84th TIF: 1600 exhibitors, the scent of India.

The 84th TIF is kicking off on Saturday 7 September with 1600 (direct and indirect) exhibitors, in comparison to 1494 last year, participations from 18 countries, India as the honoured country, and the implementation of the three-pronged approach ‘entrepreneurship, innovation, and extroversion’. For nine days, it will move Thessaloniki to the pulse of financial and political developments.

This year’s Honoured Country, India, will introduce itself to the visitors of the 84th TIF at pavilion 13, in a space covering almost 3000 sq.m., through approximately 80 businesses – exhibitors from different sectors of Indian industry, high tech, and primary production.

Furthermore, the Exhibition will be visited by a business delegation consisting of 15 Indian business giants from sectors such as petrochemicals, shipping, energy, infrastructure (airports, motorways, railroads), space, pharmaceuticals, aviation, and agronutrition, which will hold business meetings with major Greek companies and agencies. Among the Indian delegation’s companies are Reliance Industries Limited (petrochemicals, energy, and polymers, with earnings in excess of 60 billion dollars), GMR Group (airports, energy, and infrastructure), UPL Limited (farming), and Larsen & Toubro (shipping), etc. Furthermore, in the framework of the Indian participation, the ministries of Tourism, Electronics and IT, and Communication and the Press will also be present.

Besides India, another 18 countries will participate in the 84th TIF (Cyprus, Uruguay, Luxembourg, Portugal, Slovakia, Poland, Indonesia, Romania, Bangladesh, Serbia, Russia, Nepal, Iran, Italy, Egypt, China and Bulgaria).

The Greek business world is, once again, making its presence felt, providing its vote of confidence to the event for yet another year. Businesses from all over Greece are participating in the Exhibition under the umbrella of the Union of Hellenic Chambers. More specifically, pavilions 2 and 3 will be home to 43 Chambers from all over Greece, with 308 businesses. The Professional Chamber of Thessaloniki, the Thessaloniki Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Athens Chamber of Commerce and Industry, and the Chamber of Serres, will be setting up separate stands.

Events and thematic exhibitions

Visitors to the 84th TIF will have the opportunity to become acquainted with a different Greece; a Greece of innovation and new ideas; ‘Digital Greece’. This is a thematic initiative by the Ministry of Digital Governance and TIF-Helexpo, in cooperation with the Industry Disruptors-Game Changers, which will be held in pavilion 12. There, startups and startup support structures, universities, research centres, and funding bodies will highlight the trends and opportunities in the Greek innovation ecosystem.

Furthermore, the 84th TIF is the first exhibition to present the pilot 5G network with the help of WIND and Huawei, confirming the timeless role of the TIF as a springboard for the promotion of new technology. Visitors will have the opportunity to see up close and experience the potential of the first 5G devices (telephones) in Greece, through WIND’s pilot 5G network.

Besides the business aspect, this year’s TIF also covers a broad range of interests. Automotion (Automotion-Electricity-Mobility), energy (Energia), education (Akademia), gastronomy (Gastronomy Corner) are just a few of the thematic exhibitions at the fair.

Also, this year, for the first time, the Salonica Cannabis Expo 2019 will be hosted on the first floor of Pavilion 2 over the last four days of the TIF.

As regards recreation, entertainment, side events and congresses, a number of events will be held in the framework of the Honoured Country, both within and outside the International Exhibition Centre (exhibition of visual art created by Indian artists at MOMus Museum of Contemporary Art, Indian dance – Bollywood Dance

shows by Kaly Stasinou, an homage to Indian cinema in Warehouse 1 at the port, the Kathakali dance show, etc.)

Furthermore, the 4th Global Agripreneurs Summit will be held for the first time in Greece in the framework of the TIF from 7 to 11 September.

With more than 80 artists and curators, CHEAPART will bring the audience into contact with the creators for the sixth year running. In addition, the 84th TIF will bring famous Greek musicians to the grand stage opposite the YMCATh every day.

World renowned Circo Medrano circus is at this year’s event, returning to Greece after many years.

It should be noted that this year the TIF is smoke free once again.

The Press Conference

At today’s press conference for the opening of the 84th TIF, President of TIF-Helexpo Mr Tasos Tzikas characterised the participation of India in this year’s event as a very important moment for Thessaloniki. He also stressed that the national exhibition body, with its exhibition knowhow and experience as its legacy, has started moving in three new directions: its rebirth and expansion towards new activities, its internationalisation, and the renovation of the Exhibition Centre.

In turn, deputy Minister of the Interior (sector of Macedonia – Thrace) Mr Theodoros Karaoglou noted that the TIF, 93 years after its inception, is still the pride and joy of northern Greece. He also stressed that the participation of India as the Honoured Country is an exceptional opportunity for our region. In fact, he announced that during the 84th TIF the Indian flag will fly on a special mast at the Ministry of Macedonia and Thrace building, while a special construction will be placed at its entrance featuring the elephant theme used to decorate the city.

“We are investing a lot in the TIF and the character that the present administration has imbued this pillar of growth with”, stressed Governor of Central Macedonia Mr Apostolos Tzitzikostas. He also noted that in cooperation with TIF-Helexpo, the Region will try to take advantage of India’s presence at the 84th TIF, for the benefit of businesses in the region.