Press releases

Mar 6, 2012

Home Fair opened, Green mission prize awarded

Key solutions for economical, safe and sustainable building

HOME fair, the biggest fair in the area of civil engineering in Slovenia and its surroundings, was today officially opened by Mr. Radovan Žerjav, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia. The Green Mission prize was also awarded at the opening ceremony. Since the year 2010 this prize has been given by GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre and Wood and Furniture Industry Association at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

An expert jury – dr. Marjana Šijanec Zavrl, dr. Manja Kitek Kuzman and dr. Niko Torelli, led by Friderik Knez, made a selection among the eleven registered products on the basis of several parameters. The products were different among themselves. Each of the registered products shows one or the other component which contributes to the effective environmental management. The jury awarded the Green Mission prize to the JUB d.o.o. company for the product JUBIZOL comfort cool: this is an innovative product which solves some technical problems of facade systems. As it is written in the jury's explanation, it certainly is a very up-to-date product, because it importantly contributes to the energy use in buildings. JUB d.o.o. company is a famous Slovenian company which is distinguished for its systemic approach to environmental management. The expert jury awarded the Green Mission prize in the category »other products« to the company Proform d.o.o. for the product Fonaterm granular, made by the producer Fonaterm d.o.o. As it was explained by the expert jury, »Fonaterm granular product is, on a global scale, the first insulation which is made of textile remnants which are produced when tailoring car seats. It represents an example of an effective use of waste of a certain industry in civil engineering. The product is a result of Slovenian knowledge and it has also been patented. «

Friderik Knez emphasized that GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, as the organizer of HOME fair, sends with this prize a message to the public: »Sustainable technologies are the key to long-term survival of individual companies, because they bring to a company a comprehensive planning of products and the necessary optimization of processes and sources … Sustainable products are also extremely important for the use in buildings, because buildings are our most long-lasting investment, which usually extends across many generations. This is exactly why sustainability is most explicit in buildings. If a building is supposed to be sustainable, it has to be made of sustainable materials, and the building itself, as a process, also has to be sustainable. This means that we use local materials with the lowest possible grey energy and with the lowest possible emissions. A building also has to be energy efficient and, as far as possible, recyclable. And last, but not least, the building has to be not only sustainable, but long-lasting as well. Innovativeness is also important. Contrary to many people's believes, civil engineering is an industry where innovations and development and scientific and technological achievements easily find their place.« With these words Mr. Knez defined the importance of sustainable building.

628 companies from 26 countries are presented at the 51st international HOME fair under the slogan Key solutions. This year's HOME fair is, the same as last year's, a fair with the largest surface area, because it stretches over 24, 000 square metres of display areas: in addition to all available and two prefabricated halls, it also occupies the premises of the neighbouring Apel complex (former Slovenijales shopping centre).

There is a rich programme accompanying the fair which is being prepared by ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute and the Wood and Furniture Industry Association at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. It is especially important to emphasize the importance of free counselling for wider public, where experts offer factual and practical advice concerning energy saving, sustainable and environment friendly building, renovation of buildings etc. The organiser is, therefore, inviting all the interested public, not only those, who are building and renovating or are planning to do it in the near future, but everybody else who should visit the fair and take advantage of its free counselling and workshops, which are very topical, all the more so in these times of crisis.

HOME fair is an international fair of civil engineering, where it is possible to see a selection of builders’ joinery, products for interior design, indoor and outdoor arrangements, equipment for heating and cooling, materials and products for civil engineering and products which technically protect, upgrade or enliven our homes. It reflects new trends in the area of civil engineering, energy use, energy systems, house technique and living in a certain place in general. One of the distinctive components of these trends is also environmental awareness of producers, builders and users of buildings. It is about the newly emphasized guidelines of sustainable civil engineering and green technologies.

HOME fair is opened until Sunday, March 11, from 9.30 a.m. to 7.30 p.m., only on the last day it closes at 6 p.m.

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Feb 28, 2012

Key Solutions for economical, safe and sustainable building

The 51st international HOME fair

GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre (6 – 11 March 2012)

There are 628 companies from 26 countries which are presented at the 51st international HOME fair under the slogan Key Solutions. This year’s HOME is, the same as last year’s, the fair with the largest surface area because it extends on 24,000 square metres of the exhibition area: besides all available and two prefabricated halls, it also contains the premises of the neighbouring complex Apel (these premises have previously been used as a Slovenijales trade centre).  

The fair related to the field of civil engineering will be officially opened by Radovan Žerjav, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology. This official opening will take place on the first day of the fair, on Tuesday, March 6. The Green Mission prize will also be awarded at the opening. Since the year 2010 this prize has been given  for energy efficient and environment friendly products by GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre and Wood and Furniture Industry Association at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. There is a rich programme accompanying the fair which is being prepared by the ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute and Wood and Furniture Association at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce. It is particularly worth mentioning a free counselling for the wider public with experts offering practical advice related to energy saving, sustainable and environment friendly building, redevelopment of buildings, etc. The organizer is, therefore, inviting all the interested public to attend this event – not only those who are building or rebuilding, or are planning to do it in the near future, but everyone else who should attend this fair because of the free counselling which is very topical, all the more so because of the times of crisis.      

CONTENTS

HOME fair is an international fair of civil engineering where it is possible to see builders’ joinery, products for interior design, indoor and outdoor arrangements, equipment for heating and cooling, materials and products for building and products which technically protect, upgrade or refresh our homes. It reflects modern trends in the field of construction, energy use, energy systems, house technique and accommodation in general. One of the distinctive components of these trends is also the environmental awareness of those who build and use building premises. These are the newly stressed guidelines of sustainable civil engineering or new green technologies.

THE EXHIBITION PROGRAMME IN DIFFERENT HALLS

HALL A1/ MESTNA HALL – builders’ joinery, garage doors, fence systems, technical security
HALL A/KUPOLA – prefabricated houses, builders' joinery
HALL A/AVLA – insurance companies, publishing, blinds, builders' joinery etc.
HALL A/GALLERY – catering business
PASSAGE A-A2 – media partners
HALL A2/KOCKA – builders' joinery, group Vila Bravum
HALL B/MARMORNA HALL – air conditioning and heating technique, bathrooms and sanitary equipment
HALL B2/MARMORNA HALL FOYER – heating equipment, stoves, sanitary equipment, publishing
HALL B CELLAR/STEBRNA HALL – cooling and heating technique
HALL B2 CELLAR/POVODNI MOŽ – heating technique, waste-water treatment plants, tools
HALL C/STEKLENA HALL – roof coverings
HALL D/FONTANA – blinds, builders' joinery, floorings, saunas and swimming pools, technical equipment for pools, furniture and garden furniture
HALL E/JURČEK – stoves, fireplaces
HALL S/SONET – civil engineering, facades, colours, lacquer, publishing
HALL G/GAZELA – lectures and counselling for the fair's visitors, workshops for children
HALL O/ODA – civil engineering, prefabricated houses, colours and lacquer, fences, ironmongery work, stairs, floorings and wall coverings, parquets, laminates, arrangement accessories, waste-water treatment plants, heating and cooling
EXTERIOR – fireplaces, stoves, chimneys, cement products, builders' joinery, swimming pools and technical equipment for pools, equipment for gardens and home surroundings, construction products and materials, catering

PROGRAMME ACCOMPANYING THE FAIR

There will be a rich programme accompanying the fair’s exhibitions and the programme is being prepared by the ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute and Association of Wood and Furniture Industry at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce.

Free counselling and workshops, organized by the ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute,

Hall Gazelle (G), complex Apel, 1st floor

6 – 11 March 2012
Free energy counselling for ENSVET citizens
Individual expert advice for citizens

Counselling for the fair's visitors will be carried out by energy experts of the project ENSVET (www.ensvet.si) and experts of the ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute. ENSVET is the project of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Environment, the activities have been co-financed by the Eco Fund and the Slovenian Environmental Public Fund, and the contractor is ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute.  

At the same time various thematic expert lectures will take place at the exhibition venue. The lecturers are energy advisers of the ENSVET network and experts from the ZRMK Civil Engineering Institute who work in the field of living environment, construction physics and energy in buildings, materials and constructions, traffic routes and infrastructure and geotechnics and geology.

Activities of Eco Fund, Slovenian Environmental Public Fund, which are responsible for giving loans and co-financing environment friendly investments of individuals and legal entities will also be presented.

7 – 9 March 2012
Shorter expert workshops

Areas that will be discussed: energy efficient vehicles, energy efficient neighbourhoods, energy efficient building and renovation of apartment buildings, networking and training of experts for production of energy cards and energy check-ups and environmental and sustainable evaluation of buildings, with the emphasis on green public procurements, LCA and LCC. International projects of the programme Intelligent Energy Europe ENFORCE, Clean Drive, AFTER, Energy Neighbourhoods 2, Come2CoM, ESOLi, BUY SMART, TABULA and BUILD UP Skills Slovenia and research project of the programme FP7 OPEN HOUSE in the area of development of the indicators of sustainable civil engineering will also be presented at the fair.

6 March 2012, at 10 a.m.
Decree about green public procurements, an opportunity and a challenge for carpenters and builders
Organised by the Association of Wood and Furniture Industry at the Slovenian Chamber Of Commerce with partners.
Hall Urška, GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre Business premises, 2nd floor.

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS

Since the year 2010 the Association of Wood and Furniture Industry at the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre have been giving Green Mission prizes and distinctions for energy efficient and environment friendly products. This year 11 companies have entered the competition. The prize will be awarded at the official opening on 6 March  at 2 p.m. in the hall Urška.
Four members of the committee:

•    Friderik Knez, B.Sc. of Physics (president)
•    Dr. Manja Kitek Kuzman, B. Sc. of Architecture
•    Dr. Marjana Šijanec Zavrl, B.Sc. of Civil Engineering
•    Dr. Niko Torelli, prof. dr. h.c.

have chosen a product which has been through its entire life cycle – from natural sources, manufacturing and use, up to its decomposition – environment friendly. Environmental suitability has been evaluated by the committee on the basis of  several parameters.


Last year an expert committee awarded the prize to the company M Sora from Žiri for the wooden window Udobje E 92.

OPENING

The official opening of the 51st HOME international fair will take place on Tuesday, 6 March  2012, at 2 p.m. in the hall Urška (2nd floor, Dunajska 18). The event will be officially opened by Radovan Žerjav, the Minister of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia.
 

LAST YEAR’S 50th ANNIVERSARY OF HOME FAIR

HOME international fair has been organized by GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, and it is a fair with the longest tradition and the largest scope considering exhibition areas, the number of exhibitors and visitors. Last year the 50th anniversary was marked with a ceremony, and the fair was officially opened by dr. Danilo Türk, the president of the Republic of Slovenia. This jubilee is not only a proof of civil engineering development in our country, but also the proof of development of the fair activities at the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Fifty years ago HOME fair was part of the programme which progressively encouraged cross-border economic cooperation among Italy, Austria and ex-Yugoslavia under the brand name Alpe-Adria. 173 exhibitors participated at the 1st fair which lasted for nine days, and it took place in all three halls of the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre which were built up to that time. Since the last year's HOME fair the events of the fair, as well as the other events, have been taking place in the complex Apel (former Slovenijales), which was built in 1979, and it is physically connected with the neighbouring premises of the GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Both buildings were designed by the architect Milan Mihelič who was one of the main designers in the group responsible for constructing GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. In the rented premises there are 7907 square metres of useful exhibition areas in three floors, and there are additional 4,600 square metres of service-warehouse areas in the second basement.

CATALOGUE

When buying a ticket the visitors get the fair's catalogue where it is possible to see the exhibition programme for each individual hall, the exhibitors of this year's fair and where it is possible to find them. In the catalogue there is also a detailed programme accompanying the fair and the Green Mission prize, and one can also find in it expert articles about the specific problems in the field of civil engineering etc.

AWARDS FOR THE VISITORS

Like every year GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre is preparing rich awards this year as well. The exhibitors will contribute the awards. When buying a ticket, each visitor gets a prize coupon to participate in the play contest

ENTRANCE FEES

•    7,00 € - regular tickets (adults)
•    5,00 € - discount tickets (children 7 – 16, school children, students, seniors)
•    Free entry – children under 7; disabled with an attendant  

From March 6 – 10 ticket offices will be opened from 9.15 a.m. until 7 p.m.,
on March 11 they will be opened from 9.15 a.m. until 5.30 p.m.

THE FAIR IS OPEN FOR PUBLIC:

•    6 - 10 March 2012: from 9.30 a.m. until 7.30 p.m.
•    11 March 2012: from 9.30 a.m. until 6 p.m.

EPRESS CENTRE

The press centre at GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention centre is in the lobby of the Marble Hall and during the fair the press centre is opened from 9.15 a.m. till 7 p.m., only on the last day the fair closes at 5 p.m. All current fair information is available to the journalists who can also get an accreditation there if they have not done this previously through the website of GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre.   

FAIR ON THE WEBSITE

HOME fair 2012 can be found on the website: www.home-fair.si

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Feb 16, 2012

CEFA 2012

Focus issues: CEFA 2012
•    Admission of new members
•    Seminars for junior staff and specialists
•    Expansion of communication measures

VIENNA (7th February 2012). -  At a press discussion held in Vienna on the 7th February 2012 the president of the Central European Fair Alliance (CEFA), Matthias Limbeck, (CEO – Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien), Klaus Dittrich, chairman of the CEFA General Assembly, (chairman of the board of directors at Messe München GmbH), and Franz Reisbeck, the CEFA general secretary, introduced a programme of tasks agreed for the CEFA in 2012. Core issues in 2012 include the expansion of the portfolio of members, further training and education seminars, cooperation with European Union committees and the continued expansion of communication measures for alliance members. The expertise of the CEFA in the central and south-eastern European markets and the cooperation of its members have facilitated the creation of modern exhibition platforms acknowledged by the respective industries looking to integrate these regions in their business plans. The latest market report demonstrates the economic potency of the CEFA membership.

Matthias Limbeck, CEFA president in 2012, describes the main task for his period in office as the acquisition of members from the CEFA regions to develop the networking environment within the given limits. In 2012 the Ljubljana exhibition company Gospodarsko razstavišče (GR) rejoined the CEFA having left the alliance in 2006. Matthias Limbeck: ‘During my period in office I consider it to be of great importance to attract other exhibition businesses to the CEFA. This will bridge the gap that occurred when Incheba Praha and Incheba Bratislava left the alliance. I am already setting up discussions on this topic’.

Seminars

There are two training events on the CEFA agenda for 2012 – the Young Professionals Seminar (YPS) and the CEFA Experts Meeting (CEM). CEFA chairman Klaus Dittrich underlined the value of these free events for CEFA members. ‘The proposals for seminar topics were generated within CEFA circles and therefore correspond with the information requirements of our membership. They are current issues to be covered by CEFA experts and other external specialists. This ensures the strong and active participation of all member businesses and lively discourse among the participants beyond the seminars themselves’.

The Young Professionals Seminar (YPS) is dedicated to a continuation of the training of young exhibition sector employees and the creation of their own networking platform. The next YPS takes place on the 18th – 20th April 2012 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The themes chosen were ‘Strategies and concepts for side events’ and ‘Trends in B2C events’.

The goal of the CEFA Experts Meeting (CEM) is to deepen the knowledge of specialists in the member expo organisations. The next CEM is to be held on the 22nd and 23rd November 2012 at the Hungexpo in Budapest, Hungary and ‘European Union Danube Strategy’ has been selected as the theme. Discussions are to be held with representatives of the EU on how to integrate transport and logistics shows, as well as those in environmental technology, tourism and security, into the EU Danube strategy.

CEFA 2020

The CEFA president and CEFA chairman are both of the opinion that the CEFA 2020 concept should continue to be propagated. This involves expanding bilateral cooperation to include external organisations and institutions, such as those encouraging export activity, various sector-related clusters, chambers of commerce and universities. Among other measures, internal and external communication is to be enhanced with a blog for YPS participants. Important specialist issues on the agenda include activities in the Danube Basin economic region and current challenges facing the trade fair industry in the Danube/Alps/Adriatic region.

Media spokespersons:

Franz Reisbeck                   
CEFA General Secretary               
Email: cefa.reisbeck@mnet-mail.de       

Dr. Eva Seisser
PR Manager CEFA
Email: cefa.seisser@t-online.de

For Reed Exhibitions Messe Wien:

Paul Hammerl
Head of Press & PR
Email: paul.hammerl@messe.at

CEFA - Central European Fair Alliance

CEFA is the Central European Fair Alliance and was founded in January 1995. CEFA is an alliance of important expo organisations from central and south-eastern Europe. The expo organisers from Belgrade, Bolzano, Budapest, Budva, Bucharest, Celje, Graz, Klagenfurt, Ljubljana, Munich (Messe München, society for handicraft trade fairs), Novi Sad, Plovdiv, Pordenone, Sarajevo, Skopje, Sofia, Tirana and Vienna, and various other associated members and cooperating partners from Bucharest, Celje and Zagreb, are determined to strengthen the process of European integration by working together in the fields of marketing and public relations, sharing know-how and joining up for further training programmes. In view of the problems faced in an increasingly globalised market, CEFA aims to resolve these challenges with forward-thinking responses.
www.cefa.biz

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Jan 23, 2012

Alpe-Adria Show is Here Once Again

The end of January is already traditionally reserved for tourism at the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre. Following last year’s successful thematic and destination breakthrough of the refreshed largest tourist fair-type event in Slovenia, the Alps-Adriatic Working Community expressed its official support to Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure in October last year. As indicated by the name of the Show, in addition to presenting remote foreign destinations, it also includes the tourist offer of the Alps-Adriatic region, which is tailor-made for the visitor, i.e. it is organised by tourist products. The largest novelty of this year’s Show is Wine and Gastronomy, which will provide a rich range of tastes of the Mediterranean kitchen and Slovenian wines.
The Boat Show, which takes place at the same time, will showcase boats up to 10 m in length and other nautical equipment and services. The honorary patrons of the Show are the Ministry of Economy of the RS and City Municipality of Ljubljana. This year, on 9,000 sq. metres of exhibition surfaces, over 300 providers of tourist services from 11 countries and 16 nautical companies present themselves. At the official opening, which will take place on the first day of the Show, 26 January at 7:30 pm at the Jurček pavilion, the Jakob Prize will also be presented.

The Significance of Regional Integration

This year, the Alps-Adriatic Working Community has also officially certified the Alpe-Adria Show as the central tourist event of the Alps-Adriatic region. The event integrates 10 individual regions of Italy, Austria, Hungary with Slovenia and Croatia in their entirety. This considerable achievement not only of the central fair event in the field of tourism and leisure in Slovenia, but also of the development of tourism in general, positions Ljubljana as the tourist centre of the region, which is thus developing into a recognisable business junction of leading tourism actors of the region and also the wider area. The Alps-Adriatic region is also becoming more attractive for organised visits of tourists from remote destinations such as China, Japan, the USA, etc. As emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, the Secretary General of the Community: “We need a joint approach for the joint marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets around the world – after all, the Working Community stretches from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia. Slovenia and Croatia have already set a good example and I hope that the marketing experts from other parts of the region will join them for the benefit of all of us. We should not perceive each other only as competition. Our common Alps-Adriatic region has so much to offer.” The Show, with its destination breakthrough in the Alps-Adriatic region, which is home to 14.8 million inhabitants on 136,245 square metres, enables the integration of local, small-sized tourist services providers and endeavours for their greater visibility not only within the region but also on other remote markets.

The mission of the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show is the promotion of friendship, understanding and multicultural dialogue and integration in the field of tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region and its presentation in other markets. Such integration of 5 different cultures and languages within Europe represents a significant tool for international communication and the marketing of its tourist potential.

Tourism in the Alps-Adriatic Region

Why not discover the land of our national minorities abroad, drive to Lake Balaton or visit Austrian destinations, which are close by and easily accessible? In addition to Slovenia and Croatia, the following regions within the general Alps-Adriatic region present themselves in their entirety:
•    Friuli Venezia Giulia, Lombardy and Veneto from Italy, which are represented by the Italian National Tourist Organisation ENIT
•    Carinthia from Austria
•    Baranja and Vas county from Hungary, which are represented by the Hungarian National

Tourist Organisation

In addition to Croatia, Slovenia is the only other country covered by the Alps-Adriatic region in its entirety. This year’s Show presents the following Slovenian tourist destinations i.e. regions according to STB: Gorenjska, Osrednjeslovenska (Central Slovenian region), Goriška – the Emerald Route, Obalno-kraška (Coastal-Karst region), Notranjsko-kraška (Notranjska-Karst region), Jugovzhodna Slovenija (SE Slovenia), Spodnjeposavska, Zasavska, Savinjska, Podravska, Koroška and Pomurska region. Slovenian exhibitors will include all significant tourism protagonists, ranging from the Slovenian Tourist Board, Slovenian National Tourist Association and Tourism Ljubljana as partners of the Show, to various local associations, which will make sure that the programme of the Show will be lively, diverse, green, tasty and entertaining. Numerous providers of leisure and sports equipment, from golf, snowboarding to cycling and beyond, also present themselves at the Show.

Destinations Outside of the Alps-Adriatic Region

This year, the Show also presents other foreign destinations: Italy and Hungary on the national level, Tunisia, Morocco, Spain, Turkey, Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Morocco, the most western Arab country and one of the most attractive tourist destinations in Africa, presents itself at the Show for the first time.

Tourist Offer Organised According to Tourist Products

The following important novelty of the Show is the organisation of the offer according to tourist products. The exhibitors’ tourist offer at the Show is presented based on the four most recognisable categories of spending leisure time and holidays: holidays by destinations, active leisure, trips and travelling adventures. A marking system with special icons guides the visitors through the Show. The Association of Slovene Tourist Guides offers organised tours of the Show (and also Ljubljana) and expert consulting services.

This Year’s Novelty: Wine and Gastronomy

In cooperation with the Slovene Association of Chefs and Confectioners and other partners, Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show will also host a real International cooking competition, the Global Chef Challenge, which will take place in front of a live audience of visitors. The challenge for the best chef will be extended also to junior chefs under 23 years of age, i.e. the Hans Bueschkens Junior Chef Challenge. You will be able to marvel at the preparation of three-course menus in the company of top master chefs; ten will be prepared each day. And you will also be able to taste them… the competitors will have three mandatory ingredients at their disposal: Kobe beef for entrees, white sole for the main course and strawberries for dessert. The three ingredients must be included in a three-course menu; what and how these are used and how they are treated and what additional ingredients they will include is up to the chefs. Within the framework of Vinska družba Slovenije, wine tasting will be organised at the Show. More we know about wine as one of the goods of civilisation, the more it interests us and we are able to enjoy it more sensually. The wine tastings will also provide an opportunity for advice on the culture of drinking and responsible drinking and on the similarities and differences among wines.

The Jakob Prize

Let us recall that in June 2010 the main actors of Slovenian tourism established an Expert Committee of the Show, which includes 33 members and is presided over by Janez Bogataj, PhD. One of the incentives of the Board is the international Jakob Prize, which the GR -Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre awarded for excellence and quality in tourism in the field of gastronomy for the first time last year. The first award recipient was the Project of Hotel Triglav Bled, Chef Uroš Štefelin Culinary School.

This year’s subject of the Jakob prize is Innovative Tourist Products in the Field of Alternative Forms of Vacation and Relaxation. The international expert jury, presided over by Prof. Janez Bogataj, PhD, and composed of Joško Sirk, Italy, Lojze Wieser, Austria, and Miloš Milovanović, Serbia, has decided this year, in accordance with the set criteria, to award two prizes of equal value to:

- The project of the Ecological Village of Forest Fairies at Camping Bled, Sava Turizem d.d. - Camping Bled and

- project from Austrian Styria called the Nature Park in Motion, Nature Park Zirbitzkogel-Grebenzen.

From the jury’s substantiation:
The project of the Ecological Village of Forest Fairies at Camping Bled represents an innovation of the services currently offered by campgrounds. Its innovation is the fact that the houses originate from the local tourist heritage (culture, forestry) and that the tourist content (food, sanitary facilities, etc.) builds on the local culture. The special value of the project is that the tourist offer was created in a relatively simple manner, without excessive investment. Nonetheless, the results are enviable.

The project from Austrian Styria, the Nature Park in Motion, is similarly an example of distinctive innovation, which is connected with the central aspiration of the global tourist development, i.e. of natural and sustainable development. The project is of extraordinary high quality, including its infrastructure, and is based on the reading of nature through the culture or reading. The jury believes that this could be a good model not only for Austria but also for the comprehensive European tourist endeavours. The jury also found that although this year the number of applied projects was relatively high, the applicants did not understand the purpose and goals of the competition and particularly its subject - the emphasis of which, as always, is on innovation.

Jakob is the allegory for the “first” tourist, tourist traveller: such a tourist that Europe desires in its efforts to develop this important industry and social movement – that has its origins in the second half of the18th century but has a much longer history – in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. It is precisely this dimension of the tourist cultural heritage, characteristically symbolised by Jakob, which we would like to mark with the most visible, innovative, creative and other movements in the tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region.
The subject of the competition for the 2013 Jakob prize will be: Innovative and Original Ways of Including Immovable Cultural Heritage in Tourism.

Content Aimed at Tourism Industry Professionals

The content of the Show aimed at tourism industry professionals builds upon the programme from last year. This year, the 1st day of the Show will host the meetings of two professional organisations of the Alps-Adriatic region: the Association of Slovene Tourist Guides and FIJET travel journalists will meet with employees of the tourist industry, trademark administrators and press representatives to resolve the issue of the necessity of a trademark of the Alps-Adriatic region.  The partners of the Show for the purpose of this project include Tourism Ljubljana and the Slovenian Tourist Board.
Press representatives are invited to join them on 26 January at 10:00 am in the Urška Hall. On the 2nd day of the Show, the Travel Zoom Focus business conference will take place, which is organised by the Faculty of Tourist Studies Turistica in cooperation with the Go.mice company.  

Show Programme

The Press Centre will operate for the duration of the Show in the Foyer of the Marmorna Hall, where all up-to-date Show information will be available to journalists. Journalists can also get accreditation there, if they have not completed the procedure via the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre webpage. The Press Centre is open from 9:45 am to 6:30 pm, on the last day of the Show it closes at 4:30 pm. Advance sale of tickets is available until Wednesday, 25 January.

www.alpeadria-tourismshow.com

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Nov 14, 2011

22nd Ambient Ljubljana – Furniture Fair successfully completed

The Fair, which was officially opened on Tuesday, 8 November, by President of the National Council of Republic of Slovenia Blaž Kavčič, MSc, closed its doors on Sunday, 13 November. Over the 6 days, the Fair showcased 297 companies from 19 countries on 25,300 m2 of exhibition surfaces. As in previous years, the Top Ten prizes were presented for best creative achievements in the field of design. This year, the highest prize among the 10 was awarded to Toni Kancilja for the solid wood cabinet manufactured by Mitja Bolčič, Mizarstvo Bolčič. Three equal prizes for the Best Exhibition Space were presented to: company Kolpa, d.d., Metlika, project Alpe-Adria Holz/Les – Collignum, and company Pobles. The Golden Plaque of the Naš dom magazine (the Večer publishing house) and the prize awarded by the Designers Society of Slovenia were also presented. The furniture exhibition was accompanied by the supporting programme, which included expert conferences, round tables and exhibitions. The Fair was attended by 35,500 visitors.

The recipient of the highest prize awarded by GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre was selected by special international jury presided over by Prof. Janez Koželj. The cabinet Istra, made of solid wood, was chosen since »it proves that wood represents an immense source of inspiration to the designer. Although wood may be used in various combinations and forms, let them be organic or geometric, its natural properties are always expressed. The designer of the awarded product used wood in a manner to preserve its characteristics of a living, organic part of nature, together with its record of life, and thus creating direct and consistently achieved useful form, without unnecessary additions or ornaments.« Upon receiving 2 prizes, the Top 10 and the Top of the Top prize, designer Toni Kancilja stated: »The prizes embody the strongest bond between the master, who creates the object, and the designer, who envisions it. This bond is necessary; without it, there is no success. The award is thus the confirmation that this bond is very strong.« Mitja Bolčič, Mizarstvo Bolčič: »These prizes are even more significant since we received them for prototypes, which were produced at the last minute, spontaneously, while controlling the construction of unpredictable, but because of long years of experience, on the basis of predictable characteristics of wood.«

In addition to receiving the prize for the Best Exhibition Space awarded by GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre, the Alpe-Adria Holz/Les - Collignum project also won the prize of the Designers Society of Slovenia. Upon this occasion, designer Andrej Mercina, from the company Trije arhitekti, said: »The two prizes have special meaning particularly in the context of the background, the story itself, which goes beyond the Collignum trademark products and the exhibition space itself. Through the Alpe-Adria Holz/Les project, at the persistence of the project manager Mrs. Marina Einspieler (Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry from Klagenfurt) and co-workers, and on the basis of ideals of interregional, intergenerational and interdisciplinary cooperation alongside all possible problems, which occur in such multi-member group, we are successful in uniting new design energy with awakened traditional joiners’ knowledge and contemporary technology. The design of furniture elements consciously reaches for the widest range of design themes and aims for the widest target public since we would like to transpose the described high standards of the Collignum brand to the general public. The exhibition space was thus seemingly easy to design; we only had to faithfully follow the cleverly conceived connecting thread of local specifics, ecological sensitivity and commitment to wood. The prizes are the best possible epilogue of this first phase of the Collignum project, a project with a message.«

Another company also received 2 prizes at the 22nd Ambient Ljubljana Furniture Fair; the Top 10 prize and the Golden Plaque of the Naš dom magazine for 2011 were awarded to the company Brest pohištvo d.o.o. for the multifunctional programme ALTERA, designed by Matej Velušček. »The prizes again confirm the correct direction of development of multifunctional furniture of the company Brest pohištvo d.o.o., which began years ago with the Modulo prototype programme. The prizes provide the development team of the company Brest with additional motivation and impetus«, told Velušček and added, »before joining Brest as a designer in February 2011, I was employed in one of the architectural offices in Ljubljana. This switch to industrial design succeeded me very well. The prizes of the Ambient Ljubljana – Furniture Fair provide me, as a beginner, with assurance and additional motivation for the future. It is a good start.«

Congratulations to all prize recipients! More about the prizes and the accompanying programme available at http://www.pohistveni-sejem.si/za-obiskovalce/obsejemski-program-in-nagrade-za-razstavljavce/

The next Ambient Ljubljana – Furniture Fair will take place at GR – Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre between 5 and 11 November 2012.

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Nov 2, 2011

Spinning new ambients!

Ambient Ljubljana – Furniture Fair is the largest exhibition of furniture and interior design in Slovenia, which is traditionally organised by the GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre each year in November. This year, 297 companies from 19 countries present themselves on 25,300 m2 of exhibition surfaces in all available halls, including the Apel hall complex (as GR has named the Slovenijales building), and on the external surfaces. Blaž Kavčič, MSc, President of the National Council of the Republic of Slovenia, will officially open the Fair on Tuesday, 8 November, at 1:00 pm. As in previous years, Top Ten prizes will be awarded for the best creative achievements in the field of design, as well as the prize for the Best exhibition space and many others.

The Fair is not only an exhibition where the achievements and latest trends in the furniture industry are exhibited under the same roof, but also aims to draw attention of the general public – in 6 days approximately 40,000 or more visitors attend the Fair – to the significance of design and to the functional and aesthetic elements of living spaces. GR - Ljubljana Exhibition and Convention Centre is thus the initiator of a rich accompanying programme and in cooperation with individual partners presents the following:

• Top Ideas – Design Trade Show, where young perspective architects and designers present their conceptual designs. The trade show is an exhibition available to the visitors and at the same time an opportunity for the professional public and industry representatives to make contact with the authors of inventive, creative, and innovative design solutions.

• Exhibitions of students from various higher education institutions, which deal with design or landscaping

Academy of Fine Arts and Design, University of Ljubljana:
➢ Department of Industrial Design
➢ Department of Visual Communication
➢ Department of Glass and Ceramic Design

Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana:
➢ Department of Landscape Architecture
➢ Department of Wood Technology

Academy of Design in Ljubljana

In cooperation with the Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ljubljana and the Delo and Slovenske novice supplement Deloindom, Architectural Dialogue – architectural counselling by students of architecture – takes place also this year.

• Exhibition of the Designers Society of Slovenia – exhibition of achievements marking the 20th anniversary of the Society

Thursday, 10 November, 10:00 am, Urška hall (2 lectures and a round table):
• Connecting design and the industry – cooperation between designers and the industry for better business results and increased competitiveness of Slovenian economy
Organised by: Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban region

Wednesday, 9 November, 10:00 am, Urška hall:
• Slovenian wood processing – a look into the future: a conference and a round table on the vision of restructuring of the wood processing sector
Organised by: Furniture and wood processing association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia

The Fair is open: daily from 10:00 am to 8:00 pm, on Sunday 13 November the Fair closes at 6:00 pm. Regular ticket costs EUR 7.00, from 25 October advance sale tickets are available at a uniform price of EUR 7, concessions EUR 5, children up to 7 years of age and the disabled with a person assisting a wheelchair user – free of charge. Visitors receive a Fair Catalogue and may enter a prize draw for attractive prizes contributed by the exhibitors.


www.furniture-fair.si

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Oct 20, 2011

The Alpe-Adria Show also the official centre of the region

The Alps-Adriatic Working Community has officially confirmed the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show as the central tourism event of the Alps-Adriatic region, which includes 10 individual regions of Italy, Austria and Hungary, as well as Slovenia and Croatia in their entirety.

Thanks to this great success of the central fair event in the field of tourism and leisure, Ljubljana has turned into the tourist hub of the region and is thus becoming a highly visible business junction of the leading tourism actors of the region and wider areas. The Alps-Adriatic region is progressively gaining in popularity mostly due to the organised tours for tourists from remote countries, such as China, Japan, USA, etc. As emphasised by Wolfgang Platzer, PhD, the Secretary General of the Community, »we need a joint approach for the joint marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets around the world – after all, the Working Community stretches from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia.«

Let us remember: In January 2011 the Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show made a successful thematic and geographic breakthrough in the region as the only Show presenting the tourist offer organised by destinations, from which the exhibitors originate, and by products of the exhibition programme. Within this offer, the visitors could identify themselves according to the 4 common types of tourists – from active, to laid-back holidaymakers, trip-makers and adventurers.

The next Alpe-Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show will take place between 26 and 29 January 2012 and will significantly upgrade this year’s concept of the Show with the following novelties:

• Expert meeting of tourist agencies of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Global Chef Challenge live in front of the visitors
• Expert meeting of FIJET travel journalists of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Expert meeting of tourist guides of the Alps-Adriatic region
• Numerous expert lectures as part of Travel Zoom and Focus.

The organisers are preparing many more professional events and also the possibility of a guided tour of the Show for the visitors.

Part of the Show will again be the Jakob prize, the prize for quality and excellence in tourism of the Alps-Adriatic region. The subject of the Jakob 2012 competition is: Innovative tourist products in the field of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation. An international expert jury with members from the areas of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, presided over by Professor Janez Bogataj, PhD, will assess the projects that bring innovative tourist products in various areas of alternative forms of leisure and relaxation and thus contribute to the tourist offers of the cities and areas of the region. When assessing, the jury will follow the provisions and guidelines for sustainable and natural development. Various tourist programmes and themes providers from the mentioned field, i.e. alternative forms of leisure and relaxation, may apply for the Jakob 2012 prize.

The first Jakob prize was awarded for the project by Hotel Triglav Bled – Chef Uroš Štefelin Culinary School in the field of gastronomy. Marcela Klofutar, Executive Director of Hotel Triglav Bled, explained the significance of the prize for their endeavours in rising awareness about eating and drinking culture and habits in Slovenia: »Within the framework of the Culinary School we organise cooking workshops for children, adults, companies, etc., as well as presentations of catering professions at elementary schools for parents and counsellors. Foreigners get to know our culture, nature, and customs through these cooking workshops and thus spread the good word about Slovenian culinary beyond our borders. «

The last Show in January 2011 presented 332 providers of tourist services and 20 nautical companies from the region. In addition to the tourist offer of the Alps-Adriatic region, the Show also presented more remote destinations, such as the countries of former Yugoslavia, Spain and Turkey. Approximately 16,000 visitors and 265 Slovenian and foreign press representatives attended the refreshed event.

More information:

Špela Bratun, Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show, 01 300 26 20, spela.bratun@gr-sejem.si
Marjana Lavrič, Head of Public Relations, 041 236 912, marjana.lavric@gr-sejem.si

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Sep 27, 2011

Alpe–Adria Fair – Linking Cultures of the Alps-Adriatic region

The world day of tourism 2011 under the slogan »Tourism – linking cultures« celebrates the role of tourism in removing barriers among cultures and in encouraging tolerance, respect and mutual understanding.
As the organizers of the leading tourist fair in the Alps-Adriatic region, we too are aware of the importance of linking various cultures, this is why we established a mutual partnership for this year's Fair with the Project Group on Tourism at the Alps-Adriatic Working Community and with the honourable sponsors, Ministry of the Economy of the Republic of Slovenia and City Municipality of Ljubljana, aimed at converting the tourist fair into a meeting point of Alps-Adriatic tourist actors.
The necessity of linking on a regional level was emphasized by Dr. Wolfgang Platzer, Secretary General of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, who used the opportunity of the Fair opening ceremony in January to state: »… I believe it's time to make a step further: we need a common approach for the common marketing of the whole region in interesting tourist markets across the world – after all, the Working Community covers the area from Lombardy to Hungary, from Burgenland to the far south of Croatia. Slovenia and Croatia are examples of good practice and I hope that marketing experts from other parts of the region will follow them to our common benefit. We must not perceive each other as competitors as our common Alps–Adriatic region really has a lot to offer«, concluded Platzer.

The mission of the Alpe–Adria: Tourism and Leisure Show is to encourage friendship, understanding and multicultural dialogue as well as to establish links in the field of tourism in the Alps-Adriatic region and present tourism to people outside the region. Connecting five different cultures and languages within Europe in this manner is an important tool of international communication and is essential for marketing the tourist potential of the region.

You are kindly invited to have a look at and read the World Tourism Day 2011 Message.

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Sep 12, 2011

Top ideas invite you to face your creative challenges

Are you bursting with ideas from the summer months? Excellent! Early application for TOP IDEAS 2011, i.e. the Design Trade Show, which was introduced last year at the Ambient Fair and which showcased over 40 young designers, will provide you with the opportunity to present your conceptual ideas in international competition.

Let us remind you that projects from the field of culture of living, such as furniture, lights, hangers, small tabletop items, etc., may include any and all levels of the design process (conceptual design, idea projects, models, prototypes, etc.) preceding industrial production. The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia will award three TOP solutions. We invite you to submit your application (see www.topideje.si) at the latest by Wednesday, 28th September of this year. We wish you all success with your designs!

Detailed information on: www.topideje.com

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