{"id":16004,"date":"2026-03-12T13:24:26","date_gmt":"2026-03-12T13:24:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/?p=16004"},"modified":"2026-03-13T09:39:17","modified_gmt":"2026-03-13T09:39:17","slug":"istanbul-kirtasiye-ofis-fuarinda-degisim-ruzgarlari","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/istanbul-kirtasiye-ofis-fuarinda-degisim-ruzgarlari\/","title":{"rendered":"Winds of Change at the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair"},"content":{"rendered":"

From Location to Marketing, from Strategy to Budget: A Breath of Fresh Air at the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair, one of the longest-standing events in the stationery sector, is on the verge of a significant transformation. At a consultation meeting organized under the leadership of T\u00dcK\u0130D, the future of the fair was thoroughly discussed from every angle. Based on the opinions, expectations, and feedback of participating companies, a fundamental transformation of the event\u2019s organizational structure is being planned. With discussions centered on a new venue, new dates, and a new vision, the goal is to establish a sustainable structure that will inject new vitality into the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The future of the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair, one of the most established and comprehensive events in the stationery sector, is poised to enter a new era. A significant change regarding the fair\u2019s venue is on the agenda, as the event has been bringing industry professionals together under one roof for over 30 years. Organized in collaboration with T\u00dcK\u0130D and hosted by the T\u00fcyap Fair and Congress Center in Beylikd\u00fcz\u00fc by the T\u00fcyap Fair Group for the past 10 years, the fair has initiated a strategic evaluation process based on the opinions and suggestions of industry representatives. The most recent edition of the event, which holds the distinction of being Eurasia\u2019s largest stationery fair, took place from February 19\u201322, 2025. One of the most critical steps in this process was the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair Consultation Meeting held on Tuesday, July 1, 2025. Members and industry representatives, gathered at the invitation of the T\u00dcK\u0130D Board of Directors, discussed decisions that will shape the fair\u2019s future. The meeting, which began with an opening speech by T\u00dcK\u0130D President Taha Keresteci, featured in-depth discussions aimed at creating a more efficient, inclusive, and sustainable stationery fair for the industry. The decisions made are expected to provide the fair with a new vision and bring fresh dynamism to the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Mayor Keresteci: \u201cThe Current Conditions of the Fair Are Unsustainable\u201d<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Speaking at the Istanbul Stationery and Office Supplies Fair Consultation Meeting on July 1, T\u00dcK\u0130D President Taha Keresteci provided a comprehensive assessment of the fair\u2019s current organizational structure and venue. In his speech, Keresteci noted that there had been complaints following the February 2025 fair, citing low attendance and logistical issues, as well as the fact that the fair\u2019s venue had shrunk back to 10,000 m\u00b2 , and the fact that the percentage of visitors from within Istanbul remained at 15\u201320%, stating that continuing the fair at T\u00dcYAP was not sustainable. Additionally, following discussions with the Istanbul Fair Center as an alternative, it was shared that Halls 1 and 3, totaling 11,000 m\u00b2, are suitable for the fair, the infrastructure has been renovated, and they can easily accommodate the number of participants. Keresteci emphasized the importance of the process, stating, \u201cFor our sector, this change has become a necessity to ensure an inclusive and sustainable fair.\u201d Keresteci also provided details regarding the fair date, stating, \u201cFollowing our discussions with both fair organizing companies, April emerged as the preferred month for the fair. T\u00dcYAP indicated that the fair could be held during the first week of April, which coincides with the period following the Ramadan holiday.\u201d The Istanbul Exhibition Center (\u0130FM), meanwhile, proposed the week of April 12\u201319, 2026, indicating that the fair could take place between Wednesday and Saturday during that period. \u201cSurveys and phone interviews with participants revealed a strong preference for holding the fair in April,\u201d he said. As a result, a date range that both meets participant requests and aligns with the industry calendar began to take shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NOT A SPATIAL TRANSFORMATION, BUT A STRATEGIC ONE<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

T\u00dcK\u0130D President Taha Keresteci emphasized that moving the fair to the Istanbul Fair Center represents not only a spatial but also a strategic transformation. In preliminary discussions with the new fair organizer, Keresteci noted that T\u00dcK\u0130D could manage 50% of the fair\u2019s budget, stating, \u201cThis brings numerous advantages, ranging from social media promotions to promotional support and hotel accommodations.\u201d Noting that a new sense of motivation has been gained through the location advantage, central transportation convenience, and budgetary transparency, Keresteci remarked, \u201cIt is exciting for us to have brought so many issues to the table in such a short time.\u201d He noted that the new organizing firm has guaranteed international fair status in the second year. Keresteci noted that due to space constraints, there could be a 10\u201320% reduction in booth square footage. He clarified that prices did not double as claimed during the transition to IFM, but rather there was a 20\u201330% difference compared to T\u00dcYAP. \u201cPerceptions have been shattered,\u201d said Keresteci, emphasizing that the decision was made through the collective will of the sector.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EVERY DETAIL MUST BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Industry representatives attending the meeting expressed their satisfaction with T\u00dcK\u0130D\u2019s swift action. Cihangir Ayd\u0131n from Karadeniz Stationery noted, \u201cIt\u2019s significant that a step we\u2019ve been waiting for so long was taken this quickly,\u201d while Cihan \u015eahinler from Merkez Import asked whether the location advantages at T\u00dcYAP would be preserved with the transition to the Istanbul Fair Center (\u0130FM) and whether there was a possibility of moving the fair date to an earlier time. Caner Ta\u015fdemir from Teknik At\u0131l\u0131m shared the view that, \u201cTrade volume is declining, costs are rising; therefore, it is critical that the new location also offers cost advantages.\u201d Serhat \u00c7elik from Adel Kalemcilik emphasized the importance of sharing the number of foreign visitors and their distribution by country in advance. Hakan Melek from Melek Stationery noted, \u201cSundays used to boost fair traffic; we\u2019re curious why this practice was discontinued,\u201d drawing attention to weekend attendance. Erol Aykut from Eraysan Group stated, \u201cThe new location and date present an opportunity to balance hidden costs.\u201d Representatives of the Toy Retailers Association, meanwhile, stated that holding the toy fair and the stationery fair simultaneously could benefit both sectors. Ahmet Y\u00fcksel of Bigpoint Stationery, a veteran of the industry, pointed out the fair\u2019s decline over the years, saying, \u201cWe used to be known as the world\u2019s third-largest stationery fair; today, however, many major buyers no longer come to Istanbul.\u201d Emphasizing that the Istanbul Stationery Fair has lost its appeal, Y\u00fcksel suggested, \u201cEvents in Antalya have become more effective. Perhaps this fair should be moved there,\u201d he suggested. Tarkan Do\u011fan, a representative of \u015eahin Stationery, noted, \u201cWe\u2019ve identified 5,500 sales points just in the Marmara Region. The Istanbul Fair\u2019s potential is still very high,\u201d underscoring the need for a coordinated and organized marketing strategy. Erkan Tekin from Tekiner Stationery, however, asked, \u201cManaging the budget by 50% is good, but how will we attract international participants with this budget? What are the concrete plans to increase the number of qualified visitors?\u201d Serta\u00e7 Y\u00f6r\u00fck from Doruk Tan\u0131t\u0131m, on the other hand, welcomed the change of venue: \u201cWe need to create a new perception. T\u00dcYAP was no longer generating excitement.\u201d He also expressed the view that holding a large-scale fair spanning three or four halls by merging with the toy sector would increase the number of participants. The opinions clearly highlighted the expectation for renewal. Throughout the meeting, evaluations regarding the fair\u2019s date, target market, and strategic direction continued. Senan Arslaner of As Defter emphasized that April is not a suitable time for an export-focused trade show: \u201cWholesalers in Europe, particularly in France, complete all their purchases by November. Our order period closes by mid-February. Holding a trade show in April is too late for exports.\u201d Nam\u0131k \u00d6zt\u00fcrk from Timon A.\u015e., however, believes that simply changing the date and location won\u2019t be enough: \u201cThe trade show is getting smaller every year. If we want to reverse this trend, we need broader projects that can include neighboring sectors like the toy industry.\u201d In response to \u00d6zt\u00fcrk\u2019s criticism, it was revealed that management is preparing a four-pronged marketing-focused action plan, which will target a multi-layered audience ranging from buyers to teachers, and from municipalities to chain stores. Faruk \u00c7elikten from Barker Stationery, meanwhile, emphasized the importance of strong digital promotion: \u201cIf we use social media effectively, we can create excitement, not just make announcements.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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EXPORT-ORIENTED APPROACH<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In his closing remarks at the meeting, T\u00dcK\u0130D President Taha Keresteci outlined both the association\u2019s new export-focused plans and the visionary responsibility they have undertaken. \u201cApril may be too late for exports, but we plan to establish a different structure to turn this situation into an opportunity. We are preparing for a new export event in the format of a hotel trade show\u2014completely closed to the domestic market and open only to invited international buyers\u2014where B2B meetings will take place. This event will be open to all our members with export aspirations,\u201d he said. Keresteci emphasized that the decision to move to the Istanbul Fair Center (\u0130FM) was not merely a physical change: \u201cThere were serious shortcomings regarding social media and promotion at T\u00dcYAP. While visitor numbers have declined over the years, budgets were not utilized effectively. We will now establish a structure that is not just operational but also strategic, planning, and managing communication. A professional team dedicated solely to the fair will be hired within the association. This way, even if the organizer changes, institutional memory will be preserved.\u201d Noting that visitor numbers have declined significantly in recent years, Keresteci stated, \u201cThis decline is not merely a matter of timing. No fair can survive without effective promotion, proper budget allocation, and PR and social media strategies,\u201d and called on all industry representatives to unite.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A NEW BEGINNING IN APRIL<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

At the end of the meeting, a survey was conducted among participants regarding the fair\u2019s holding in April at the Istanbul Fair Center (\u0130FM). In the vote, the majority supported holding the Istanbul Stationery Fair at the \u0130FM from April 15\u201318. With this update to the fair calendar, the event will now take place in April instead of February. April was determined to be the most suitable time frame based on both the industry calendar and participant surveys.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

LOKASYONDAN PAZARLAMAYA, STRATEJ\u0130DEN B\u00dcT\u00c7EYE \u0130STANBUL KIRTAS\u0130YE OF\u0130S FUARI\u2019NDA DE\u011e\u0130\u015e\u0130M R\u00dcZGARLARI K\u0131rtasiye sekt\u00f6r\u00fcn\u00fcn en k\u00f6kl\u00fc bulu\u015fmalar\u0131ndan biri olan \u0130stanbul K\u0131rtasiye Ofis Fuar\u0131, \u00f6nemli bir de\u011fi\u015fimin e\u015fi\u011finde. T\u00dcK\u0130D\u2019in \u00f6nc\u00fcl\u00fc\u011f\u00fcnde d\u00fczenlenen isti\u015fare toplant\u0131s\u0131yla, fuar\u0131n gelece\u011fi t\u00fcm y\u00f6nleriyle masaya yat\u0131r\u0131ld\u0131. Kat\u0131l\u0131mc\u0131 firmalar\u0131n g\u00f6r\u00fc\u015fleri, beklentileri ve ele\u015ftirileri do\u011frultusunda, organizasyon yap\u0131s\u0131nda k\u00f6kl\u00fc bir d\u00f6n\u00fc\u015f\u00fcm planlan\u0131yor. Yeni yer, yeni tarih ve yeni…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[84],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16004","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-sektorel-haberler"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16004","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16004"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16004\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16004"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16004"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tukid.org\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16004"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}