ZAGREB FAIR OPERATES SUCCESSFULLY IN YEAR'S FIRST HALF

ZAGREB, June 7 (Hina) - The Zagreb Trade Fair (ZV) has successfully wrapped up the first half of 2002, increasing earnings by ten and cutting costs by eight percent, as well as making a profit in current operations, ZV director Davorin Spevec said on Friday. #L# Events held in said period yielded earnings in the amount of 33.6 million kuna (EUR4.54 million), a 30 percent increase as against the same time last year. Spevec said ZV's business had improved and that interest in exhibitions had grown. He added this was also due to the economic revival and overall stabilisation of Croatia. On June 26, ZV will host a Central European Fairs Association conference, which is to pool representatives from Munich, Ljubljana, Graz, Klagenfurt, Budapest, Vienna, Bratislava, Belgrade, Novi Sad, and Zagreb. Speaking about preparations for events in the second half of the year, Spevec singled out the 78th annual Zagreb Autumn Fair on Sept. 16-22. This year's partner country is China. The fourth annual CROMoney will take place at the same time, as well as the Modernpack packing materials fair, and the First Fashion Days. Spevec said the ZV union and management had agreed about a collective agreement which might be signed soon. (hina) ha sb