Allan Saunderson is managing editor of Property Finance Europe and a contributor to GlobeSt.com.

AMSTERDAM-Provada, the Dutch Real Estate fair, intends to add space for next year's events after organizers said they were pleased with the 21,500 visitors that attended this year.

Flip Kerkhoven, MD of the trade fair, said Provada 2010 will be extended by another 2,500 square meters of exhibition space, bringing a total next year of 22,500 square meters. Visitors to this year's event rose 4% over 2008, with some 300 firms exhibiting. Provada hosted institutional investors, banks, constructors residential corporations, cities and city councils, project developers, architects, real estate agents, local-regional-national public authorities and government, tenants and end-users, legal and fiscal companies and various advisory entities such as Urban Land Institute, Dutch Council of Shopping Centres, and the Dutch Green Building Council.

A Chinese delegation of 25 guests visited Provada, and said they were impressed with the generally positive attitude at the fair, with players eager to optimize opportunities in a challenging market situation. A Sustainability Initiative was highlighted by the introduction of the Provada Green Market, as well as a three-day conference program related to this subject supported by two well-known authorities Charles Landry and Hermann Scheer. Provada next year is scheduled for 8-10 June 2010.