With many predicting a tough retail environment, Spring Fair Birmingham 2005 (6-10 February) enjoyed five days of good business in which exhibitors reported two explosive opening days followed by a steady stream of business.

Visitor attendance was once again strong, with an attendance of 79,939 (compared with 80,065 in 2004), whilst international attendance held up well with the attendance figures at 8,180 (compared with 8,216 in 2004). These figures have been submitted for official auditing by the ABC.

Behind the headline figures, an even more positive picture has emerged. Buyers continue to see Spring Fair Birmingham as a serious buying event. The total number of individual companies visiting the fair rose by 4.4% to 52,846, whilst 28% of visitors visited the fair for two days or more (rising to 52% for international visitors). Total visits to the fair including revisits was up by 1% to 111,844 and the number of pre-registered visitors reached an all-time high of 81%, demonstrating a huge level of loyalty amongst visitors.

The seminar programme in Garden Living in the Arena was well received by exhibitors and visitors alike and Carlin International presented their Future Trends to packed audiences in hall 16. Catherine Rame of Carlin International said "We had a great attendance at every seminar; they are really popular with the serious buyers."

Other highlights from the event included the strong presence of international visitors from all corners of the globe with notable rises from Japan, Italy and Scandinavia. E-commerce continues to make an impact on the retail landscape with visitors up from 351 in 2004 to 1,237 - a huge 350% rise.

Once again the show saw the usual sprinkling of personalities to add glamour to the event. Celebrity Chef Gary Rhodes on the Typhoon stand said "Spring Fair Birmingham is a brilliant show; it's very lively with something for everyone." Whilst Laurence Llewelyn Bowen said "Spring Fair Birmingham creates the opportunities for retailers to really shop."

Summing up the 2005 event Alison Jackson, managing director for the organisers said: "The headline figures only tell part of the picture, the first two days of the fair were phenomenal with the entire NEC car park allocation filled to capacity. It's rewarding to see the strong level of commitment to the event from visitors from all sectors. In the light of the current retail conditions we were delighted with the 2005 event."

Next year's fair will run from 5-9 February 2006 (with Volume opening on Saturday 4 February).