The Poznań International Fair (PIF, Polish: Międzynarodowe Targi Poznańskie, MTP ) is an international trade fair held in Poznań, Poland. It is the oldest trade fair in Poland, with the first one taking place in 1921. It is the 21st largest fair in the world, and most recently the fairgrounds covered an area of 150,000 m².
History
In 1911, Poznań, which was then part of the German Empire, was the site of the Great East-German Exhibition. The Lower Silesian Tower was designed by the famous German architect, Hans Poelzig, for this event. The foundation of this tower includes one of the modern symbols of the PIF - the Iglica ( Spire , pavilion 11).
The idea of organising a modern fair by Polish manufacturers and merchants had its origins during the congress of the Union of Merchant Associations held in Poznań in 1917. The Union was an organisation of Polish merchants from Greater Poland and Eastern Pomerania. The fair was required to be of an international character and organised like the Leipzig Trade Fair. The first Poznań Trade Fair ( I Targ Poznański ), as it was called, took place in 1921 (from 28 May till 5 June ), and the first chairman was Mieczysław Krzyżankiewicz. Before 1924, only Polish companies, companies from Free City of Gdańsk and foreign companies with branches in Poland which were represented by Polish citizens could participate. During 1924, agreements were signed with companies from Czechoslovakia, France, Yugoslavia, Latvia, Germany, Romania, Switzerland, and Sweden, so that the first really international fair took place in 1925. In 1927 the PIF was accepted as a member of the UFI.
The intensive developments of the 1920s were crowned by the huge General National Exhibition (Polish: Powszechna Wystawa Krajowa, PWK, PeWuKa ) of 1929 that was visited by 4,5 mln people. This was the year that the Great Depression began. Despite the difficult economic situation, the PIF survived and at the end of the interbellum it was one of largest companies of its kind in Europe. During World War II, the company ceased to exist, its infrastructure was confiscated, and turned into a factory of Focke-Wulf, which made the PIF a military target for the Allied air forces. This led to great destruction of its infrastructure in 1945. During the war 85% of the PIF was destroyed, but despite this damage, the first postwar exhibition took place in 1946 and one year later, in 1947, the PIF had already regained its international character. Since then the PIF is continuing to expand and enlarge its exhibition space.
Today the PIF is the largest trade fair organizer in Poland (by over 50% of total exhibition area and over 60% of exhibitors). It is the 21st largest fair in the world, with about 50 trade events taking place on its area every year. Area of PIF is over 110,000 m² indoor and 35,000 m² outdoor exhibition space. PIF a is state-owned company - 60% of shares belong to Polish State Treasury, and 40% to the City of Poznań.
List of annual exhibitions organized by the PIF
- Polagra AGRO-PREMIERY - International Trade Fair of Agricultural Mechanization
- AQUA-SAN - Bathroom and Wellness Exhibition
- BAKEPOL - Trade Fair for the Bakery Industry in Kielce
- Bezpieczeństwo Pracy w Przemyśle - Work Safety in Industry Exhibition
- Biuro - Fair of Office Furniture and Furnishing
- Body Style - Exhibition of Lingerie and Beach Fashion
- Budma - International Construction Fair
- Bumasz - International Fair for Construction Machines, Tools and Equipment
- BuyPoland - workshop for the tourism industry
- Dodatki do żywności - International Food Ingredients Show
- Home Decor - Exhibition of textiles, table and kitchen, light, interior design
- Drema - International Trade Fair of Machines and Tools for the Wood and Furniture Industries
- Targi Edukacyjne - Education Fair
- Energia - Power Industry Exhibition
- Eurofoto - Trade Fair of Photographic Products and Services
- Expopower - Power Industry Fair
- Farma - International Trade Fair of Animal Breeding, Horticulture and Rural Development
- Poznańskie Dni Mody - Fair of Clothing and Fabrics
- Festiwal Przedmiotów Artystycznych - Festival of Artistic Objects
- FIT-EXPO - Fair of Fitness and Body & Fashion
- Furnica - Trade Fair of Components for Furniture Production
- FurniFab - Furniture Fabric Show - Supply Show for the Upholstered Furniture Industry
- Gardenia - Garden Trade Fair
- Wiosenna Giełda Turystyczna - Spring Tourist Market
- Euro-Reklama GIFT EXPO - International Trade Fair of Advertising Goods and Services
- HiPeCo - International Trade Fair for Hygiene and Pest Control
- HOBBY - Salon Modelarstwa - Show of medellers
- Infosystem - Fair of IT Solution for industry and administration
- Instalacje - International Trade Fair for Installations and Equipment
- Intermasz - International Trade Fair of Textile, Clothes and Shoemaking Machines
- Investfield - Property and Investment Salon
- Gastro-Invest-Hotel - Exhibition of Products and Services for the Hotel and Catering Industry
- Targi Książki - Poznań Fair for Books for Children and Young People
- KWO - National Horticultural Exhibition
- KWZH - National Animal Breeding Exhibition
- Look - Hairdressing and Cosmetics Forum
- Mach-Tool - Machine Tools Exhibition
- Meble - Fair of Furniture and Furnishing
- Metalforum - Exhibition of Metallugrical, Foundry Engineering and Metallurgy Industry
- Motoryzacja - TTM - Automotive Technology Fair
- NA RYBY - Angling Equipment Trade Fair
- Natura Sanat - International Health Resort and Tourism Trade Fair in Polanica Zdrój
- Nauka dla gospodarki - Exhibition Science for the Economy
- Next Season - Fair of log term contreacts
- Poznański Salon Optyczny - Optical Salon
- Euro-Reklama OUTDOOR EXPO - International Trade Fair of Advertising Goods and Services
- Pakfood - Fair of Packaging for Food Industry
- PGA - Game Arena - Exhibition of video and computer games
- Polagra-Food - International Trade Fair for the Foodstuffs and Gastronomy
- Polagra-Tech - International Trade Fair of Food Processing Technologies Polagra-Tech
- Poleko - International Ecological Fair
- Poligrafia - International Fair of Printing Machines, Materials and Services
- Poznańskie Spotkanai Motoryyzacyjne - Automotive Industry Meetings
- Roltechnika - Exhibition of Agricultural Machines and Equipment - (takes place in Bierkowice near Opole)
- Saldent - International Dentistry Fair
- SALMED - International Trade Fair of Medical Equipment
- Salus - Prevention and Health Care Forum and Exhibition
- Sawo - International Fair of Work Protection, Rescue and Fire-Fighting
- Securex - International Security Exhibition
- Targi Obuwia, Skóry i Wyrobów Skórzanych - Fair of Shoes, Leather and Leather goods
- Surfex - Exhibition of Surface Treatment Technologies
- Świat Dziecka - Trade Fair of Goods for Children
- Taropak - International Packaging Technology and Logistics Exhibition
- TECHNOGAZ - Petroleum and Gas Salon
- ITM - POLAND - Exhibition Innovations-Technologies-Machines
- Tour Salon - Fair of Regions and Tourist Products
- Translog - Fair of Logistioc, Transport and Shipping
- LTS Transporta - Exhibition of Logistics, Transport and Shipping
- Targi Upominków i Dekoracji Światecznych - Gifts and Ornaments Trade Fair
- Welding - Exhibition of Welding Technologies
Notable architects of PIF buildings
- Hans Poelzig
- Roger Sławski
- Stefan Cybichowski
Bibliography
- Jerzy Topolski, Lech Trzeciakowski (red) Dzieje Poznania, tom II cz. 1 1793-1918 , Warszawa-Poznań 1994, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe ISBN 83-01-11393-6
- Jerzy Topolski, Lech Trzeciakowski (red) Dzieje Poznania, tom II cz. 2 1918-1945 , Warszawa-Poznań 1998, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe ISBN 83-01-12401-6
- Zbigniew Zakrzewski, Przechadzki po Poznaniu lat miedzywojennych wyd. II, Warszawa-Poznań 1983, Państwowe Wydawnictwo Naukowe, ISBN 83-01-04696-1
See also
- 2008 United Nations Climate Change Conference
- Katowice International Fair, another large trade fair in Poland
- Targi
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