TURKISH FAIR ORGANIZERS ASSOCIATION
ACTIVITY REPORT
FOR THE PERIOD 01.01.2025 – 31.12.2025

Dear Members,

Before presenting our 2025 Activity Report for your information, I would like to extend my greetings and respects to all of you on behalf of our Board of Directors and myself.

Established in 1997 with the aim of preventing unfair and imitative competition that hinders the development of the exhibition industry, and of creating proper working principles and standards, our Association continues its 29th year with 66 members representing 26 exhibition companies. The fact that our members represent more than half of the domestic exhibition activities in our country in terms of value is the most important indicator of our strength.

We experienced 2025 under the shadow of economic fluctuations in the sector due to shrinking markets both domestically and internationally, as well as political and military conflicts in our region. However, the successful completion of this year’s activities by our members makes us all proud, and the exhibition industry continues to fulfill a highly important role by creating new opportunities and opening new horizons for all business sectors.

According to the TOBB Exhibition Calendar, 2025 was a year in which 461 exhibitions of various sizes were held in our country. During this period, our Association’s members organized 81 specialized exhibitions, 36 of which were international. These exhibitions, set up over a total area of 1,650,461 square meters, attracted 5,753,568 visitors. They are among the most comprehensive and impactful events in their respective fields.

Membership Developments of the Association:

During this period, we welcomed eight new members:

• Aydın EŞER, representative of UNICERA Exhibition Organization Inc.
• İsmail ASLAN, representative of Kurumsal Tanıtım Exhibition Services Ltd.
• Hülya AKKAYA, representative of Akort Tanıtım Organization Ltd.
• Mehmet KAYA and Velat EKTRİCİ from Diyarbakır Exhibition Organization Trade Inc.
• Represented by Ali BIDI, ANFAŞ Antalya Exhibition Management and Investment Inc.
• Teknik Exhibition Organization Inc. is represented by three members: Enes Güney (corporate membership), Emir Güney (individual membership), and Necip Güney
• One of our longest-standing members, IZFAŞ, changed its representative to Tuğçe CUMALIOĞLU.
• Tüyap Adana Exhibition Organization Inc. and Tüyap International Congresses and Exhibitions Inc. ceased their commercial activities in order to continue operations under Tüyap All Exhibition Organization Inc.
• Tüyap Bursa Exhibition Organization Inc. changed its title and continues its commercial activities as Tüyap Exhibition Production Inc.
• Tarsus Turkey Exhibition Organization Inc. changed its title to INFORMA Exhibition Organization Inc.

In order to promote our Association and increase awareness of our activities, we published the TFYD bulletin again this year. This bulletin has been useful in promoting both our activities and our members. It was distributed to official institutions and relevant authorities. This promotional effort will continue in 2026.

As also seen in our bulletin:

• Our esteemed Chairman Emeritus, Bülent Ünal, summarized the 50-year history of the exhibition industry.
• Mustafa Gültepe, President of the Turkish Exporters Assembly (TİM), contributed an article emphasizing the importance of exhibitions in achieving Turkey’s export targets.
• Şekib Avdagiç, President of the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), contributed with an article detailing how cooperation between public institutions and NGOs can elevate the exhibition sector globally.
• Hugh Jones, President of the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry (UFI), highlighted Turkey’s strategic advantages as a meeting point of three continents.
• We visited the Sectoral Associations Federation (SEDEFED) and received valuable insights from its President, Emine Erdem, whose article emphasized exhibitions as platforms for physical innovation and their multiplier effect across many sectors.
• We visited our member Hannover Fairs Turkey Exhibition Organization Inc., and Chairwoman Annika Klar contributed an article highlighting the strong interest of participants and visitors in exhibitions held in Turkey.
• We visited İpekyolu Exhibition Organization Ltd., where our member Mahmut Er, also serving as UFI European Regional Vice President, discussed the importance of the Turkish exhibition industry’s global activities.
• We thank Tuğçe Cumalıoğlu, General Manager of İZFAŞ, for her contributions to our bulletin, emphasizing sustainability, digital transformation, and the role of international cooperation in development.
• In our interview with İsmail Aslan, Board Member of the Exhibition and Stand Designers Association, he emphasized the rise of digital and sustainable designs and the lack of trained designers due to the absence of academic programs in this field.
• We maintained strong engagement with UFI, the global exhibition organization, and attended the UFI General Assembly held in Hong Kong on November 19, 2025, represented by Zeynep Öztop, Ali Muharremoğlu, and Mahmut Er.
• We attended the UFI meeting held in Istanbul in April and received a plaque presented to Bülent Ünal in recognition of his contributions to the exhibition sector.
• We closely followed global exhibition industry analyses and became a stakeholder of Global Exhibitions Day #GED25.
• We continued to maintain strong representation in the TOBB Exhibition Committee, the Exhibition Council, SEDEFED, and its affiliated confederation TÜRKONFED. We also acted as an intermediary in communications between the Ministry of Trade and our members and guided our members in responding to survey questionnaires.

The financial data and balance sheet for 2025, along with the Audit Report prepared by our auditors, are attached for your information. Our Association has no outstanding debts to any public or private institution. On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our gratitude to our members who have consistently fulfilled their responsibilities and supported our Association over the years. With the belief that our work, carried out in friendship, peace, and success to date, will continue in the future, we extend our sincere regards and respect to all of you.

Sincerely,
İlhan Ersözlü
President