1.1 POGRATE Panhellenic Federation of Funeral Services
The Panhellenic Federation of Funeral Services (P.O.GRA.TE.) was founded the year 1983 and has its seat in Athens.
The five (5) largest Corporations of Funeral Services' Offices Owners of Greece, having their seat in ATHENS, PIRAEUS, THESSALONIKI, THESSALIA and CRETA are members of our federation.
The Panhellenic Federation is being active and is actively participating, through its representatives to all the branch's manifestations, as Congresses, Exhibitions etc, since 1990 to today.
Specifically:
We participated to the 1st European Congress of Funeral Services Offices that has been organized in May of the year 1990, by the French Confederation, in Paris, during which we introduced successful proposals and interventions to subjects that had been discussed, and by the presentation of slides and video tapes, we gave the clear picture of Funeral Services' Offices function in Greece. Our proposals to the subjects discussed, have been object of discussions and have been included in the Joint Communique that has been signed by the participants to the Congress - Representatives of the 12 European Member States of our Branch.
Together with the follow members of the European Community, we created the European Informal Working Group, the G.T.I.E., aiming to the study and formation of proposals on the consequences of the United Market of 1993, and we signed the European Code of Ethnics of Funeral Services' Offices.
We participated to the conference of the Representatives of the 12 European States members' Health Ministries, at Luxembourg, for the elaboration of a Guiding Line of the European Communities' Committee's Council for the intercommunity transportation of coffins.
During 1992 our Federation became an official member of the European Community's Funeral Services (E.B.U.) which had its seats in Vienna, and together with the other European Federation (A.E.I.) of which the Athens Corporation was member, they became unified into one European Federation of Funeral Services, the E.F.F.S, based in Vienna.
In June of the year 1992, our federation, organized in Athens, at the CARAVEL HOTEL, a Panhellenic meeting with the participation of Representatives of the Church, the Chambers' local government, the Health Ministry, the Ministry of Commerce etc, as well as a great participation of European Federations' Representatives of France, Germany, Belgium, Spain, etc.
The success of the meeting was huge, since the Greek and Foreign Press wrote the most flattering comments.
In November of 1992, our Federation participated to the 2nd European Congress of Funeral Services' Offices that is being organized by the French Corporation at Lyon, where the Representatives participate to all the Round Tables, making successful and edifying proposals to all the subjects developed at the Congress.
The contribution of the Greek Corporation to the success of the Congress was fully recognized, and the crowing of which was the honorific entrusting of the organization of the 3rd European Congress of Funeral Services' Offices in Athens.
In June 1993 the Greek Corporation, in the framework of its collaboration with the European Corporations, reached a friendly agreement and collaboration of its members, with the members of German Corporation, the signature of which was achieved in Athens.
In December 1994, we organized the 3rd European Congress of Funeral Services' Offices, in Athens, at VOULIAGMENI ASTERAS HOTEL, which was crowned by success, since the Representatives of the Greek and Foreign Press spoke about it with the most flattering words.
The Panhellenic Federation of Funeral Services' Offices, as a member of the European Corporation of Funeral Services, E.F.F.S., participated to all its General Assemblies, that took place as following:
1) October 3rd, 1996, in Amsterdam.
2) September 26th, 1998, in Berlin.
3) June 17th, 2000, in Dusseldorf.
4) September 27, 2002 in Berlin.
5) October 2nd, 2004 in Athens. Hosted by POGRATE.
6) September 30, 2006 in Nice (France).
Moreover, the Greek Federation participates to all Administrative Councils of E.F.F.S. through its Representative and Chairman Mr. KONSTANTINOS TSAKIROGLOU, who is member of E.F.F.S.'s Administrative Council. POGRATE and SIGTA (Athens Association), are founder members of EFFS (European Federation of Funeral Services) located in Vienna.
Delegations of POGRATE and its Members Associations, visit every year the European Sectorial Fairs, bringing in our country all the European know-how of the sector.
POGRATE and SIGTA organised in 13, 14, 15 September of 2002 the "1st HELLENIC FUNER 2002", and in 1, 2, 3 October of 2004 the "2nd HELLENIC FUNER 2004" both with great success.
They already organise the "3rd HELLENIC FUNER 2007" for 1, 2, 3 June 2007.
1.2 ELSEVIE SERVICES S.A.
ELSEVIE SERVICES S.A. was established in Athens and its activities deal with lobbying and organisation of fairs, congresses, conferences, workshops and seminars.
The major fair that ELSEVIE SERVICES S.A. represents is the fashion sector (Hellenic Shoe Fair) which has been organised since 1988, twice per year, in Athens. 250 companies participate in this fair, which covers 17.000 sq.m. area.
Having this experience of big exhibition events, participation at several fairs abroad and lobbying on international organisations, ELSEVIE SERVICES S.A. was selected by P.O.GRA.TE. as the ideal collaborator for the organisation of Hellenic Funer, director of which is Dr. Dimitri Serge Carabinis.
ELSEVIE SERVICES S.A.
27, PENELOPE DELTA Str. GR 154 51 N. PSYCHIKO, ATHENS
TEL. +30 210 6725295, +30 210 6744557, FAX. +30 210 6744497
email: expo@hellenicfuner.gr, web site: www.hellenicfuner.gr
1.3 MEDITERRANEAN EXHIBITION CENTER (MEC)
The Mediterranean Exhibition Center (M.E.C.) www.mec.gr opened its doors to the public functioning as an Exhibition Center in 1989, with an exhibition potential of 12.000 square metres and became host to seven (7) exhibitions in that very first year.
Since 1989 to this day about 220 exhibitions, mainly of Commercial character have meticulously been organized and successfully taken place, attracting visitors from all over Greece as well as Europe. The commercial visitors who attended these exhibitions are about 660.000 and it is worth mentioning that almost 100.000 of them are visitors from abroad, the number of whom has substantially been rising in the last 5 years.
The take over of the building by MEDE SA, as well as continuous developments and extensions brought M.E.C. today to the size of 49.000 sq.m. at which the actual exhibition space is 16.700 sq.m., 22.000 sq.m. of building facilities and parking space which can accommodate 6.000 vehicles.
The Exhibition Hall is close to the new international airport of Athens "ĞEleftherios Venizeloğ (5 min. by taxi through the new highway of Athens "Attiki Odos" or by "Proastiakos" train and the new metro line).
FOR A LEADING MARKETPLACE FOR FUNERAL BUSINESS
HELLENIC FUNER 2007