Igeho 09, the international exhibition for hotels, catering and extra-domestic consumption, was held at Messe Basel from 21 to 25 November 2009. Over the five days, 78074 visitors were counted in Basel. Despite the difficult economic climate, attendance figures were only just short of the figure for the last Igeho in 2007 (80,240). The decline was primarily in the number of private visitors, which will be welcomed by the exhibitors. In addition, there was a slight fall in visitor numbers for Mefa, the specialist exhibition for the meat industry, which was held in parallel. Visitors to Mefa were able to use their ticket to gain admission to Igeho as well.

The percentage of professional visitors at Igeho rose by comparison to last time round, to stand at 88% (2007 84%), with professional visitors from abroad accounting for 13% (2007:11%). It was established in general terms that the share of decision-makers at the specialist fair was higher, and also that there was an increase in the number of visitors attending for more than one day. The exhibition management’s commitment to enhancing the quality of visitors is thus paying off.

High-quality special presentations and the World of Inspiration
The special presentations at Igeho 09 met with great acclaim, and the offerings focused on sustainability were very much in demand. Hence, the special "Uncompromising enjoyment" presentation featuring organic, fair trade and regional products attracted a great deal of interest, as did the platform for boosting energy efficiency. Additional focal themes were "Snacking & Franchising" and "Hotel Solutions for the Health Sector". The sophisticated furnishing and design zone, "World of Inspiration", was a major highlight once again. This specialist field at Igeho is unique amongst international exhibitions and appeals greatly to foreign guests, in particular.

Switzerland’s biggest meat counter
In parallel to Igeho, the players in the meat sector met up for a second time, after 2007, at Mefa 09, the specialist fair for the meat industry. Several thousand Igeho visitors watched the presentation of the 2009 quality competition held by the Swiss meat industry association. With awards for more than 900 meat products, this constituted the biggest meat counter in Switzerland. Holding Mefa in parallel to Igeho thus proved highly successful again and underlines the mutual benefit for a large number of exhibitors and professional visitors at both fairs.

The next Igeho is being held from 19 to 23 November 2011.