With nearly 300,0000 visitors and 1700 exhibitors from 22 countries at 17 pavilions from September 8-16, the Thessaloniki International Fair burnished its reputation as the biggest and most important commercial event in southeast Europe.
Honored Nation status for the U.S. for the first time since 2000 proved a strong magnet, and the success of its pavilion was a tribute to public-private sector cooperation, setting a very important example for Greece. The U.S. Embassy, Greek government agency Enterprise Greece, and private consultancies joined with the American-Hellenic Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) to implement innovations that its Executive Director, Elias Spirtounias, believes are a model for TIF in the future.
Spirtounias said “there were more private sector business elements – in 2017 China showcased its state-owned businesses – and more interactivity. “From the beginning, working with the Embassy, AMCHAM wanted to focus on the business part.”
The well-designed plan was shaped by the U.S. pavilion’s theme “Harnessing Innovation and Creativity. “Technology was a big part of the Fair, but innovation is now vital to all industries so we reached out to all categories of companies – retail, finance, defense, education – members and non-members of the Chamber,” Spirtounias said.
The American delegation was led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross and Undersecretary of Energy Mark Menezes. The U.S. Ambassador to Greece Geoffrey Pyatt told The National Herald “the fair exceeded all our expectations,” words echoed by others.
Read more at thenationalherald.com
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