HONG KONG, Oct 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- UBM announces that it has acquired 70% stake in EFEM based in Istanbul to form a JV company, UBM ICC to develop EFEM's baby products shows and to further expand UBM's global baby products portfolio.
EFEM is the organiser of the International Istanbul Mothers, Babies, Children Products Fair (MBCP) and Wintexpo Autumn Winter Baby Child Fashion Fair (Wintexpo), the leading baby shows in Turkey. Launched in 1992, MBCP in Istanbul is now the third largest baby products show in Europe. MBCP 2012 occupied 30,000 square metres of exhibition space at CNR Expo.
UBM owns and organises the annual Shanghai International Children-Baby-Maternity Industry Expo (CBME), Asia's largest baby products shows held every July in Shanghai, China. CBME 2012 brought together 1,287 international exhibitors and 53,583 unique visitors. The fair occupied 115,840 square metres of exhibition space at Shanghai New International Expo Centre, representing 44% growth over 2011. Riding on the success of CBME, UBM announced at CBME 2012 the launch of CBME shows in Brazil and India in 2013.
Same as CBME, the exhibit scope of MBCP also covers apparel, furniture, toy, food and services. Both events are based in a market with tremendous growth: China has the largest population in the world with continuous growth in consumption especially on children and baby products/services and Turkey has the highest birth rate in the world.
Erdal Baykara, founder and Managing Director of EFEM said: "We have had a close relationship with UBM for a while. Together with UBM, we believe that our 22 years of experience and knowledge in the baby and children products sector in the Turkish market will be further enriched. Connecting Europe and Asia, our fairs offer significant strategic value to the industry and this co-operation with UBM will definitely make them better known and will attract more participants from across the globe. We are very pleased to become a member of the big UBM family."
Jime Essink, President & Chief Executive Officer of UBM Asia said: "We have been supporting each other on the sales and marketing of our events with fruitful results. The formation of a JV company is a great leap forward. UBM will enlarge its footprint in the emerging Turkey market, extend our children-baby-maternity franchise globally, and improve all the events in the portfolio by applying our knowledge of best practices and cross promoting across a wider customer base. MBCP and Wintexpo, being the leading baby shows in Turkey will also benefit from UBM's strong international network in getting more international brands and participants to the shows. We are excited to be working with Erdal Baykara and Huseyin Irmak, founders and Managing Directors of EFEM and with the whole EFEM team. They will work in close cooperation with the other UBM businesses in Istanbul."
Notes to Editors
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