Up to €45m sales expected at Showcase Ireland

SALES of up to €45 million are expected to be rung in at Showcase Ireland, the country’s largest international craft, gift, fashion and interiors fair this week.

Exhibitors at the RDS in Dublin can also look forward to receiving further orders worth three times that generated at the fair from buyers throughout the year.

In the last five years, alone, there have been sales of almost €225 million at the trade show.

Up to 10,000 visitors, including a record number of international buyers up 40% on last year are expected to visit the fair.

There are 650 exhibitors, the same number as last year because that's as much as the organisers can fit into the available space.

Enterprise Ireland director Mike Feeney said business in the Irish craft and fashion sectors had picked up after two years of poor trading due to world events and currency fluctuations.

He was not shy about claiming some praise for the record number of international buyers for Enterprise Ireland. That phenomenal growth had been fuelled by a concerted marketing effort from Enterprise Ireland's worldwide network, he pointed out.

"Buyers and suppliers are geared up to doing business and looking forward to mutually profitable alliances being forged," he declared when the Tánaiste, Mary Harney, arrived to officially open the event yesterday.

Chairperson of the Crafts Council of Ireland Dr Frances Ruane referred to last year's fair when orders fell for the first time since the Gulf War in 1991. Showcase 2002 generated €41.5 million in sales, down from €51.3 million the previous year.

Last year, home sales accounted for almost €24 million while exports were €17.5 million. Export sales to North America accounted for €8 million.

At Showcase 2002, 93% of exhibitors opened at least one new account up 2% on 2001. Of the buyers interviewed, 67% had attended the fair the previous year and 93% said they would return this year.

Ms Harney, who received a gift of a beautiful black leather bag from the organisers on behalf of the Crafts Council of Ireland, said the event was hugely important for Ireland's craft industry, particularly those based in rural areas.

It was also a market that was becoming increasingly difficult to compete in. That was why product innovation, design and range was so important.