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The 2025 Great Hardware Show closed with figures that position Colombia with significant potential in the sector
Bogotá, November 9, 2025. With over 8,000 professional visitors, 242 national and international exhibitors, and a Business Roundtable that facilitated more than 41 business meetings and generated over USD 5,000,000 in potential business deals with buyers from countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela, the 2025 Great Hardware Show powered by Eisenwarenmesse concluded its most successful edition ever, reaffirming its potential as a business hub for leading companies in the hardware and industrial sectors of Latin America and the Caribbean.
“The outcome of this edition is more than positive: we exceeded all expectations for participation and successfully established a business space where the hardware industry feels represented. Every visitor, exhibitor, and partner contributed to making the Great Hardware Show the premier meeting point for forging connections, learning about trends, and strengthening the industry in Colombia.” Lilián Conde, Corferias project manager, stated.
For three days, Corferias became the meeting point for manufacturers, distributors, importers, and buyers from across the country, who participated in workshops, exhibitions, and live experiences, such as the Hardware Lab, the Hardware Store, the Hardware Academy, and the Hardware Awards circuit, which was one of the most popular activities among visitors.
“Each edition surprises us with the event's growth and the energy of the industry. In 2025, we surpassed all our goals, strengthened the network of contacts between suppliers and hardware store owners, and demonstrated that Colombia is ready to lead innovation and business in the sector,” highlighted Darío Bastidas, commercial manager of Concept2b, the company that founded the event.
The 2025 Great Hardware Show featured brands such as Henkel, Bosch, Mapei, Urrea, Ternium, Holcim, Soudal, Cemex, Sintex, Corama, Mundial de Tornillos, Gottta, Caribe Brochas y Herramientas, and Grupo Mercury, among many others, who took advantage of the fair to launch new products, strengthen business relationships, and present trends in technology, sustainability, and process optimization at the point of sale.
The fair was attended by Gerald Böse, CEO and President of Koelnmesse, who added, “My visit to Colombia has been a truly inspiring experience. Seeing firsthand the collaborative work between Koelnmesse, Corferias, and Concept2B confirms the enormous potential of this alliance to project Colombia, Latin America, and the Caribbean onto the global stage. At Koelnmesse, we firmly believe in internationalization as an engine of development. In that sense, our mission is clear: to be the gateway for global brands to reach Latin America, and at the same time, to empower companies in the region to connect with new opportunities internationally. Each fair we hold here is another step toward that goal: strengthening the economy through connection, innovation, and the success of our exhibitors.”
As part of the Hardware Academy, more than 500 attendees participated in talks and workshops on digitalization, customer service strategies, industrial safety, and sustainability, with national and international experts.
“The Great Hardware Show has established itself as a key platform for updating knowledge, forging alliances, and discovering opportunities. This year, we also took another step toward professionalizing the sector with spaces like the Hardware Academy and the Hardware Lab, created to strengthen the technical and business capabilities of the industry. Here, we don't just showcase products; we build the future of the hardware industry,” added Bastidas.
Experiences from some exhibitors
“Our main objective was to attract as many distributors as possible. We expected to obtain contact information from 32 distributors nationwide, and thanks to this edition of the Great Hardware Show, we're leaving with more than
200 direct contacts in Colombia. As a brand, we have consistently participated in the event, and the results have always been truly satisfactory. This is the first time we've had a larger and more visually appealing booth, and without a doubt, it was worth it,” stated Andrés Orlando Sarmiento, Commercial Director of Latam Trade Partners - Workpro.
“We are a Colombian brand with over 20 years of experience, and this is our first time participating in El Gran Salón Ferretero. We certainly achieved our expectations of raising awareness and establishing ourselves in the adhesives market. Not only were many of our existing customers visiting us, but we also made over 1,000 positive connections with potential distributors and people who were new to our brand. Thanks to this participation, we were able to position ourselves effectively and leave our slogan in the minds of attendees.”
