Of these, 52 per cent claimed that they had a drop of over 20 per cent in their sales. Only 14 per cent had sales improvement while 28 per cent estimated similar performance compared to last year.

Only 22 per cent managed to achieve the turnover they expected. Fifty-seven per cent said they actually did worse than expected.

Meanwhile, 44 per cent registered sales improvement during the second week over the first week. Forty per cent recorded the same turnover as the first week with 16 per cent claiming a decrease.

Those who noted that visits to their stands increased compared to last year amounted to just 26 per cent. Forty-five per cent noted a decrease.

Eighty-three per cent think that the dates chosen for the Trade Fair are appropriate, yet 52 per cent are also of the opinion that minor but specialised fairs held throughout the year are affecting the overall performance of the general Trade Fair.

Of particular interest, 66 per cent think that they will participate again in next year’s fair, while 28 per cent still unsure. Of those who will not participate again or still unsure, 50 per cent admitted that they are not recuperating costs. However, some comment that participating in the Trade Fair is paramount if one wants to survive competition.