After the success of last year's presence at the Thessaloniki International Fair, HACCI will once again host Australian businesses in Greece.

Buying up stall space at the fair for the Australian contingent, HACCI is currently calling for interested businesses and professionals to contact them if they would like a presence at the fair.

HACCI plan to exhibit Australian goods and services to over 200,000 visitors who will be attending the Thessaloniki International Fair in September.
Participants who register through HACCI will also be invited to a number of functions and events for international delegates.

Held annually and now in its 79th year, the fair is designed to showcase businesses in the European and international market. For Australian businesses, it's a chance to create international links to broaden expansion in overseas markets.

Last year, the stall included ten companies; ITM Freight, Cochlear, the radio station 'O Rythmos', Oakleigh Grammar, Eurobank, KL Energy, Stojanovic and Associates, Hellenic Australian Chamber of Commerce and Innovation (HACCI), the Hellenic Australian Business Council (HABC) and the Australian Embassy.

Director of trade for HACCI George Iliopoulos said after the fair's conclusion last year that all the companies who had a presence there alsosigned on for this year's fair.

Australian sheepskin apparel maker UGG has been in talks with HACCI since last year and is keen to look at expanding its factories in Greece.

The Greek government is hoping to see international investment boom in the crisis riddled country.

Australia is heeding the call, and has shown its strongest interest ever.

"What we're seeing now is Australian companies creating traffic to get into Greece," Mr Iliopoulos said after the last fair. "Two, three years ago this didn't exist."

In 2012, a major trade mission from Thessaloniki visited Melbourne and Sydney to establish new commercial links between Greece and Australia.

Now businesses from around the globe are being courted by Greece as it tries to muster up trade relations and business interest.

The fair also coincides with the celebration of the 30 year anniversary between the sister cities, Melbourne and Thessaloniki.

The Thessaloniki International Fair is the only trade and consumer exhibition in Greece and attracts more than 800 exhibitors. It will take place over nine days from September 6 to September 14 in Thessaloniki.