International appeal continues to grow

Anfas entered its 26th year in 2015 and the event (21 - 24 January) is proving increasingly popular and attracting a much wider range of visitors. Zeynep Gungor, managing director of the organiser Antalya Expo, said that the show occupied 35,000 sq metres and 400 exhibitors were taking part. She added that over the past few years, the number of visitors from beyond Turkey had increased steadily.
Pre-registration figures indicated that the exhibition would again show a significant increase in these figures. "People like doing business with Turkish companies," she commented.
International visitors included those from Azerbaijan, Albania, the Balkans, Georgia, Iran, Iraq, Kosovo, and Macedonia and in addition to Turkish hotel, many international hotel groups were represented including Fairmont, Hilton, Holiday Inn, Hyatt Regency, Marriott, Movenpick, Radisson, Ramada, Sheraton and Wyndham.
The show serves the whole Turkish market but its location in the coastal resort of Antalya is a distinct advantage as the region's hotel accommodation continues to grow.
The audience for the show is changing and is fast becoming a Must" attend" event not only for those immediately involved in the hotel and hospitality industry, but also for architects, town and city planners and representatives of other professions with an interest in these markets.
The exhibitors cover all aspects of the hotel, hospitality and tourist industries, including laundry and textile services.
Tolon, the Turkish manufacturer of laundry equipment is a regular exhibitor at the show. A leader in its home market, the company is gradually expanding. Talking about the show as a whole the company said that although the Anfas Hotel Equipment show was a major event for the Turkish market it had become increasingly international over the past two years and the company had seen visitors from beyond Turkey.
A noticeable feature of this year's exhibition was the greater focus on technology and certainly this was evident on the Tolon stand. The company has been exporting to Europe for four years and was introducing a product range that had been designed, developed manufactured and tested in the home market but with slight modifications to comply with specific regulations, would be sold both at home and in the wider European market.
Washers and dryers are available in 20, 40, 60 and 110kg capacities and each machine has the full range of features. This simple range structure appeals to customers. They are interested in its high standards and in the features that promote sustainability and reduce consumption.
So the dryers have a humidity sensor for more precise results, thus avoiding wasting heat and also a heat recovery system that collects energy from the exhaust and reuses it to heat the drum.
Washer maintenance has also been made easier. The 7inch TFT LCD display on the control panel guides technicians through maintenance and repair procedures with written instructions and photo illustrations.
Washers include an accelerometer which allows the control to sense vibrations, and make adjustments to correct out of balance loads and achieve a high standard of extraction.
Another product featured on the stand was a towel folder that would be available in 3 and 3.5m widths and could operate at up to 60m/minute, providing two lateral folds and two cross folds.
The German manufacturer Stahl has been exhibiting in its own right since 2012 show. Managing director Uwe Stahl who is responsible for exports said he was satisfied with both the number of visitors to the stand and their serious interest in the company and its products. He had met several prospective customers from both Turkey's laundries and from the country's hotels. "
"We have achieved our aim of strengthening our position on the Turkish market."
The main attractions were developments in Stahl's Powerroll and Masterroll ironers and the complementary Servant folders and Starfold folders were also shown. The Servant allows large pieces to be handled by a single operator.
The Poweroll and Masterroll designs have been upgraded. The ranges cover roll diameters from 500 - 1610mm. The ironing surface is up to 25% longer and a new drive design saves up to 15% in electrical energy.
The Atoll washer-extractor range has been extended with 45 and 110kg models. These machines were of great interest to visitors. They have a high G-factor and use the new FreePro microprocessor control, which allows very quiet operation.
With the introduction of 45 and 110kg machines, Stahl can now offer 13 sizes, from 8 - 110kg so the company can meet most requirements.
Stahl has also redesigned its Divimat barrier washers, increasing load capacities and the full range now covers 14 - 200kg sizes.
Features to note include a construction that maximises vibration absorption, making free-standing installation possible and ensuring quiet operation.
The drum design, with its conical perforations, protects the linen but also allows thorough wetting out and fast draining of the suds. Stahl's Pendulum overflow system removes soiling efficiently.

ATTENTION TO DETAIL: Visitors to the Tolon stand examine the technical details of the company's machines