Thessaloniki International Fair to Feature Largest Drone Light Show in Greece and 1,300 Exhibitors

The 88th Thessaloniki International Fair (TIF), with Germany as the honoured country, is set to commence on Saturday evening, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and German Vice-Chancellor Robert Habeck inaugurating the event.

The fair, running from September 7-15, will showcase an impressive display of digital "fireworks" created by 500 drones, marking the largest drone light show in Greece.

President of TIF-Helexpo SA, Tassos Tzikas, and Managing Director Kyriakos Pozrikidis announced that the fair is projected to have a substantial economic impact, estimated at around 50 million euros. The event will feature over 1,300 direct and indirect exhibitors, filling the entire 32,000 square meters of the exhibition center. Notably, official state participation has risen to 25 countries, up from 18 last year, including first-time participants such as the United Kingdom and Japan since the post-dictatorship era.

Tzikas highlighted Germany's participation as a major attraction, noting its potential to attract significant investment to Thessaloniki, similar to the U.S. participation in previous years. The German presence will include high-profile officials such as Vice-Chancellor Habeck and Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Ozdemir, with an emphasis on technology, education, environmental protection, energy, start-ups, and e-government.

German Ambassador to Athens, Andreas Kindl, emphasized that this is the largest exhibition participation by Germany abroad in the last 25 years. The German pavilion, designed by gtp2 architekten, will feature a stage for discussions, a conference room for workshops, and a "German lounge" for business meetings. Key events include a discussion on disinformation and journalism and a performance by the Sasha Waltz Dance Company, Germany’s largest contemporary dance troupe.