Exhibitions – Opportunities – Markets

December 27th, 2006

The exhibition projects organized by MVK Exhibition company were launched in the stratosphere and continued at the Eiffel Tower in France. Asked about what is within MVK’s future plans, Alexey Shaburov, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice-President of the Exhibition Holding Company and author of the projects, answered boldly: “Other continents”.

National achievements and the exhibition business are closely inter-related, just like a system of mirrors reflecting one and the same image from widely dissimilar points of view. Put together, they magnify each other; thus serving to strengthen the authority of the state.

Exhibitions have always been looked upon as a demonstration of national achievements on an international level. MVK intends another role for its exhibitions: that of the shaping factor.
Essentially, MVK’s conceptual projects are its own exhibition activities evolved up to higher levels. By 2006, MVK’s business calendar contained 115 exhibitions and its business opportunities were wider. Their practical implementation defied the stereotyped standards.

The debut project had a highly significant title: “Higher, and Higher, and Higher!”. On September 8th, the word “higher” was spectacularly applicable to the First Exhibition in the Stratosphere, where, among other things, “Russian Furniture Stars” was on display. The IL-78 re-fueling aircraft delivered the stand to an altitude of 12-km and maintained this height for more than 20 minutes. That MVK project gathered together leading Russian furniture brands: MK Shatura, MK Katiusha (Diatkovo), The 8th March Furniture Factory, Dobry Stil Group, etc. Valentin Zverev, President of Russian Association of Furniture Industries and Wood Working Industries, noted: “Taking part in such a project involves great responsibilities, and we are ready to make it obvious to everybody that our business is honest and open in its dealings, and that we commit to all our responsibilities for our work and making our own contributions to the development of the national economy, into making our country more defense-capable and into the improvement of Russian public self-consciousness”.

The exhibition served to unite furniture manufacturers together, and the all-Russian level was granted to the project by the air flight performed on September 8th by Anatoly Kvochur, Hero of Russia and USSR Honoured Test Pilot. The non-stop 14-hour air flight performed on board the SU-30 aircraft “embraced” all of Russia. A 15 thousand kilometer route was covered; 40 tons of fuel was used. The air flight involved 5 re-fuelings made in the air performed along the Ramenskoe – Chkalov I. (Far East) – Ramenskoe route. This route was dedicated to the 70th Anniversary of another flight: the legendary flight performed by Valery Chkalov in 1936.

The return to Ramenskoe was crowned with an honoured celebration for the heroes. They were met with welcoming speeches from Vladimir Mikhailov, Commander-in-Chief of Russian Air Force, Yuri Sentiurin, Russian State Duma Deputy, and the entirety of the MVK team, the air flight organizers.

Describing the essential meaning of the “Higher, and Higher, and Higher!” Project, Alexey Shaburov, Chairperson of the Board of Directors and Executive Vice-President of MVK, explained that his purpose is the “development of business in Russia through being united together”.

The air flight on board the SU-30 aircraft, the furniture exhibition in the stratosphere, the appeal to the heroic past of Russia and the patriotic mood of MVK were fully appreciated by Russian State Duma Federal Assembly and referred to as: “a good example of business and state interests united together” and the “revival of the earlier lost Russian patronage of arts traditions”. This is shown by the honourary diploma signed by Boris Gryzlov, Chairperson of the State Duma, and delivered to Alexey Shaburov, author of the project.
After the SU-30 air flight dedicated to the memory of Valery Chkalov, MVK organized an exhibition within the State Duma offices. The exhibition displayed items borrowed from the Valery Chkalov Museum, as well as the leading Russian exhibition brands and furniture brands.

The project was “top rated” by other State Duma Deputies, too: Gennady Raikov, Member of Security Committee and Chairperson of Russian Aviation and Cosmonautics Inter-Fraction Deputy Association; Alexei Sigutkin, First Deputy Chairperson of Security Committee, Airborne Troops Reserve Lieutenant General; Yuri Sentiurin, Deputy Chairperson of State Duma Committee for Power Industry, Transport and Communication; Oleg Utkin, Deputy Head of State Duma Staff; Vladimir Pekhtin, Deputy Chairperson of the State Duma; Andrei Loginov, Russian Government Plenipotentiary at the State Duma and a number of other public figures.

Having attained the national level by its first project, MVK set another goal for itself: to advance itself into the international level. It is known that any growth in the number of foreign exhibitors promotes a better reputation for the exhibition, new international contacts and acquaintance with advanced foreign technologies, which, in the long run, promotes better development of any industry sector concerned.

To make Russian exhibitions more attractive for foreign organizations, Exhibitions – Opportunities – Markets Project was developed. The hosting country was France. The Eiffel Tower was the site for the conference, where more than 210 representatives of a wide range of French associations and unions were gathered together. Exhibition projects developed by more than 20 leading Russian exhibition companies were presented to the audience. The conference was successful, and a number of French associations approached the event organizers to discuss prospects for further cooperation.

The next project developed by MVK promises not only to bring attention from European governments to exhibitions in Russia. This will be a huge-scale event embracing entire continents: Europe, the North Pole and North America…

As a summary of what is said above, it can be noted that the air flight on board the SU-30 brought Russian heroic deeds, past and present, to meet together, that the stratosphere-held exhibition gathered the best Russian furniture manufacturers, and that the Eiffel Tower united Russian exhibition companies together. Furthermore, the business project happily coincided with governmental interests, and the business activities of MVK were entered into the Russian Book of Records. The Russian exhibition business is developing confidently to shape the Russian national image on an international level. And MVK is one of companies acting, vigorously, not only to promote a better development and transformation for the country, but also to build a better future for it.

From: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, December 27th, 2006, No. 292