Puericultura Madrid, the International Childhood Products Trade Show, organised by IFEMA, ended its fourth edition, with a satisfactory balance as far as exhibitors and buyers are concerned. In total, 7,059 professionals visited the trade show, of whom 4,515 were identified as “very interesting” due to their high qualification. 
   
These favourable results strengthen the leading position of Puericultura Madrid-IFEMA as the benchmark professional exhibition for the specialised trade in the Iberian Peninsula and as the major professional showcase event for all the new products and innovations in the world of the Baby, of maximum interest for international buyers from markets to which Spain exports its products. 
  
The breakdown of the origin of visitors who were attracted to the trade show is as follows. The two most productive Spanish regions were the Community of Madrid, with 24.7% of the total, and Andalucía, with 14.2 %. Catalonia with 12.9 % was in third place, just ahead of the Community of Valencia, in fourth place with 12.7 % of the total. Considerable growth was also registered in the number of professional visitors from the Balearic Islands, Cantabria, Castilla and León, Navarra and Murcia. Taken as a whole, these statistics show that the professional visitors to the event came from all over Spain. 
  
International presence 
  
Yet again this year, the trade show consolidated its position as an important international event, with 494 registered professionals from 30 countries, 7 % of the total visitors to the trade show. There was an important number of professional visitors from Portugal, up by 10% from last year and accounting for more than half of the overseas visitors in 2016. 
  
The most important countries of origin of the international visitors were, aside from Portugal, Italy, France, Andorra, Belgium, Morocco, United Kingdom, China, Sweden, Ireland and Poland. Also in attendance for the first time, were professionals from Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Indonesia, Japan, Luxemburg, Rumania and Turkey. 
  
Processed invitations 
  
A total of 1,128 professional invitations were processed in this edition of the trade show, as opposed to the 1,097 invitations that were issued last year. 42 % of all the invited buyers were new. 
   
As far as the visitor profile is concerned, 76% had a high qualification and were therefore potential buyers (primarily specialist traders); 6% were commercial and sales agents; 6% were distributors and another 6 %, importers or manufacturers. There was an important presence (2 % of the total) of designers and decorators at the trade show in search of ideas and inspiration. 
   
According to data gathered in the survey of visitors to the trade show, 67 % visited the event more than one day and 95 % expressed their determined intention to return to the event next year. The sectors of greatest interest for visitors were the technical childcare sector, fashion, accessories and very specially, toys. 
  
More than 488 exhibitors and brands 
   
The trade show was a unique showcase for discovering the latest developments and the main tendencies in childhood products. As a result, both small and large brands that together make up the childcare industry took part in Puericultura Madrid 2016, presenting their collections for the new 2017 season. More than 488 companies and brands showed off their latest ranges for the Iberian market for the first time. 
  
Among the companies and brands that took art in the fourth edition of this event, were Jané, Chicco, Bébécar, Baby Monsters, Babymoov, Babadulle, Bebé Due, Casualplay, Cybex, Concord, Micuna, Miniland, Saro Classic, Tuc Tuc, Silver Cross, Arrue, Babyjörn, Be Cool, Bébé Confort, Joie, Tigex, Tutete, BonjourBebe, Cam il Mondo del Bambino, Baby Llacer, El Bebé Aventurero, Matías Massó, Moltó y Cia, Naf Naf-tanuki, Nûby, Peg Perego-Tavitoys and Recaro, among others.