About events

This time, showcasing their capabilities across a space spanning some 11,000 sq. metres were more than 300 participating companies, including the city’s biggest construction companies, mortgage agencies and banks, the leading real estate agencies, developers and builders on the suburban market, and foreign real estate agencies. The exhibition itself encompasses a total of three separate expositions: “Urban Real Estate Fair,” “Salon of Foreign and Resort Real Estate,” and “Alternative to the City: Cottage and Countryside Construction.” Expo visitors were given the opportunity to get a free consultation from leading specialists on the prudent processing of documents when purchasing real estate, rules governing the acceptance of apartments directly from developers, the finer points of participatory construction deals, the nuances of purchasing suburban real estate, and much more.

In the 15 years since its inception, the fair has become a cornerstone event on the St. Petersburg real estate market, with the name “Real Estate Fair” itself elevated to nationwide prominence: today, the brand is being used by some two dozen regional exhibitions.

Plans call for the two sides to cooperate in a number of areas: development of the innovation-based expert community, the performance of analytical research, the organisation of forums, conferences, seminars and other events, and the drafting and implementation of laws aimed at creating favourable conditions for the promotion of high-tech industry and innovation.

The first step towards further cooperation was the joint roundtable hosted by ExpoForum International and “Ingria” Business Incubator at the St. Petersburg International Health Forum – devoted to the development of innovative projects in the fields of biopharmacology and biomedicine – where the cooperation agreement was signed.

Delivering brief remarks to those in attandance was the General Director of the St. Petersburg Technopark – Andrey Sokolov. He pointed out that the agreement with Russia’s leading convention and exhibition centre would make it possible to accelerate the pace of cooperation between developers and private enterprise in the fields of biopharmacology and biomedicine – fine-tune interaction, secure technology transfer and lead Russia out of its present crisis.

For his part, Sergey Voronkov noted that ExpoForum has been heavily engaged in biotechnology pursuits for quite some time – the international health forum, for example, features the specialised “Bioindustry” exhibition. “This agreement is extremely important, insofar as we are a communications platform, whereas the “Ingria” Business Incubator is a company that cultivates projects. At our platform, we’ll hopefully end up with the kind of beneficial synergy where those coming with their business initiatives can find future partners,” stressed Sergey Georgievich Voronkov.

Greeting forum participants, St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko noted that the event is a highly-beneficial business platform – after all, caring for public health is one of the top-priority concerns of any government. “In supporting this effort, the municipal administration is highlighting the prestige of the medical profession and the importance of supplying hospitals with modern equipment. Under special control is paediatrics, which is why St. Petersburg remains the Russian leader in terms of improving the country’s demographic situation. What’s more, the city is also busy expanding its cluster of the pharmaceutical and medical industries,” said the governor.

Vologda Regional Governor Oleg Kuvshinnikov added that the task of effectively growing the national economy and developing its social infrastructure is rendered impossible without a healthy population base: “In this regard, the forum showcases the unique potential of our Russian industry. On display at the exhibition are the best domestic advancements, capable of covering the needs of the Russian market in this area.”

For his part, the Director of the “Healthy Cities” Project at the European Regional Bureau of the World Health Organisation – Agis Tsouros, emphasised that healthcare is a political choice: “At the 70^th session of the UN General Assembly, we affirmed 17 steps for the sustainable development of all countries, and health is at the top of the ladder. It’s a main priority for every person, every city – and the planet as a whole. We must all make our own contribution to creating the healthy society of the 21^st century.”

For the first-time ever, the competitions will run in tandem with the 1^st Open Standards Championships – WorldSkillsRussia, in the Northwest Federal District. The event showcases 19 professions, uniting more than 180 people from six Russian regions: Leningrad, Arkhangelsk, Murmansk, Vologda, Kaliningrad and Yaroslavl. The project also features another, special area – the JuniorSkills programme, in which school pupils ages 10-17 get the chance to demonstrate their skills in engineering graphics, mobile robotics and prototyping.

On display at ExpoForum’s pavilion G are a total of 43 professions and specialisations, representing the most sought-after occupations on the St. Petersburg labour market. Students have the opportunity to demonstrate their expertise in woodworking, carpentry, computer-assisted milling, the culinary arts, fashion design, the floral arts, hairdressing – and much more. Competition guests included school kids and freshmen at professional-education institutions.

The holding of the 2015 competitions and finals are dedicated to the 75^th anniversary of the establishment of the state labour-resource system, as specially noted by all of the speakers delivering remarks at the opening ceremonies at ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre.

“Young people are given special attention in St. Petersburg – particularly those choosing working professions,” said St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko in his welcoming address. “We give them the opportunity to choose a profession they’re passionate about. Our professional-education system is a continuation of the once-forgotten traditions begun 75 years ago.”

As noted by the President of the WorldSkills in Russia Association – Pavel Chernykh, Russia worked hard to win the special right to host WorldSkills in 2019. “These competitions are an extremely important step towards self-fulfilment in your chosen profession. It’s where the best Russian practices go head-to-head against their global counterparts – but both sides always win in the end,” stressed Chernykh.

The General Director of ExpoForum International – Sergey Voronkov, added that the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre, where the competitions and championship are being held for the very-first time, had been able to accommodate even more students and pupils, giving them all of the conditions needed to demonstrate their skills and talents, meet new friends, and acquire new knowledge.

The “Step towards My Profession!” vocational mastery competitions are being held 14-16 October – for the fifth time in St. Petersburg. The event is being organised by the St. Petersburg Committee on Education.

On hand to congratulate participants and visitors on the opening of the exhibition was the Vice-Governor of St. Petersburg, Head of the Municipal Administration – Alexander Govorunov. He noted that a critical aspect of urban infrastructure involves outdoor advertising, whose quality has a direct impact on the comfort and general mood of large numbers of people. “This is particularly true during the hosting of major, world-class events like the FIFA World Cup that Russia will be staging in 2018, and within the scope of today’s discussion platform here at the expo, a lot of attention will be paid to precisely that issue,” stressed Alexander Nikolaevich Govorunov.

His remarks were seconded by the Deputy Director of the RF Federal Antimonopoly Service – Andrey Kashevarov. He pointed to the timely nature of the St. Petersburg International Advertising Forum, being held within the framework of the expo at a time when the advertising industry is facing the challenges of the changing structure and dynamic of the market and the need to replenish its overall volume, which contracted by 16% in 1H 2015 compared to the same period previous year. Andrey Kashevarov also expressed the hope that advertisers would demonstrate some activity in the outdoor advertising area, currently accounting for just 11% of the total market (well behind TV and the Internet), in time for the FIFA World Cup and World Ice Hockey Championships.

For his part, ExpoForum International General Director Sergey Voronkov reminded all participants that the ExpoForum Convention and Exhibition Centre is precisely the kind of place where advertisers can display their active stance against the backdrop of major international events – the venue and its surrounding grounds feature literally dozens of different advertising vehicles. Moreover, exhibitions and conventions are a unique solution for managing advertising budgets, since they allow companies to put their best foot forward while offering them new opportunities for cooperation at the international level.

The 21^st specialised exhibition “Advertising. Information. Design. Formatting,” being held at ExpoForum on 14-16 October, showcases the products of more than 50 Russian companies. Aside from the St. Petersburg International Advertising Forum, where discussions will focus on outdoor advertising and the festive styling of St. Petersburg, there will also be conferences for marketing experts, PR specialists and brand managers – Standup Marketing, NewAgePR, Branch Marketing, as well as seminars, master classes and presentations for all players on the communications market.

Welcoming participants of the industry’s cornerstone event, Gazprom CEO Alexey Miller emphasised that the forum is one of the most authoritative platforms for discussion of the future of the global gas industry. He also noted that the choice of forum host city had preordained St. Petersburg’s status as a major international gas centre: “Over the past year, the role of St. Petersburg has gained tremendous prominence on the European and worldwide gas map. It has been the scene of important decision-making on construction of the Nord Stream II gas pipeline, the construction of an LNG terminal on the shores of the Gulf of Finland, and the holding of Russia’s first-ever gas auction.”

St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko added that the gas industry’s global leader, Gazprom, is one of the city’s strategic partners in terms of fostering an innovation-centred environment, developing the municipal economy and promoting urban improvements. “The forum will tackle the issues associated with the outlook for further expansion of the global gas industry, with special emphasis placed on international experience in development of the Arctic shelf. St. Petersburg is a centre for the promotion and implementation of innovative projects – including those involving Arctic shelf development.”

The packed business programme is being supplemented by its exhibition counterpart, with an area spanning more than 25,000 sq. metres serving as the backdrop for several major expositions: the International Specialised Exhibition “InGAS Stream – Innovations in the Gas Industry,” the International Specialised Exhibition “Gas-Motor Fuel,” and the International Specialised Exhibition of the Gas Industry and Gas-Facility Technology “ROS-GAS-EXPO.” What’s more, on the first day of the forum, the convention and exhibition centre’s fairgrounds were the finish line for the “Fill Up the Motors with Gas!” rally for vehicles running on natural gas.

At the HMS Group stand, delegates got a firsthand look at equipment and integrated solutions for the extraction, transport and processing of gas and gas condensate. Forum participants were presented with pieces and prototypes of compressor-pump equipment being supplied for Gazprom projects, including some recent advancements – CPR- and 2NPS-type pumps for the pumping of gas condensate and liquefied hydrocarbon gases.

Rusnano Group showcased the wares of 14 nano-companies offering a range of nanotechnological solutions, including for construction of the Power of Siberia gas pipeline. Featured companies included: Laser Solutions CJSC, Eterno, Thermointech LLC, Steklonit Management LLC, and others.

At the stand run by Mezhregiontruboprovodstroy JSC (MRTS), Alexey Borisovich was presented with a model of the anchored pipe-laying barge “Fortuna.” According to MRTS Executive Director Alexander Kolikov, it’s the largest, most-advanced vessel in Russia’s entire pipe-laying fleet. Participants were also offered the screening of a film on past and present company projects, including one involving the construction and development of a marine port in Sabetta, Yamal Peninsula.

At the conclusion of the tour, delegation participants visited the stand run by Russia’s leading developer and supplier of industrial-automation solutions – Tecon, the stands put on by Gazprom Avtomatizatsiya and Gazprom Proektirovaniye, and dropped by the International Specialised Exhibition “Gas-Motor Fuel,” located on the fairgrounds in front of pavilion F. Gazprom Gazomotornoye Toplivo General Director Mikhail Likhachev introduced participants to the company’s gas-operated equipment, LNG-based service stations, modules and compressors for gas-motor equipment and other recent advancements.

The fairgrounds filled with the smell of burned rubber, the roar of engines, and puffs of exhaust –after all, ExpoForum was the scene of a drifting exhibition, and the drivers were warming up for some fierce competition among the best street-racers at the Auto Royal Show. Two ultra-violet Toyota Supras finally made their entrance, gearing up to thrill spectators with their dangerous, high-speed manoeuvres.

“Drifting is driving with controlled skidding or extreme turning techniques,” explain Drift Matsuri SPb members Anton and Mikhail, just after finishing their performance. “The greater the trajectory angle the higher the marks, with speed, flair and style also considered very important.” Mikhail has been into drifting for about seven years. He knows that it’s a dangerous sport – he’s had many crashes with other drivers – but his competitive spirit is much stronger than his fears.

The entertainment programme at the fairgrounds was complemented by a unique collection of modern and classic cars inside the pavilion. According to show organiser Denis Belov, the expo gathered together the best tuning-projects from Russia, Finland, Estonia and Belarus. Tuning is a way of making a vehicle stand out from the crowd by altering its external or internal appearance – or even modifying its performance characteristics. Cars are made to look more unique by painting them in unusual colours, spray-painting them with aerosols, decorating them with vinyl appliqués, adorning them with coloured rims, equipping them with aerodynamic spoilers, and much more.

The exhibition showcased cars of different makes, price categories and manufacturing years – from run-of-the-mill assembly-line vehicles to premium-brand super-cars, including: Renault, Mitsubishi, Toyota, BMW, Infiniti, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Lamborghini, Rolls-Royce, and others. There are even tuning variations for SUVs, allowing the vehicle to traverse various obstacles – sand, swampland and other daunting terrain. A Ford Fusion, for instance, specially outfitted for driving in snow with treads instead of tires, a massive Dodge pickup with unique, safari-like spray detailing, a Smart car with vertically-hinged doors, an armoured “Tiger” with showgirls twerking on the roof, and a Hummer reimagined in a post-apocalyptic landscape teeming with zombies.

Pride of place on the stage was reserved for the brash-yet-stylish muscle-cars – classic American cars of the 1960-70s, known for their powerful, outsized engines.

The evening of 27 September was capped off by a competition for the title of Miss Royal Auto Show, featuring the participation of 17 young beauties from St. Petersburg. ExpoForum International General Director Sergey Voronkov served on the judges’ panel, carefully assessing the young ladies’ poise and stage presence.

“The Royal Auto Show was born five years ago as an intimate get-together for friends, and has since grown into a truly national event with participants from all over the country,” said Ishkhan Narinyan, one of the show’s organisers.