Proefversie©VANIN

The fair opened for professionals on Thursday. From Saturday onwards it is open to the general public Batibouw is the largest home fair in Belgium. This will be the 51st time it has been staged here. This year visitors will also be able to visit the fair in the evening. On 4 March Batibouw will be open till 11 p.m. Saving energy and using renewable energy sources are two of the most important themes this year, but the emphasis is also on renovating, as this is seen as a "sensible investment". This year's fair also hopes to create a splash by urging home builders to use more colours in their designs.

Batibouw runs until 7 March. An entrance ticket costs 15 euros, though there is a reduction if you buy your ticket online at www.batibouw.com.

sustainable: made in a way that causes little or no damage to the environment an emphasis on: a special attention that is given to something to create a splash: to become successful to urge: to strongly suggest to do something Source: vrtnws.be c What is the main focus of the fair this year? d When does the fair open for everyone? e What’s your opinion on the theme of Batibouw? Discuss in class. a Read the words before you read the article. Tick off the words you already know.

2 Go to the Wikipedia website and look up the article about ‘trade fair’.

Words from the text

Words I understand before reading

Words I understand after reading a market trend an opportunity a company a buyer a booth b Read the subtitles of the article. Describe what the article is about. c Who would read this article? d Read the article. e What is the purpose of this text? f Why do companies organise trade fairs? Mention at least three reasons.