IAPEX concludes on high note

Islamabad: The three-day Exhibition of Building Materials and Products on Sunday ended here on a high note.

The event, organised by the Institute of Architects Pakistan’s Rawalpindi and Islamabad chapter and of which the Jang Group was the media partner, brought the country’s architectural masterminds and home decorators under one roof and attracted the people from architects to engineers to builders to members of allied professions to common men on all days.

Commonly called the IAPEX 2018, it had the theme of ‘ArchiFuture – Future Living, Technology, and Sustainability’. Manufacturers and vendors put up stalls to showcase their products and services, while architects informed visitors about modern concepts and trends of architecture, urban development and building material industry and answered their questions.

With an aim to enhance the exposure of local students, academia and professionals, world-famous architects Raya Ani and Andre Meyerhans also made it to the event. They spoke in the IAPEX Forum, interacted with audience, and judged the ideas of architecture students and experts along with IAP, RIC, Chairman Kabeer Malik.

The organisers declared the exhibition a successful event. IAP, RIC, Chairman Kabeer Malik said the event helped introduce the challenges of modern technology and its impact on the people’s lifestyles to young designers.

He said the discourse on contemporary architectural issues during the event would inspire and motivate stakeholders to create a vision for sustainable world of the tomorrow. IAPEX 2018 chief convener Rana Arif Rehman said the event helped bridge gaps among the architectural community, interior designers, developers, potential home builders, and allied building construction professionals.

“We’d people from every major city showing their bonding, commitment and enthusiasm to participate in the mega event. With so much support from vendors and sponsors, the IAPEX, an annual event, achieved new heights of success,” he said.

The vendors appreciated the holding of the exhibition, saying it helped them expand clientele. Kamran Sheikh of the Lodhia Gypsum Industries Private Limited said his company manufacturing and selling high-quality gypsum board and tiles had participated in the IAPEX many times but had come to Islamabad for the first time and had a good experience.

He said the company’s representatives had interacted with architects, builders, engineers, contractors and suppliers and found new clients. Hasan Iqbal Gardezi of the Kitchen Care said his company specialised in kitchen designing, manufacturing, import and installation and had put up a stall in the Islamabad exhibition to renew contacts with architects and consultants and inform them about new products and services.

“We’ve got a good response from visitors and therefore, participation in this event will boost our sales,” he said. The visitors welcomed the exhibition and called for the holding of more and more such events to benefit all concerned.