GED-2019
Serbia’s winning
stamp of approval
General Director of Belgrade Fair, Danka Selic, tells EW about
the unique winning initiative for GED earlier this year
Left: Belgrade Fair Panorama (oil on canvas, 1980)
Artist: Petar Omčikus (October 6, 1926 - April 26, 2019)
Vojvode
Right: Exclusive and limited edition of personalized
postage stamp issued by Post of Serbia to celebrate
Global Exhibition Day 2019
elgrade Fair in Serbia
was one of this year’s
Global Exhibition Day
(GED) award winners
for its imaginative and innovative
co-operation campaign with Serbia’s
national postal service. Belgrade
Fair picked up ‘The Most Creative
Activity Award’ for a glorious stamp
and postcard issue raising the profile
of the global exhibition industry in
a striking visual way and circulating
widely among the general population.
“Although we live in a digital era
in which we primarily communicate
via social networks, email, Skype,
etc. Belgrade Fair wanted to mark
this year’s GED2019 in a somewhat
forgotten and traditional way,”
explains Belgrade Fair General
Director Danka Selic.
“We printed a postcard with a motif
from Belgrade Fairground complex
which is the work of a Serbian
painter, the late Petar Omčikus.
“In co-operation with the Post of
Serbia we also issued an appropriate
postage stamp with the logo of
GED2019 incorporated.”
The postcard has been sent to more
than 1,000 addresses worldwide. “We
knew that it would be a nice tribute
w w w.exhibitionworld.co.uk
and remembrance to those who
received it,” says Selic. “In this way we
wanted to elicit a smile and to spread
a good vibe, as postcards are sent only
to those who you love, appreciate and
respect.”
Selic explains that the philatelic
rarity was also a part of the Belgrade
Fair tradition, which marks
significant dates and anniversaries.
“In 2017 we celebrated the 80th
anniversary of the Belgrade Fair.
Many do not know that the central
exhibition hall of the Belgrade Fair
Hall 1 was built in 1957, with a span
of 109m making it the largest dome
in the world made of pre-stressed
concrete. The hall has an area of
22,000sqm, including 15,000sqm of
exhibition space.
“We also marked the 80th
anniversary of the First International
Motor Show in Serbia in 2018. We
presented a reprint of the placard
from 1938 on the postage stamp.”
Furthermore, as part of its
GED2019 celebration, Belgrade Fair
organised an exhibition of a project
designed by students of the Faculty
of Architecture at the University of
Belgrade. The students demonstrated
in their work a variety of ideas and
Above:
Winning
stamp and
postcard
designs that
caught the
GED judges’
attention
visions of the possible future urban
development of the Belgrade Fair
complex.
Belgrade Fair has been investing
heavily in its future and facilities and
equipment, Selic explains, “to raise
the level of service for both exhibitors
and visitors. In recent years we
have invested primarily in new
equipment for the Internet, Wi-Fi
and communications technology. We
have also introduced a modernised
system of video surveillance in order
to increase the level of security”.
Belgrade Fair has also been a
proud member of UFI since 1957,
with six of its tradefairs bearing the
UFI approved international events
mark. They are the International
Energy Fair, Belgrade International
Book Fair, International Fair of
Furniture, Equipment and Interior
Decoration, International Fair of
Tourism, International Building Trade
Fair - South East Europe Belgrade
Building Expo and International
Fair of Technics and Technical
Achievements.
The venue’s tradefairs are visited
by more than 700,000 visitors,
annually, with more than 2,500
exhibitors taking part.
Issue 5 2019
75