06. March 2007.

Herend triumphs at the world's largest trade fair

During the trade fair "Ambiente", visitors flock in great numbers to Budapest's twin city of Frankfurt am Main, Goethe's birthplace. This most important trade fair for porcelain manufacturers, organised in February every year, has almost achieved cult status by now. In line with established tradition, Herend Porcelain Manufactory exhibits its novelties and welcomes porcelain enthusiasts on a central stand on the third floor, surrounded by prestigious fellow exhibitors such as the Meissen Porcelain Manufactory, Royal Copenhagen and the Vienna-based Königliche Porzellanmanufaktur. The exhibition of the Company had been awaited with eager anticipation and great interest, as evidenced by the constant stream of visitors to its showrooms where successful negotiations were held with over 150 existing and potential clients from all over the world, including not only the adjacent European countries but also Russia, countries from Asia, the United Kingdom and even the United States, Italy, Japan, some Middle Eastern countries, Turkey and Greece, who had all accepted the Company's invitations. Promisingly the Manufactory established contacts with new retailers and representatives in a number of countries despite the general economic difficulties, which have also been affecting the luxury market. The Company hopes that, in addition to its existing client relationships, these new contacts will provide a stable base for its sales in the months and years to come.

This mustering of porcelains is also an occasion for manufacturers to début novelties. There was great interest in the novelties exhibited by Herend; more orders were received for the special, limited edition ornamental items, the trendier services as well as the traditional products, than ever before. Visitor numbers to the fair also broke earlier records: it welcomed some 150,000 guests, showing increased interest compared to previous years. Let us see what exclusive products the Herend Porcelain Manufactory, as one of 4,600 exhibitors of 85 countries, chose to put on show to surprise and impress the public:

The 'old-new' showpieces on the stand included an espresso machine decorated in the Victoria pattern, manufactured in earlier years. The traditional and royal pattern named after Queen Victoria adorning this contemporary icon of the coffee-making tradition makes the piece unique and genuinely Herend. Predecessors of this remarkable machine can be still be found today in distinguished old coffee shops in Hungary, including the famous Gerbaud of Budapest. A number of orders were received for the piece at the fair, to evoke the ambience of bygone days and add character to any location. Another novelty on display was an electric samovar fitted with up-to-date electric technology; the original dates back to 1901 when Nicholas II was presented with one by Herend at the St Petersburg World Fair. Naturally, demand for this "old-new" item came predominantly from Russian buyers. In addition to these two rarities there were also a series of newly designed figurines and decors to impress visitors.

One of Herend's strengths is that it dares to, and is able to, reinvent itself, and this skill does not stop at porcelain-making - here we refer to examples such as the recently showcased couture dresses designed by János Héjja and adorned with well-known Herend patterns. In keeping with these endeavours, Rita Rózsa, a porcelain painter of the Manufactory, offered porcelain and nail painting shows at the Frankfurt event, adding yet another spectacular feature to the Herend stand. There was much interest in the show all through the fair, and several other countries are planning to organise such demonstrations. This shows the Manufactory's flair for attracting young people: it exposes them to the exquisite products that have evolved over the past 180 years while at the same time catering to their interests in youthful, pared-down and modern designs.

Since Ambiente a number of overseas clients have contacted the Herend Porcelain Manufactory and agreements have been signed for a six-venue exhibition in Japan and a Herend event to be organised in San Francisco.

These experiences and meetings have inspired confidence and optimism in the Management: in spite of the difficulties currently experienced by the porcelain industry, the Company's long-term prospects are relatively good. Herend has a chance to meet its sales and business targets for 2007 through efficient and very active sales efforts and to ensure that the Herend brand, created in 1826, continues to stand for quality, exclusivity and individuality all over the world.

While the Herend stand at Frankfurt was swarming with visitors, back home at the workshops many pairs of hands were working away busily to make sure that Herend will continue to impress the world yet again on the central stand on the third floor at the 2008 Fair in Budapest's twin city, Goethe's birthplace on the river Main.