Today marks 100 years since first exhibition organized in Moldovan capital

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) of Moldova is marking today, October 8, a century since the first exhibition organized in Chisinau, an event that laid the foundation for the tradition of promoting local companies and regional trade.

“Today marks one hundred years since the first exhibition organized by the Chamber of Commerce in Chisinau, right here at home. The event was organized to support and promote the companies of that time and to showcase what we have best,” said CCI President Sergiu Harea.

He noted that at, the first edition in 1925, about 100 companies from different regions had participated, especially from the Kingdom of Romania, but also from the Czech Republic and France. The exhibition took place in the building of the Sfatului Țării (Country Council), now the Academy of Arts, where special pavilions were set up for participants.

Over the years, the Chamber of Commerce from Chisinau has become a pillar of regional economic development. During the interwar period, the institution organized around ten exhibitions annually, and after 1945, on the Soviet period, the number rose to 20-30 events per year.

“After gaining independence, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Moldova took on the role of leader in modernizing the exhibition sector, promoting our companies outside the former Soviet space, in Eastern and Western Europe. It is known that the CCI was the first institution to take Moldovan companies to major international events, such as ProWein in Germany or Green Week in Berlin,” highlighted Sergiu Harea.

In recent years, the Chamber has also launched its own exhibitions, such as Made in Moldova, Local Product, and Moldova Presents, as well as regional initiatives such as Made in Calarasi, Made in Soroca, or Made in Ialoveni, in order to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the territory.

“Annually, about 1,000 companies of Moldova and 600 companies from abroad participate in the events organized by CCI. In total, in the 100 years of activity, the Chamber has organized over 3,000 events attended by hundreds of thousands of visitors. As of 2022 till 2025 alone, we facilitated over 1,000 bilateral meetings between entrepreneurs, resulting in new contracts and exports,” added Harea.