Economic stimulus programme - Fashion fairs
Berlin, 22 January 2010 Today is the last day of Bread & Butter and Premium in Berlin. The Fashion Week has been very successful. “With more than 200,000 additional visitors the three fashion fairs have proved to be of huge benefit to the city”, says Burkhard Kieker, CEO of Berlin Tourismus Marketing GmbH. “The hotels in the city had very high booking levels – and this at a time of the year when hotel beds in other cities are unfilled.”
The fashion events attracted more trade visitors than the previous time round. They generate almost €100 million of additional income for the city. The Berlin hotels benefited from one-third of the expenditure by visitors to the fairs. There was considerable demand for venues for shows, presentations and press conferences, too. Restaurants, retail outlets and cultural facilities likewise enjoyed good business.
But it’s not just money that the fashion fairs bring to Berlin. They also generate a priceless boost to the city’s image. Kieker goes on, “The visitors are fantastic multipliers. Each one is a trendsetter in his home territory – the fashion metropolis Berlin has revealed its fascinating side to each and every one of them.”
(1,314 characters)