National Pavilions reflect soaring trend for private label retailing

PLME - Dubai 2007, which hosts national pavilions from Germany, Italy and Turkey, along with manufacturer groups from Croatia, Bulgaria and Italy, has generated unprecedented response and confirmed business orders from visitors and trade buyers. The exhibition is by far the biggest regional exhibition catering to private labels and contract manufacturing.

Organised by Channels Exhibition, the exhibition has attracted over 100 exhibitors specializing in the research, development, design and packaging of in-house brands manufactured under contract for sale under private labels.

Germany, one of the major centres for private label manufacturing, has one of the biggest representations from any single country. The pavilion hosts 14 companies.

Speaking on behalf of the German Pavilion, Udo Frenzel, Consultant to German Cosmetic, Toiletry and Perfumery Association for International Exhibition, said:

'Dubai is an excellent marketplace and business hub for the entire region, catering to a vast geographical area - from Syria to India; and CIS to North Africa. The Private Label Middle East - Dubai is the ideal platform for small and medium sized brands, reflecting the huge potential of the Middle East market for private labels. The success of the exhibition is evident in the growth of German exhibitors, which I am confident will increase in the next year.'

Similar views were echoed by Teresa Barp, representing the Special Project Office from the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade, who put up a massive Italian Pavilion at the exhibition. She said: 'Although this is our first participation at the PLME-Dubai, the Italian companies have been very successful in getting firm business orders and the response has far exceeded our expectations.'

For a local exhibitor like Abu Dhabi Vegetable Oil Company, the exhibition is the right podium to target the global market. Mahmood Abdollahi, Marketing Manager, said: 'Private labeling is a major part of our business and I was happy to be a part of the exhibition, which offered us tremendous business opportunities. It is a nice platform to meet new brand owners and entrepreneurs from various parts of the world and has been very successful for us.'

Perhaps nobody else can vouch for the success of the exhibition than Branko Fures from Atlantic Grupa - a diversified business conglomerate from Croatia. Fures, who has been part of all the four editions of Private Label Middle East, said: 'We have been part of the growth of the exhibition since inception and this year has been phenomenal. We have established contacts with many prospective clients in the region during the show besides strengthening our relationships with existing clients.'

In his comments, Mr Justin Boutros, Managing Director, Channels Exhibitions, said: 'The Private Label Middle East exhibition is a great platform for access to new markets and we are happy that a lot of business leads have been generated during the show. Although Europe is leading the way in private labels, we can see the upward trend all over, especially in the Middle East, which is one of the fastest growing markets for private labels. We are confident that all exhibitors will be back next year for an even bigger edition of an event that is now a fixture on the global industry calendar.'

The exhibition focuses on a wide array of products, ranging from food and beverages, home care, hygiene, electronics, white goods, clothing to stationery and disposable industrial items.