologies and sustainable solutions. The fair, he said, had a record turnout despite the global economic turmoil.

Unicera has seen a year-on-year increase in visitors over the past three years, with a marked upsurge in international interest in the event. In 2009, Unicera welcomed 1,916 foreign visitors and 36,223 domestic visitors. This rose to 60,841 visitors in 2010 with foreign visitors numbering 3,530 and local visitors 57,311.

This year, the event has seen a 90 per cent rise in foreign visitor numbers coming right from India to the US, said the head of the promotion group, which was set up by Turkish ceramic firms to support their branding activities abroad.
According to Kayan, Turkish ceramics products are well known for their aesthetics and trendiness, in addition to their high quality standards and advanced technology.

The activities of Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group, Kayan said, vary from attending major trade shows to digital support of the industry, and from trade visits to collaborating with local exhibitions such as Unicera.

Kayan ... the event was well attended by leading players.

“We participate at all major industry exhibitions, such as Mosbuild and Bau in addition to Cersaie, where we sponsor a major event each year at the heart of the City of Bologna, Italy,” he said.

The group has also launched a dedicated portal – www.turkishceramicsfair.com – said to be the first of its kind in the world, which provides an insight into the products of its members, enabling potential clients to get a variety of information either by directly contacting the companies or by downloading their latest catalogues.

According to him, Turkish Ceramics will definitely continue to benefit from the buoyancy in the Turkish economy.

“We also foresee growth in the Mena (Middle East and North Africa) region as well as in Europe due to the advantages we offer over our regional rivals,” Kayan added.

Commenting on the group’s performance, Kayan said that after a 35 per cent drop in exports in 2008 due to the global crisis, export volumes of Turkish ceramic products have improved and are now on the same level as in 2007.

This year, 28 local companies and their subsidiaries exhibited under the umbrella of Turkish Ceramics Promotion Group, showcasing trendy, colourful and eco-friendly products at Unicera.

These included Altin Seramic, Bien, Kale (Kaleseramik Canakkale Kalebodur Seramik), Akgün, EGE, Graniser, Istanbul Seramik, Hizaltas, Kütahya, Pera, Seramiksan, Seranit, Serapool, Sögütsen, Tamsa Fayans, Termal Seramik, Vitra karo, Umpas, Usak, Yurtbay, Yuksel, Canakçilar, Dogvit Saniteri, ECE Banyo, EGE Vitrifiye Saglik, Esvit Eskisehir, Heris, Ideser Seramik, Kalevit Saniter, Elit Mobilya, Matel Hammadde, Turkuaz and Eyap – Vitra.

Kale, which claims to be the world’s largest single-site ceramics manufacturer and owner of the famous Canakkale and Kalebodur brands, displayed its extensive range of products at the fair. These included its new luxury marble collection by Kalebodur, the Alhambra (inspired by handmade ceramic tiles and made from cement) and Madera series (that blends in perfect harmony with natural wood flooring) besides the Victorian- and Ottoman-style novelties.

Kale also showcased Kalesinterflex, its ultra-thin, flexible porcelain ceramic slabs. The slabs are produced using pioneering eco-friendly technology whose gas and dust emissions are 20 times less and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions 1,000 times less than traditional manufacturing processes, said a spokesman for the company.

Kutahyah, another major player in the ceramics sector, displayed its selection of floor tiles, vitrified porcelain in various dimensions (from 10 by 10 to 50 by 100), besides its exquisite wall tile and glazed porcelain at the fair.

“Today, with an annual capacity of 50 million pieces and 150 different pattern choices, Kütahya Porselen is one of the top three manufacturers in Europe,” said Fatih Ozcelebi, the export director, adding that Kutahyah’s share is about five to eight per cent.

The company’s main export markets are Iraq, Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and the Scandinavian countries.

“Our goldmine is the Iraqi market, which appreciates our style of Turkish ceramics and floor tiles. Since there is lot of reconstruction work going on there, our hands are full,” he said.

Seranit, a leading manufacturer of porcelain tiles for indoor and outdoor surfaces, also showcased its expertise in the sector. The firm boasts an output of about 16 million sq m, which it plans to raise to 40 million sq m. The Turkish major, which entered the Middle East four year ago, said the region remains a prime market for the company.

“We are doing well in Europe as we are following the needs of the market and switching to different styles and sizes. With the euro crisis biting hard, people have moved to smaller apartments and now we see a demand for the smaller tiles,” said Alaeddin Ergen, the export co-ordinator of Seranit.

Ergen said in the Gulf region, it had supplied big orders for high-profile clients over the past five to six months, including the Zamzam Towers in Makkah and a key showroom in Kuwait.

Seranit said it is now keen to enter Qatar, where the government has announced big spending on infrastructure projects. “As a first step, we are boosting our presence at major trade events such as Qatar Projects expo and an expo showcasing Turkish goods in Doha,” said Ergen.

According to Kayan, these firms are combining modern technology with ceramic production know-how in Turkey that has evolved over 8,000 years, to create ground-breaking designs.

He also underlined the role played by the bathroom manufacturers at Unicera, who have focused on sustainability to create water-saving products.