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The Gran Salón Ferretero 2025 closed with figures that position Colombia as having significant potential in the sector

Bogotá, November 9, 2025. With more than 8,000 professional visitors, 242 national and international exhibitors, and a Business Roundtable that exceeded 41 commercial meetings and generated business expectations of more than USD 5,000,000, with buyers from countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Peru, and Venezuela. The Gran Salón Ferretero 2025 powered by Eisenwarenmesse closed the most successful edition in its history, reaffirming its business potential among leading companies in the hardware and industrial sector in Latin America and the Caribbean.

“The outcome of this edition is more than positive: we exceeded all expectations for participation and managed to consolidate a business space where the hardware industry feels represented. Each visitor, exhibitor, and partner contributed to El Gran Salón Ferretero continuing to be the meeting point par excellence for generating connections, learning about trends, and strengthening the industry in Colombia,” said Lilián Conde, project manager at Corferias.

For three days, Corferias became the meeting point for manufacturers, distributors, importers, and buyers from across the country, who participated in updates, exhibitions, and live experiences, such as the Hardware Laboratory, the Hardware Store, the Hardware Academy, and the Ferrepremios circuit, which was one of the most popular activities among visitors.

“Each edition surprises us with the growth of the event and the energy of the industry. In 2025, we exceeded all our goals, strengthened the network of contacts between suppliers and hardware stores, and demonstrated that Colombia is ready to lead innovation and business in the sector,” said Darío Bastidas, commercial manager of Concept2b, the company that founded the event.

The 2025 Hardware Grand Hall was attended by 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, which took advantage of the fair to launch new products, strengthen commercial relationships, and present trends in technology, sustainability, and point-of-sale process optimization.

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 the collaborative work between Koelnmesse, Corferias, and Concept2B up close 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 for 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. Every trade fair we hold here is another step towards 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 digitization, customer service strategies, industrial safety, and sustainability, with national and international experts.

"The Gran Salón Ferretero has established itself as a key platform for updating knowledge, forming alliances, and discovering opportunities. In this edition, we also took another step toward professionalizing the sector, with spaces such as the Hardware Academy and the Hardware Laboratory, created to strengthen the technical and business capabilities of the guild. Here, we don't just showcase products, we build the future of the hardware industry," added Bastidas.

Experiences of some exhibitors

"Our main goal in participating was to attract as many distributors as possible. We hoped to obtain the contact details of 32 distributors nationwide, and thanks to this edition of El Gran Salón Ferretero, we are 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 have had a larger, more visual stand, and it was definitely worth it," said Andrés Orlando Sarmiento, commercial director of Latam Trade Partners - Workpro.

"We are a Colombian brand with more than 20 years of experience, and this is the first time we have participated in El Gran Salón Ferretero. Without a doubt, our expectations of making ourselves known and positioning ourselves in the adhesive market were achieved. Not only did many of our customers visit us, but we also obtained more than 1,000 positive contacts with future distributors and people who learned about our brand. Thanks to this participation, we were able to position ourselves and leave our slogan in the minds of those in attendance: ‘The good lasts and the perfect endures,’ said Johanna Martínez, marketing coordinator at PegoMax.

“This is our first time participating in El Gran Salón Ferretero, and the experience has been very positive. We achieved sales of approximately 140 million pesos. In addition, our presence at the business roundtable generated business expectations of more than 100 million pesos,” said Nataly González, who is part of the Ferretería Luis Penagos team.

Liz Cuervo, advisor to the Antioquia-based firm OIT Productos, which participated for the first time in the fair with chemical solutions for the construction, hardware, and home sectors, considered that participating in the event was a success. “We gained more than 10,000 direct customers at this fair, which is an important indicator of management and very positive results for the brand.”

“We are an industrial footwear company and this is our first time participating in the fair. For us, this experience has been very satisfying. We have been able to interact with the entire sector, so we see this fair as a great opportunity and we are taking away a lot of data from here, which we are sure will translate into a very good conversion,” said Álvaro Arbeláez, commercial manager of Calzado 70.

“This is our first time participating and it has been an innovative experience. We have received a large influx of customers and many new contacts. We will definitely be back, it is an excellent platform to showcase ourselves in the sector,” said Wilson Méndez, representative of Corbeta.

With an eye on the future, Koelnmesse, Corferias, and Concept2b announced that planning is already underway for the 2026 edition, to be held from October 28 to 30, which will seek to expand its regional reach, incorporate new categories, and continue to strengthen the sector's business ecosystem.

The 2025 Gran Salón Ferretero closed on a positive note and with the satisfaction of having brought together the entire value chain in a single space, demonstrating why it continues to be the largest and most relevant hardware event in Colombia and the region.

About the organizers

Corferias – Bogotá International Business and Exhibition Center: With more than 70 years of experience, Corferias is the leading exhibition center in Colombia and one of the most important in Latin America. Its mission is to promote business, social, and cultural development through the creation of fairs, events, and conferences that foster innovation and business in the region.

Concept2B – Strategy and sector connection: A firm specializing in the design and execution of networking and sector development projects, Concept2B has been a key ally in consolidating El Gran Salón Ferretero as the most important trade fair for the industry in Colombia.

Koelnmesse – Trade fairs for the hardware industry: Koelnmesse is one of the leading organizers of international trade fairs and a global leader in the tools and hardware sector, with EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair in Cologne (Germany) as its flagship event. Its portfolio includes specialized platforms in key markets such as Shanghai, Bergamo, New Delhi, and Bogotá, with El Gran Salón Ferretero (The Great Hardware Show) established as a benchmark in Latin America. In 2025, the company will expand its presence with new events in Indonesia and Saudi Arabia, reaffirming its strategic role in the global growth of the industry.

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