The leading Turkish paint and coatings event, paintistanbul 2012, was held at the WOW Hotel and Convention Center September 13-15 for the CNR Expo Fair Center in Istanbul, Turkey. Attracting approximately 10,000 overall participants, the exhibition showcased a wide range of products from the paint and coatings industry and was regarded as the biggest show in Turkey and surrounding areas. 

“paintistanbul 2012 was the biggest event of Turkey and its region, which puts together paint, coatings, and raw material industries,” explained paintistanbul 2012 Event co-presidents Ahmet Yigitbasi and Hakan Fidan from the Turkish coatings and paint association Bosad.

With representatives from 16 countries, the exhibition was not only the biggest in Turkey, but it was applauded for its international diversity. Bosad, the organizer of the event, collaborated for the first time with two international partners, increasing the diversity of the event and drawing approximately 500 participants from the paint and coatings industry. 

“The show exceeded our expectations. We received many visitors, not only from Turkey but also from neighboring countries in both Europe and the Middle East,” said the president of Brilliant Group USA Darren Bianchi.

In addition to the international spectrum of the audience, there was an array of significant exhibitors present at paintistanbul2012. Thirty-one presentations were held by prominent exhibitors, such as AkzoNobel, BASF, Bayer, Buhler, DYO, Dow, Organik Kimya, Polisan, Wacker Chemie and Evonik.

The exhibition was promoted globally, with Bosad collaborating with the publishing house Vincentez Network and the exhibition company NurnburgMesse to organize and promote the event in Europe, South and East Asia, and North, Central, and South America. Thirteen percent of the trade visitors were from outside of Turkey, with four percent coming from Iran, Iraq, Azerbaijan and other countries within the Turk Republics as well as the Middle East.
Participants took notice of the diverse atmosphere of the event. “As a long standing exhibitor at the European Coatings Show, we appreciate the cooperation between its organizers and paintistanbul 2012. We have noticed the increasing significance of the trade show for the Turkish paint and coatings industry,” said Joachim Schulze, head of application service powder coatings at Schlenk-Metallic Pigments.

In addition to the diversity of the exhibition, the highly qualified audience was evident to participants. “Even though the show is much smaller than the European Coatings Show, it offered us a very good opportunity to gain insights into the Turkish market. Fifty percent of our booth visitors were international – from the Turk Republics, Middle East, Northern Africa and Asia,” said Massimo Vitelli, CEO of the Italian paint and Turbomill producer Mirodur.

The convention, which was held bilingually in Turkish and English, included several highlights and keynote speakers, including a presentation by Dirk Mestach from Nuplex Resins, who gave reports on compliance issues in the coatings industry.  George R. Pilcher, another keynote speaker from the ChemQuest Group, presented “Transformational Thinking Concept” as a valuable tool for innovation in coatings.

With its global diversity, qualified participants, and internationally known exhibitors in the paint and coatings industry, paintistanbul2012 was deemed a success, with many looking forward to the collaboration of Bosad and Vincentez Network again next year. Dagmar Heisler, trade fairs manager, Wacker Chemie AG expressed his satisfaction with the show overall saying, “Visitors at our booth were qualified professionals with concrete requests. It’s very likely that we will be on board for the next paintistanbul.”