Or is Nobel Expo an association, and I am the president of the association?

At Nobel Rus, one of our group companies, the purchasing director of a Moscow-based shoe chain, now one of our good export clients, asked me a question that struck like lightning when he heard that our portfolio also included shoe and bag manufacturers: “Is it Turkish shoes or Konya?” If he had referred to another city with which we share a border with neighboring countries in this way due to the current geopolitical climate, he would have received his answer right there. But the sentence he used was crafted to suggest that within the general shoe production in Turkey, Konya is held almost equal to, if not above, the sum of our other shoe production centers.

It was at that exact moment that the first thing that came to mind was organizing a shoe fair in Konya, in recognition of its strength and success in production. As soon as I returned from Russia to Turkey, I immediately met with Kemal Özarpa, the President of the Konya Shoe Manufacturers Association, and Muhammet Acar, the President of the Konya Shoemakers’ Chamber. It turned out that the idea of organizing a shoe fair in Konya had been on their agenda for some time. We believed in each other, trusted each other, shook hands, and set out on this journey together.

The first thing I did was ask my team for a marketing strategy plan right away. They quickly came up with a draft. A slogan was selected, matching Konya’s strength and quality in shoe production: “Konya: The Pinnacle of Footwear in Turkey!” Being ambitious is always good, as ambition is the main fuel of motivation. However, the fine line between ambition and arrogance can be easily misunderstood, especially in many new ventures. That’s why, although I liked the slogan my marketing director suggested, I said, “Not now, but soon. Very soon.”

When MasterShoes opened its doors for the first time, it was a successful fair that even the circles supporting us couldn’t believe. And this is not a claim, it’s the truth. If it weren’t, MasterShoes wouldn’t be opening with over 100% growth in its second year! Based on this, I have a prediction for the following year. You’ll read what that is in the following lines, but first, let me open a separate bracket, not only for shoes but also for the trade fair sector in Turkey.

When I stepped into this sector after 20 years of journalism, the first thing I said was, “I didn’t know something could be worse than media!” Because in our country, trade fairs are nearly synonymous with renting space and selling it. The cookie-cutter marketing methods and lackluster visitor outreach efforts are unfortunately the biggest barriers to turning our trade fairs into commerce.

This tradition has recently been taken up by associations and federations that, by establishing their own trade fair companies, have become interested in the trade fair business and forgotten their original founding purposes. These fair companies, set up by associations, don’t even have a single employee with knowledge and experience in the fair industry. Marketing and promotional activities mean nothing to these folks. After all, fair participants are their members. It’s easy for them to sign a sales contract. Yet, strangely, even this task of signing contracts, which is essentially the backbone of their operations, is outsourced at a commission.

On the other hand, they act as if they’re a trade fair company rather than an association established for their sector. During election times, they recklessly spend the association’s funds as fairground rent to gain votes, and just a year later, they organize “workshops” saying, “Fairground rents have increased; it’s now impossible to hold fairs in Istanbul.” The main agenda becomes, “Should we move the fair to Antalya or Izmir?” Some even suggest, “Let’s do it in Greece.” Don’t laugh; I swear it’s true!

However, especially in exports, such incompetence is unacceptable. This lack of seriousness causes significant losses for all sectors. And, of course, those who suffer the most are the sector representatives who are struggling to survive in this very tough period. Aware of this, we have set our company’s mission accordingly. This year, we’ve determined the square meter fee for our fair, including stands, shelves, and everything needed for the fair, at 2,750 liras. For many, this amount is less than the cost of a stand, let alone the participation fee at other fairs. It’s not even half the price of so-called fairs held in hotel corridors. While we’re offering MasterShoes at a price close to free for participants, we’re not neglecting any of the fair services. Especially when it comes to international buyer delegations, we’re carrying out efforts at a rarely seen level of care.

This year, despite the fact that the square meter fee we’ve set won’t even cover the costs of hosting these visitors, 322 professional buyers from 36 different countries will be in Konya for MasterShoes. Moreover, we will cover their expenses, such as flights, hotels, and transfers.

Given all this, I sometimes ask myself: “While sector associations are becoming fair companies, are we acting more like a sector association than a fair company? :)”

Honestly, I don’t mind. I take pride in the fact that it’s perceived this way for my company. Therefore, next year, we will again open MasterShoes with the same fee policy, offering participants all fair services, including space and stands, even at the expense of making a loss.

Do you hear the challenge echoing from here? :)

After all, Nobel Expo is not a sector association, and I’m not the president of such an association!

Isn’t that right?

ERHAN ÇELİK

NOBEL GROUP OF COMPANIES Chairman of the Board of Directors