HISTORY
International Fairs EXPO KATOWICE
The International Fair EXPO (previously: KATOWICE International Trade Fair for Mining, Power Generation and Metallurgy KATOWICE) is Europe’s leading presentation of offerings, dedicated to industry. The expo, which has been organized for 38 years, is also a platform for numerous business meetings, conferences and symposia. Each edition of the Fair is visited by several thousand people – Exhibitors and Visitors – from all over the world, including from countries such as China, the United States, Vietnam, Kazakhstan, Ukraine, Russia and Germany.
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1985
The first Mining Fair was first held in 1985. They were attended by 200 exhibitors, including 66 from abroad. For 5 consecutive years, the event was organized by the Poznan International Fair.
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1995
In 1995, the Katowice International Fair joined in organizing the event. The fair lasted five days and initially operated under the name SIMMEX. The exhibition space has also increased. The exhibition venue was the Spodek grounds and the halls of the Katowice International Fair. The event was attended by 600 exhibitors, including 140 foreign companies. Chemical companies also presented their offerings.
1997
In 1997, the organization of the Mining Fair was completely taken over by the Katowice International Fair. The offer was presented by 900 companies, including 300 foreign ones. Companies from the United States and South Africa have emerged. The event was held under the Honorary Patronage of the Ministry of Economy.
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1999
In 1999, the event began to function under the name of the Katowice International Fair for Mining, Energy, Metallurgy and Chemistry. The exhibition area was already more than 20,000 square meters, 800 Exhibitors from 20 countries presented their offerings. The fair was accompanied by symposia and demonstrations. The event has become one of the most important in the industry.
2001
In 2001, Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek assumed honorary patronage of the Katowice International Mining, Energy, Metallurgy and Chemicals Fair. More than half a thousand Exhibitors from 23 countries such as Japan, South Korea, South Africa, the US and the UK participated in the event.
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2003
In 2003, the word “Chemistry” was removed from the name of the fair. The event thus came to be known as the Katowice International Mining, Energy and Metallurgy Fair. The vast majority of Exhibitors participating in the Fair were associated with the mining industry. Interest in the event has been tremendous and from edition to edition it attracts more and more Visitors and Exhibitors.
2005
The 20th anniversary edition of the Katowice International Mining, Energy and Metallurgy Fair was held in 2005. A conference on Polish mining and the national energy sector was organized under the auspices of the World Mining Congress. The fair featured 720 Exhibitors from 25 countries. The largest Exhibitor at the Fair was Polish Mining Technology – the exposition of companies gathered in PTG took up more than 2 thousand. sq. m. For the first time in the history of the event, a competition was held for innovative technical designs applied to the construction of machinery and equipment.
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2007
2007 was a year of uncertainty for the Fair, as there were discussions about where it could be held after one of the exhibition halls at the ICC collapsed. There was an idea that the venue would be Sosnowiec. Katowice City Hall has proposed the Spodek. An agreement on the matter was finally signed at the Higher Mining Authority. The exhibition in Katowice’s Spodek was seen by more than 20,000 people.
Once again, prizes were awarded in the competition between Polish Mining Technology and the Mining Chamber of Industry and Commerce for innovative technical designs of machinery and equipment.
2009
In 2009, the Fair once again changed its name to the International Trade Fair for Mining, Energy and Metallurgy “KATOWICE”. In addition, the event was visited by a record number of Visitors, nearly 30,000 people. Once again, the Minister of Economy has assumed patronage. Nearly 400 companies from 19 countries presented their offerings at the Fair. The conferences discussed the role of coal mining in Poland’s energy policy until 2030 and touched on the diversification of energy sources in Poland.
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2011
In 2011, the organizer of the International Trade Fair for Mining, Energy and Metallurgy “KATOWICE” became Polish Mining Technology. At more than 20,000 sq. m. area, nearly 400 companies from 15 countries presented their offerings, some expositions occupied as much as 1,000 square meters. For four days, the Fair was visited by more than 26,000 people.
2013
In 2013, the International Trade Fair for Mining, Energy and Metallurgy “KATOWICE” was record-breaking primarily in terms of the presentation of machinery in motion. More than 400 companies from 19 countries participated in the event. The exhibition was visited by more than 28,000 people, including many Guests of Honor: government representatives, members of the Diplomatic Corps and members of foreign delegations.
The fair was accompanied by international conferences and symposia attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Polish government, the International Energy Agency, the World Mining Congress and European science.
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2015
More than 400 companies from 19 countries participated in the 2015 International Trade Fair for Mining, Energy and Metallurgy “KATOWICE”. Exhibitors’ booths occupied a new hall at the International Convention Center with an area of 8,000 square meters, 4,500 square meters in the Spodek, and 12,500 square meters in the areas adjacent to these two facilities.
The exhibition was visited by more than 25,000 Visitors, including trade missions from many countries around the world. There was a strong representation of Chinese companies producing equipment for the mining industry at the Fair. The Chinese presented their offerings on as much as 800 square meters.
2017
In 2017, the International Trade Fair for Mining, Power Generation and Metallurgy “KATOWICE” featured approx 25,000 Visitors to admire the offerings of some 400 Exhibitors from around the world. The fair was a great opportunity to present their latest solutions, but also to initiate cooperation. The fair was accompanied by international conferences and symposia attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Polish government, the International Energy Agency, the World Mining Congress, European science and business.
The fair was accompanied by international conferences and symposia attended by representatives of the European Commission, the Polish government, the International Energy Agency, the World Mining Congress and European science.
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2019
Nearly 30,000 people visited the International Mining, Energy and Metallurgy Fair in 2019. The event was attended by 350 exhibitors from 12 countries around the world; Poland, UK, Slovenia, Germany, China, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Italy, France, Ukraine, Belgium and Slovakia.
The stands took up 11,000 sq. m. area is as much as, for example, 1.5 football fields in the Silesian Stadium. The entire area allocated for the Fair is 26,000 sq. m.
For the first time, the nternational Mining, Energy and Metallurgy Fair was accompanied by the EcoFiring & EcoTechnologies Fair.
Also for the first time an Oxford Debate was held, the interest was great and there was a crowd in the hall.
During the Katowice Fair, we recognized the winners of the “Innovative Product and Technology Katowice 2019” competition and the winners of the student competition: “Innovations in Industry Katowice 2019”.
2022
In 2022, the Fair adopted the name International Fair EXPO KATOWICE. In an area of more than 25,000 sq. m. More than 200 Exhibitors from 13 countries presented their offerings. Tens of thousands of visitors to the Fair, a lot of media interest from home and abroad proved that the Fair was once again a success and needed.
The fair also gained a broader formula and new professional exhibition segments – the B2Energy Fair, the EcoDom Fair and the Machinery and Equipment Fair. A number of side events have also been prepared like the 5th Polish Mining Congress, numerous industry conferences and thematic panels, as well as interesting presentations.
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2024
The EXPO KATOWICE Meeting Industry, including the 20th edition of the EXPO KATOWICE International Fair and the EcoDom EXPO KATOWICE International Fair, held September 4-6, 2024, brought together 171 exhibitors from 19 countries and attracted more than 11,000 visitors to the 25,000 sq. m. exhibition area. The event featured 6 conferences with 90 speakers who conducted 34 thematic panels, addressing key issues on Industry 5.0, digitization, sustainability, as well as the future of cities and technological innovation. The fair was a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge, build international relationships and showcase cutting-edge technologies and solutions for energy and industrial transformation.
