MUNICH, Germany--Opti Munich organizers reported a 1.3 percent increase in overall attendance at the recent trade fair held here. About 35,000 trade visitors from 70 countries and 600 exhibitors from 48 countries came together at the event.

Opti Munich organizers reported 35,000 trade visitors at their 2007 show, including the Trend area, with a growth in international participation.

 “Opti Munchen is a dynamic interface platform for the sector,” said Dr. Arno Jager, managing director of the organizer O.K. Messen. “For three days, everything revolved around the products and key themes that are moving the sector today. We are particularly pleased that the fair has again broadened its international spectrum considerably this year, both in terms of the exhibitors and the visitors,” he added.

More than one third of the visitors came from abroad. The top 10 countries of origin for visitors, after Germany, were: Austria, Switzerland, Italy, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, France, Great Britain, Slovakia, Poland and Russia (in that order).

According to the questionnaire distributed at the trade fair, over 89 percent of businessmen visiting Opti Munich are decision makers, that is, they make purchasing decisions themselves or are involved in decision making in a contributory way.

Also, organizers report that 92.9 percent of visitors said that the Munich trade fair plays an “important” or “very important” role in looking for new trends and products to support their purchasing decisions.

Effective with the 2008 edition, the show will have a new owner and operator. GHM (Gesellschaft fur Handwerksmessen), a company based in Munich that runs a variety of international trade fairs, took over the fair effective March 1 of this year and will bring the new international reach to Opti Munich.

The next Opti Munich, 11th International Optics and Eyewear Exhibition, organized by GHM, will take place from Jan. 11 to 13, 2008 in the New Munich Trade Fair Centre (contact: Mrs Lidia Ricco, www.ghm.de, [email protected], Tel. +49(089)949 55-117, Fax +49(089)949 55-118).