FERROFORMA, the International Hardware Exhibition and the second most important specialised event in its sector in the world, is to be held from 25 to 28 March 2009 in the different halls at Bilbao Exhibition Centre.

FERROFORMA, initially launched in 1974, has become consolidated during the intervening time as an international reference. It presents huge growth and development potential for professionals in the hardware and industrial supplies sector. At the same time as the 18th edition of Ferroforma is being held, the 3rd edition of the International D.I.Y. Exhibition, BRICOFORMA, will be sharing the same exhibition complex.

For the forthcoming edition, Bilbao Exhibition Centre and the Cologne Exhibition Centre (Koelnmesse) have signed a strategic alliance to jointly promote the two leading events in the hardware sector held in Europe: INTERNATIONALE EISENWARENMESSE/PRACTICAL WORLD and FERROFORMA.

Both organisations will share their corresponding experiences in the sector, with the aim of not only achieving an increase in the business results of both events but also attaining the maximum levels of quality and international representation.

The previous edition of FERROFORMA-BRICOFORMA , held in March 2007, attracted the attendance of 24,080 professionals, including 2,000 foreign visitors from more than 90 countries, which meant an increase of 23% in this figure with respect to the prior edition. A total of 1,314 exhibitor companies were present, from 28 countries, spread over 994 stands, with a very extensive supply of products and strong external projection (57% from foreign firms).

The markets of origin for this sector are mainly Germany, France, Italy, Greece, Netherlands, Portugal and the UK, as well as China, Morocco and Mexico, although the diversity of areas represented was completed with the participation of professionals from other emerging countries or those in clear industrial and economic development.

The agglutinating element at the last edition of FERROFORMA was the quality and expertise of these professionals, some of whom represented top level purchasing groups.

Thanks to the new dates on which it is to be held, now set from 25 to 28 March 2009, annual alternation is established with its German counterpart, thereby reinforcing its value as a basic reference on the European scene.