Staff Report 

“Inter-tabac is and will remain the number one of the industry; the world’s largest trade fair for tobacco products and smoking accessories once again confirmed the aforementioned over the last three days,” said Sabine Loos, chairman and c.e.o. of Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH and managing director of Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH. With 303 exhibitors (2010:287) from a total of 40 countries, the trade fair set a new record.

The next record followed directly thereafter: 7,987 trade visitors (+ 11.8%) and, thus, more than ever before informed themselves about products from the fields of tobacco products, smoking accessories, media products, shop equipment, liquor, and wines between September 23 and 25, 2011 in the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund. The non-profit supporting organization of Inter-tabac, the Handelsverband Nordrhein-Westfalen e. V., Fachbereich Tabakwaren [Trade-Association of North Rhine-Westfalia, Department of Tobacco Products], is pleased with the constant success of the specialized trade fair: “Inter-tabac is a first class trade fair; there is no other way of expressing it. It is the leading trade fair of the tobacco products industry. The German specialized trade was represented strongly on the first trade fair day already and utilized the opportunity to obtain information on national and international products. Since on the basis of its increasing internationality, Inter-tabac allows for an overview over the worldwide product portfolios,” said managing director Thomas Schäfer. The trade visitors came from the entire federal territory and abroad to visit Inter-tabac. The share of foreign trade visitors again increased slightly: this year, 29% of the visitors came from abroad, including visitors from Africa, Asia, and the Middle East, as well as from the US which resulted from the survey implemented by an independent trade fair market research institute.

“An absolute success!”
As the international importance of Inter-tabac is constantly increasing, the exhibitors prepared accordingly: “This year, we had significantly more people from the field of export at our booth, and it was worth it”, said Gudrun Waggin, sales & marketing director with OCB. “Visitors from Europe, many of which came from Eastern Europe, Asia, South America, and Indonesia visited us. Many of our customers from the field of specialized trade already visited us on Friday, whereby they made large amounts of time to obtain comprehensive information about the products and novelties”, said Waggin. Her conclusion: “For us, Inter-tabac was an absolute success!”
The internationality did not only increase on part of the visitors. This year, the share of foreign exhibiting companies reached a peak value of 48%.
KT & G, a huge player from the Republic of Korea, was represented. The cigarette manufacturing company exports its brands to the US, to China, and to Central and South Asia and now wants to develop the European market as well.
“We are very happy with the turnout of Inter-tabac,” said brand manager Kelly Song. “We have had very good discussions and have now established contact with some European distributors. However, people from Africa and from South and North America also visited out booth,” added Song. The company also participates in other international specialized trade fairs. However, Song is convinced: “Inter-tabac is the number one in the branch; we will be back next year.”

Tobacco industry in the ascendant
The tobacco industry is in the ascendant and, contrary to any restrictions imposed on it, it is further able to generate growth.
Within the framework of the press conference of Inter-tabac, Patrick Engels, chairman of the Verband der deutschen Rauchtabakindustrie e. V. – VdR [German Smoking Tobacco Association] announced sales of €11.65 billion (US$15.4 billion)for the first half of 2011, corresponding to an increase in turnover of the sum of all tobacco products of €600 million.
The trade fair visitors were also optimistic regarding the current industry development: more than half of the respondents, compared to 45.1% in 2010, perceive the current economic situation of the industry as increasing.
Correlating to the aforementioned, the per capita sales figures on Inter-tabac also increased this year – and significantly so: the volume of the per capita sales figures increased from €11,362 to €18,944, corresponding to an increase of 66%! 78.8% of the trade fair visitors had already ordered goods at the time the survey took place. Hence, the exhibitors turned over a total amount of €115 million within the framework of Inter-tabac.
“With respect to the contacts, Inter-tabac was absolutely incredible,” said Wiljo van Maren, managing director of Arnold André. “Our booth was visited by customers from 45 different nations and by approximately 300 to 400 German specialized dealers. Of course, the high frequency was also caused by the fact that we accepted the Davidoff portfolio. Next year we will definitely need more space,” said van Maren.

High visitor quality
Uli Kotschenreuther, managing director of AKRA Kotschenreuther GmbH, is equally enthusiastic about this year’s Inter-tabac.
“The trade fair was a great success for us, even more than in 2010. We had strong sales figures due to international customers, but the German specialized trade and wholesale sector were represented strongly as well. The quality of the trade visitors is good to very good here in Dortmund.”
The results of the visitor survey also speak in favor of the high quality of the trade visitors: Inter-tabac is predominantly visited by independent companies, managing directors and branch managers. According to the results of the survey, approximately nine out of ten trade visitors have a decisive, co-decisive, or consulting function regarding purchasing decisions within their company.

Inter-tabac ASIA already booked well
DAN tobacco manufacturing GmbH recorded a booming export business: “We had hardly any slack; it went like clockwork,” said managing director Maria Sousa. “We have established international contacts to distributors in Portugal, Korea, and Russia and have already made a couple of direct transactions. We are very satisfied. Inter-tabac is the absolute highlight for us and we will definitely participate in Inter-tabac ASIA in 2012”, adds Sousa.
Exhibitor Hoffmann Neopac AG will also follow Inter-tabac to Manila.
“The Asian market is very important for us,” said Rudolf Zirlewagen, sales manager exports & key accounts. The core business of the Swiss company is the manufacture of pocket packages and containers for the confectionery, tobacco, cosmetics, and foodstuff industries. The company has been participating in Inter-tabac in Dortmund for a couple of years. “For us, Inter-tabac in Dortmund is the most important trade fair, because it is established. Here, we first and foremost meet many manufacturers from the fields of cigars and cigarillos,” explained Zirlewagen.
The foreign subsidiary of the Dortmund-based trade fair, to take place from march 15 to 17, 2012 for the first time in Manila, is well booked. “We have made many transactions even during the ongoing Inter-tabac and we were already able to convince numerous renowned companies from the fields of cigars, pipes, and smoking accessories of Inter-tabac ASIA”, said Angelika Bauer, responsible project director of Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund GmbH.

Revision of the tobacco products directive
Probably the most important topic of the industry, the revision of the tobacco products directive, was made the subject of this year’s Inter-tabac-Talk. Representatives from the industry, trade, and from associations discussed the possible effects of the planned EU measures such as uniform packagings for tobacco products without colours and logos, huge illustrated warnings, and a ban on presentation for tobacco products in the trade on trade fair Saturday under the title “Are we no longer allowed to decide for ourselves?”
As the leading trade fair, Inter-tabac provided for the proper framework regarding the efficient presentation of the novelties and successes of the tobacco products industry in 2011 as well.
Coveted awards such as Inter-tabac-Stars for the most interesting product novelties of the trade fair and the Cigar Trophy, the ‘Oscar of smoking culture’, for the qualitative achievements in the field of cigar production were awarded within the framework of the specialized trade fair.
The range of offers of Inter-tabac was deemed well on average. 43.7% of the trade visitors awarded the grade “good”; another 21.1% even awarded the grade “very good”. Nine out of ten trade visitors who already came to Dortmund in 2010 assessed Inter-tabac 2011 as better or equally good when compared to the previous year, 13.3% thereof even as significantly better.
According to the survey the most important objectives of visiting the trade fair in Dortmund first and foremost included maintaining and initiating business contacts, obtaining information about novelties and industry trends, as well as general information and market orientation. According to the information provided by the visitors, these objectives could be achieved even better this year than in 2010.
The most popular product groups on Inter-tabac 2011 were cigars, cigarillos, and cigarettes, smoking accessories, as well as shag, pipe tobacco, pipes, and cigarette paper. The exhibitors also declared themselves satisfied with the course of the trade fair. 78.4% of the exhibitors considered their expectations regarding Inter-tabac as completely or partially fulfilled, they were even exceeded in another 9.5%.

A glance into the future
One thing both the exhibitors and the visitors are preponderantly convinced of is that Inter-tabac is considered a settled industry event. Already at the time the survey was implemented, 93.5% of the visitors said that they intended to visit Inter-tabac in the next year as well.
A similar picture emerges regarding the exhibitors. Approximately nine out of ten exhibitors will definitely or very likely participate in the next Inter-tabac in Dortmund, 72.3% thereof to the same extent, while 23.1% intend to increase their booth surface area. The rest was still undecided at the time the survey was implemented.
In 2012, Inter-tabac will take place from September 14 to 16 at the Messe Westfalenhallen Dortmund. 

Inter-tabac Dortmund 2011 at a glance