Showing Italy in Action to the World - A year in review

The agreement between MIMIT and AEFI, aimed at “Developing projects to enhance the excellence of Italy’s trade fair system, which serves as a showcase for the country’s manufacturing and industrial enterprises as well as the creativity of its entrepreneurial and design sectors”, has now reached its one-year milestone.?

Among the projects undertaken was the opportunity to present the achievements in our sector at Palazzo Piacentini, which we recall as follows:

• hosts national and international events where approximately 200,000 businesses exhibit, attracting 20,000,000 visitors?
• generates an impact on local areas - including services, transport, hospitality, and salaries - amounting to 22.5 billion euros annually in production, with an estimated added value of 10.6 billion euros, equivalent to 0.7% of GDP (Aefi/Prometeia research, 2022)
• develops trade fair tourism exceeding 10 billion euros annually in production value, corresponding to an added value of 4.8 billion euros, with an estimated employment impact of around 90,000 jobs (Aefi/Prometeia research, 2023)
• ranks fourth globally and second in Europe
• involves 20 organisers and 42 districts from North to South, hosting 95% of international exhibitions

THE PRESENTATIONS

In the 15 presentations held, including the Aefi General Assembly and the celebration of Global Exhibition Day 2024, the focus was on events related to traditional Made in Italy sectors as well as emerging industries.

Furniture, Cosmetics, Mechanics, Fashion and textiles, Health, the space economy, blue economy, new energy sources, emissions control, recycling, and reuse in all its forms were the themes addressed in conferences by

• Ecomondo (Italian Exhibition Group - Ieg);
• MIDA, International Handicrafts Trade Fair (Firenze Fiera);
• Futurmotive Expo & Talks (Promotec),
• Exporivaschuh & Gardabags (Riva del Garda Fierecongressi)
• Caseitaly Expo 2025, Move City Sport,
• Beauty to Business Summit (Promoberg Srl / Fiera di Bergamo),
• NSE – New Space Economy, BPE – Blue Planet Economy (Fiera Roma);
• Zero Emission Mediterranean (A151 and Fiera Roma),
• Hey Sun (Sicilia Fiera),
• H2O ACCADUEO (Mirumir / BolognaFiere, Nuova Fiera del Levante) and

in the two exhibitions “La Donna e l’Uomo Business” (Italian Exhibition Group - Ieg) and

“Made in Lago di Como” (Lariofiere)

TOPICS?

Many significant points emerged regarding the topics discussed: from the role of craftsmanship in promoting Made in Italy to the focus on international markets and the ongoing development of research and innovation to address the major challenges facing our planet. Below are some of the key themes:

• Craftsmanship - represents the essence of Made in Italy, encompassing original, high-quality production, creativity, and the manual skills that distinguish us as a nation. It is a genuine asset for both local and national economies, generating income, GDP, and potential for employment, a sense of belonging, and purpose for our youth. The development of Italian design and fashion stems from artisanal expertise and even today, the quality of the work carried out remains a distinctive feature of our production, an essential element of the value chain in our economy. Moreover, artisanal products are often made using natural materials and follow production processes with low environmental impact.
• Internationalisation - the relevance of the topics discussed has led to strong interest from international operators, both exhibitors and visitors, even in the early editions of the events. The diversity of the offerings, where present, highlights the unique features of Italian production in comparison to competitors, while from the visitors’ perspective, the number of countries expressing interest in our sector has expanded since the very first editions.?
• Innovation and development - innovation is the key element that defines the value of trade fairs, the main reason for the success of Italian events, and the wide range of topics being addressed in new sectors. The presentations clearly show how businesses are able to develop multiple innovative solutions around new needs, with the trade fair highlighting the unique features of Italian production compared to competitors.? It is also clear that businesses must make significant investments to bridge the gaps related to the higher costs of various production factors, starting with energy, alongside organisational innovations.?
• Sustainability. This is an issue that is generally integrated into products, production technologies, and presentation methods, and in fact, many of the trade fairs presented are centred around these themes: energy efficiency in civil buildings, protection of life on land and in the oceans, sustainable transport, photovoltaics, reuse, the use of digital technology in water management systems, strategies against water loss, and more broadly, all strategies for ecological transition are just some of the issues addressed in the presentations.

CONCLUSIONS?

Trade fairs provide transparency between supply and demand, encourage the exchange of experiences, promote both competition and collaboration, and play a key role in developing a sector. When the sector gains independence and significance, it brings together valuable knowledge for exhibitors and visitors.

The sector has benefited greatly from the opportunity to present the key players in such a prestigious venue.?

A heartfelt thanks to MIMIT, with which we continue a long-established partnership, that has always supported our sector and has been a valuable guide over time, from supporting infrastructure enhancements at trade fairs to processes of internationalisation, and providing invaluable guidance during the pandemic. This agreement clearly demonstrates the importance of this support and has allowed us to broaden interest in our trade fairs.

Italian trade fairs will continue in 2025 to “Showcase Italy in action”, with the knowledge that there are many sectors where we now have an important story to tell.