The Thessaloniki International Fair (, Diethnis Ekthesi Thessalonikis), abbreviated TIF (ΔΕΘ), is an annual international exhibition event held in Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city. It has been held in the first week of September since 1926, and its opening is traditionally marked by a series of programmatical statements by the Prime Minister of Greece. The 2020 fair was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the first cancellation since WW2.
Description
The International Exhibition & Congress Centre is located in the YMCA Square of downtown Thessaloniki. Due to its location, it is accessible from the rest of the city. Sintrivani Station is located adjacent to the grounds.
The TIF HELEXPO Exhibition Centre covers a total area of 180,000 sq.m., of which 62,000 sq.m. are indoor exhibition areas, distributed into a complex of 17 pavilions that are functionally designed and interconnected to serve the needs of each event. The exhibition facilities are complemented by conference centres, parking areas, sports and recreational facilities, catering areas, citizen service centres, museums, banks and developmental agency offices. This way, Thessaloniki International Exhibition Centre functions as a hub providing services that successfully meet the requirements of exhibitions, conferences and cultural events.
Similar trade fairs of the city have occurred regularly since the Byzantine era, attracting traders from all over the Balkans.Paul Magdalino, The Empire of Manuel I Komnenos, 143–144
Events It has been customary for the country's prime minister to set out his government's policies for each coming year in a speech at the annual Thessaloniki International Trade Fair, and for this reason the event has political significance in addition to its commercial importance.
Honoured Country With 1998 being the first year, the Fair has had a honoured country. Although this doesn't occur every year, with big gaps of honoured countries, specially from 2003 - 2007 and 2012 - 2015, this occurrence seems to have been stabilised in the past decade, with a country being selected for almost every event. Below is a table of the honoured countries in the Thessaloniki International Fair. YearCountryComments1998 ChinaFirst honoured country in the history of the fair.1999None2000 United States2001None2002 France2003NoneThe organisers decided to have an honoured country every other year, something that didn't come to fruition.2004None2005None2006None2007None2008 Italy2009 India2010 Hungary2011 Serbia2012None2013None2014None2015NoneIt was decided that from next year the honoured country will be reinstated.2016 Russia2017 ChinaFirst country to be honoured twice.2018 United States2019 India2020NoneThe fair was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.2021 GreeceHonorary selection to celebrate the country's 200 years of independence.2022 United Arab Emirates2023 Bulgaria2024 Germany2025NoneAlthough there were reports of an unnamed Asian country being the honoured country, the focus ended up being on the 100 years of the fair's idea.2026 Japan
Gallery
References
External links HELEXPO