On the occasion of the 80th Anniversary of Belgrade Fair operation beginning, on September 11, 1937, this really global Anniversary was celebrated by the appropriate festivity at the Sava Promenade, with the view to the place on the other bank of the Sava, where the Fair opened its gates for visitors.
The festivity was attended by public life guests from various branches – economic, political, cultural, sport, show business, media, etc.
Welcoming the guests and media representatives and reminding of the 80 years of Belgrade Fair tradition, this company’s CEO Danka Selić first recommended the installed exhibition of the Fair history, “which is the witness of the successful business years since 1937, when the first event was held, up to the present”.
She said the location of the festivity was not selected by coincidence: “Just in front of us, exactly across the river Sava, is the old Fair symbol, the venue of the Fair establishing as long ago as in 1937 and on this side, slightly upstream, the present Fair is located, established in 1957”.
“Eighty years of Belgrade Fair, established just on this date, is a great Anniversary; the successful tradition we are proud of, but which obliges us, as well; positive and encouraging results behind us – all this is what makes us the most respected exhibition institution in this part of Europe. Belgrade Fair is modernized continuously, we work hard to keep the continuity, we create new events and expand the existing ones. In 2016, we held 40 events in total, in 2017 the Fair calendar plans 48 events to be held, i.e. eight more than in the previous year. Only in the first half of this year’s calendar we have already held 23 of them”.
“Belgrade Fair pays considerable attention to the Fairground maintenance, but also the whole infrastructure, which is permanent and very serious job, with the effects noticed by all those using our services. There is a new look of the pedestrian entrance into Belgrade Fair, purchase of the new car totems, as well as the decision of the halls 7, 8 and 9 reconstruction and their return to the original purpose. All this with the important note Belgrade Fair does not use the public budget funds and we finance all investments, even the capital ones, only from the income we accomplish at this competitive market”, said Danka Selić.
In accordance with one of its most expressed historical roles – the educational and humanitarian ones – Belgrade Fair then handed over the money donation to the Primary School Dobrinka Bogdanović from the village Strelac, Babušnica Municipality, motivating this undeveloped part of Serbia symbolically to be a part of the world the Fair has connected all of us with for 80 years. The donation was received on behalf of the School by the Principal Jasmina Tasić.
Approaching the attendees, Nemanja Berić, President of Assembly of the Belgrade City Municipality Savski Venac, the Municipality where Belgrade Fair is located, congratulated to the hosts the great Anniversary: “We are proud that Belgrade Fair, the place, as declared by the hosts, seen by the whole world, is at our Municipality’s territory. We believe it will be this also in the future”.
The actor Milan Milosavljević spoke poetically inspired of the brief Belgrade Fair history, highlighting the great and decisive moments and events and famous local and global names that marked the epochs passes through by the Fair.
The guests then visited the voluminous outdoor exhibition of photographs and documents devoted to Belgrade Fair history, from the beginning of the first pavilion construction at the left bank of the Sava, in 1937, to the present. The exhibition, remaining there by September 20, witnesses various great fair, cultural, music, sport, fashion and educational events in Belgrade Fair halls, but also the worldwide famous names the visitors had the opportunity to see, hear and meet there.
This symbolic festivity was finished by get together of the hosts, guests and media representatives in the nearby Savanova restaurant at the Sava Promenade, which will soonest come just to the Belgrade Fair tread as one of the new Belgrade symbols.
