The Kyunghyang Housing Fair and Housing Brand Fair 2011, the country’s largest building materials and construction exhibition, is to kick off Wednesday, its steering committee said Monday.

The two tradeshows were integrated last year, aiming to provide one large cohesive venue for professionals to create a global network.

In the five-day event at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, about 600 companies at home and abroad will showcase a wide range of products, a committee spokesperson said. The list includes flooring and ceiling materials, sanitary fixtures, construction tools, door and windows, lighting equipment, home appliances and furniture.

The number of registered visitors is yet to be disclosed. Last year, more than 150,000 people came to view the latest trends in the industry.

Since the Kyunghyang fair took off in 1986, nearly 70 percent of participating firms have launched their new technology and items there every year, organizers said.

This year, the committee developed a smartphone application with which users can search information on exhibitors and their products. It also opened a blog and Twitter account as part of its social media marketing campaign.

By Shin Hyon-hee (heeshin@heraldcorp.com)