Combined Pharma Event Visitor Numbers 5% Ahead of 2008 Frankfurt Record

MAARSSEN, Netherlands, November 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Returning confidence across the global pharma ingredients and services sector was marked by the buoyant CPhI Worldwide and co-located exhibitions -- ICSE, P-MEC and BioPh -- in sunny Madrid last month (12 - 15 October). Provisional figures from organisers UBM International Media showed a 5% increase in visitors over the record 2008 events in Frankfurt. Subject to audit, total attendance was over 25,450 - only 300 below last year.

Exhibitor numbers at the co-located CPhI ingredients, ICSE contract services, P-MEC equipment and BioPh biopharma exhibitions - together the world's largest pharma services event -- were up by over 100 to a record total of 1,808.

Combined first time exhibitor bookings also increased, with 114 companies making their debut in Madrid -- a 20% increase over 2008.

"Our provisional figures show the steady return of confidence in the pharma services sector," commented CPhI Event Director Annemieke Timmers. "Given the financial climate in early 2009, exhibitors assigned fewer staff to this year's events, but an impressive rise in visitor numbers delivered a total attendance within 1% of the 2008 record."

On event feedback, Ms. Timmers added: "Exhibitors were positive about enquiry volumes and quality. Expected to be cautious, the underlying business mood was upbeat. This year's rise in both overall and first-time exhibitor numbers is further confirmation of the business value generated by CPhI and its co-located events."

Haf Cennydd, Event Director for ICSE, P-MEC and BioPh, noted: "Footfall in ICSE and P-MEC reflected strong year-on-year gains in pre-registrations, together with high levels of interest for the 2010 events."

New features at this year's twentieth staging of CPhI Worldwide included the debut of the biotech-focused BioPh event - reflecting the notable convergence of pharma and biotech business models in drug innovation, production and market delivery. Also new, the eve-of-show Pre-Show Seminar series, on Monday 12 October, attracted over 350 delegates.

The 2009 figures compare with 21,000 attendees and just under 1,500 exhibitors when Feria de Madrid first hosted the events four years ago.

Coming next...

Coming next in UBM's pharma events family, on 1 - 3 December in Mumbai, is CPhI India, with the co-located P-MEC India. The event will feature the launch of both ICSE India and BioPh India -- together with two major conferences, the India Pharma Summit and Biosimilars India 2009.

For 2010, the Europe events are timed a week earlier, when CPhI Worldwide, ICSE, P-MEC and BioPh return to Paris-Nord Villepinte, on Tuesday 5 - Thursday 7 October. Paris last hosted the events in 2006.

Worldwide locations of annual sister events for the pharma sector hosted by UBM include Japan (April); China (June); South America - Argentina (August 2010) and India (December).

Notes for Editors:

- The "CPhI" family has grown beyond Europe to include dedicated annual events in China (2001); Japan (2002); India (2006) and South America (2008).

- Co-located events embrace pharma contract services (ICSE, started 2000); production equipment (P-MEC, started 2005) and BioPh (the biotech/pharma interface - launched this year).

- UBM International Media operates market-leading global exhibition brands and their complementary media products. The CPhI pharmaceutical ingredients and related sector exhibitions currently number over 12 highly-regarded annual events. The portfolio also includes Informex (speciality chemicals), Food Ingredients, HBA (health & beauty industry) and Sea Trade (cruise industry).

- Worldwide locations for its events include China, India, Japan, North America, Brazil, Africa and Europe. More than 330,000 business professionals and marketers visit UBM exhibitions each year. The exhibitions portfolio is managed from Holland. UBM International Media has approximately 1,200 employees in the UK, US, Asia and Europe. See www.ubm.com