MILAN, Italy - The 35th Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (MCE), the international exhibition dedicated to residential and industrial installations, closed with record results. In the space of five days, the show registered the participation of more than 3,000 exhibitors and approximately 170,000 trade visitors from 134 countries.

An unprecedented record for the exhibition, MCE occupied a 4,305,564-square-foot venue representing approximately 13 percent overall area growth over the 2004 exhibition. The heating and cooling sectors' area grew 18 percent and 16 percent, respectively.

Almost 20,000 more people saw the exhibition than in 2004, creating a 13 percent increase in the number of visitors this year. This included a 15 percent rise in foreign visitor numbers, with a gross attendance figure totaling around 30,000 people.

Opening day also set new records, with attendance up 22 percent over 2004, as did the five Next Energy conferences, dedicated to energy efficiency and renewable sources. The exhibition Urban Building Technology and the space dedicated to the Next Energy Award were also particularly successful with attendees.

Exhibitors gave a resounding thumbs up to the Anticounterfeiting Committee, formed by Mostra Convegno Expocomfort and Expobagno in collaboration with the Federation of Italian Mechanical Engineering Industry Associations (ANIMA). The committee acted quickly during the exhibition to remove counterfeit products from stands, thereby avoiding the time-consuming red tape of the Italian law, and even closed two stands in Hall 20 of Mostra Convegno Expocomfort.

Publication date: 04/10/2006