B – Italian flair prevailed in the San Marco Village in Schelle, near Antwerp, where the BAPP Networking Gifts Show was staged on August 29, 2024. Once again the BAPP (Belgian Association of Promotional Products) had invited members and non-members of the Belgian promotional products trade to join them for the most important get-together of the promotional products industry. “We have more exhibitors than ever before this year,” raved Julien Grandjean, Board Member of the BAPP.
Numerous members of the BAPP (the exact number of exhibitors and visitors was not available at the time of going to press) took the opportunity to exhibit their novelties and bestsellers at the trade fair. Whereas it wasn’t necessary to be a member to visit the show, to exhibit one had to be a member of the Belgian association. The show wasn’t only attended by Belgian suppliers and importers, companies from the Netherlands, Germany, France and other European countries also seized the opportunity to intensify their contacts on the Belgian promotional products market.
A majority of the exhibitors erected their stands in the main area of the Venetian style hall, but many importers, suppliers and manufacturers were also found in smaller adjoining rooms. Furthermore, a small area on the upper floor was reserved for first-time exhibitors of the Networking Gifts Show. Among others, Debby Sterk, Trade Marketeer Benelux from edding, exhibited in this zone and demonstrated to the interested audience the individualising options edding has to offer. “Our personalisation possibilities are very well-known in Germany, our aim is to make them more familiar here too. The show is precisely the right place to do so,” she affirmed. The, according to the organisers, most important promotional products event in Belgium, is also a fixed date in the diary for Rob Koenderink from Promocorp: “I really like being here, the show is always well-attended and I meet up with several of my customers,” he reported. Nicolas Renaux from CarryOn Bv also had a busy day. He namely represents the Choice Gruppe in Belgium, which comprises of the JCK subsidiaries Daiber, Fare, Halfar, Karlowsky, mbw and SND, so he had brought plenty of products with him to the show, which were very popular the visitors.
There was a lively atmosphere and many people used the day in Schelle to inform themselves about novelties, but also to establish contact to the Belgian promotional products distributors. The Networking Gifts Show is in many cases the first show after the summer for both the visitors and the exhibitors. “After the short break in the summer, this fair is a very nice place to get started again ,” stated Richard Laribij from Plastoria. “We meet up with some very good customers here, especially from Belgium, of course. At the same time it is not too stressful though, before travelling to Houten in the Netherlands next week and on to England for the Merchandise World,” the Global Sales Director emphasised.
The organising team at the BAPP were satisfied with the show too: “Due to the high number of exhibitors we had to use all of the rooms this year, which is great,” Grandjean summed up. “In addition to the good exhibitor figures, we are also delighted about the many satisfied visitors. We can look back on a successful event,” was Grandjean’s conclusion.
// Sophia Arnold
Photos: Mika Gehlen, © WA Media
