AEFI SIGNS A STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH AAXO: OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPANSION IN AFRICA FOR ITALIAN TRADE FAIRS
The activity of the AEFI – Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association – towards the internationalisation of the Italian trade fair system continues.
After the recent agreement with Thailand, the AEFI enters a new partnership for expanding Italian trade fairs in international markets: with the AAXO – Association of African Exhibition Organizers – the association that brings together trade fair organisers throughout Africa.
The agreement represents a further result for the AEFI to support Italian trade fairs, achieved thanks to the association’s intensive activity and constant contact with local counterparts and representatives, which intensified on the occasion of the latest UFI Global Congress, which was held in Johannesburg at the start of November.
Precisely on this occasion, it was highlighted that the guidelines for the African economy are the development of industries for processing local raw materials and tourism, and how trade fairs play a crucial role in its promotion. This is why the Authorities are being urged to perfect special rules that allow the sector to develop.
Thanks to a young population and sustained economic growth, Africa has the potential to become an increasingly significant economy in the international context.
“We’re proud of this new partnership, since Africa is a continent with enormous growth potential,” comments Ettore Riello, Chairman of AEFI. “We’re sure that the agreement with AAXO can help AEFI members to develop their business, offering new growth opportunities to small and medium-sized enterprises above all. AAXO can provide our members with support for fine-tuning the appropriate development strategies, with specific interventions according to their requirements and in consideration of the particular characteristics of the various areas of Africa, as well as overcoming the barriers to entry.”
South Africa, in particular, has the most advanced and diversified economy on the continent and represents a market of particular interest, as well as being a gateway to other African markets.
The last few years have seen an increase in our exports to South Africa. In particular, they grew by 19% in the 2010–2016 period.
Among the aims of the agreement: the exchange of information on the situation and development of the economic and political systems; the sharing of information and data; a fair price policy for activities, products, services, events, meetings and conferences proposed by the AEFI and AAXO; the development of co-sponsorship initiatives that can promote networking and new contacts between the members of the two associations; reciprocal support, communication of information and promotion of the respective exhibitions; the promotion of trade cooperation through all the available tools, including the web.
“AAXO is delighted to announce our partnership with the AEFI and we are looking forward to working with the AEFI and growing a closer business relationship between Italian companies and African companies in various industry sectors. This partnership will assist growth and greater participation in the exhibition industry”, states Carol Weaving, chair of AAXO.
AEFI – Associazione Esposizioni e Fiere Italiane, a private non-profit Association, was established in 1983 with the goal of generating synergies between the most important Italian exhibition districts. AEFI would like to be seen as a privileged partner for operators and institutions alike, and its role is to support members through the development of activities and programmes in the sphere of training, marketing, promotion and research, as well as to provide services for trade fairs through the activities of its Committees: Exhibition Hub Technical Committee, Legal-Administrative Committee, Internationalisation Committee and Trade Fairs Network Committee.
On the internationalization front, AEFI supports members thanks to agreements with strategic markets. To date, partnerships have been agreed with Iran, Taiwan, Lebanon, India and Thailand, with AmCham, the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, and with CENTREX, the International Exhibition Statistics Union. A memorandum of understanding has been signed with SACE and SIMEST.
AEFI has promoted the foundation of ISFCert, the Certification Institute for Exhibition Industry Statistics which, through rigorous methodologies, enables Italian organisers to present and recognise standardised data, in the name of transparency and reliability.
AEFI represents Italian trade fairs in UFI – Union of International Fairs. Chaired by Ettore Riello, AEFI includes 35 member exhibition districts, which organise over 1,000 events a year over an overall exhibition area of 4.2 million square metres. Nearly all international and national trade fairs which take place each year in Italy are held in AEFI-member exhibition districts.
www.aefi.it/Aefi/site/en/index
AAXO – Association of African Exhibition Organizers, is the sole reference association for the organisers of trade fairs throughout Africa.
AAXO represents trade fair event organisers thanks to a network of trade and consumer exhibitions and conferences like Specialised Exhibitions Montgomery, Messe Munchen SA, Hypenica, Reed Exhibitions, Spintelligent, Terrapinn, The Wedding Group, SA Confex Services, TE Trade Events, Exposure Marketing, Agri Expo, On Show Solutions, Expo Promotions, The Wine Show, Synergy Business solutions, ZITF and Media 10.
AAXO aims to promote industry, encourages investment in the sector and participation in trade fairs as well as offering members tools and resources to organise successful events.
In addition to introducing a code of conduct – fair, ethical, with solutions and confidentiality – AAXO supports members with a series of tools such as: training programmes; equitable and critical conflict resolution; specific research to provide organisers and exhibitors with growth and business opportunities; commitment with the government for greater recognition of the sector; a network of trade fair organisations for sharing common issues.
http://aaxo.co.za/