8 JUNE 2016 THE ITALIAN TRADE FAIR SECTOR SUPPORTS THE FIRST GLOBAL EXHIBITIONS DAY

Today, all over the world, the spotlight is on the trade fair sector thanks to the important international initiative that is the first Global Exhibitions Day.
 
Launched by UFI – the global Exhibition Association with headquarters in Paris – and the IAEE – International Association of Exhibitions and Events with headquarters in Dallas – Global Exhibitions Day sees the involvement of many associations and operators in the sector who have joined forces to promote it. More than 20 countries are celebrating 8 June with a series of dedicated initiatives: in addition to AEFI, AAXO and EXSA (South Africa), AEO (UK), AFE (Spain), AFECA (Asia), Afida (Central and South America), AMPROFEC (Mexico), AOCA (Argentina), AUMA and Fairlink (Sweden), FAMAB (Germany), CAEM (Canada), CEFA and CENTREX (Central Europe), EEAA (Australasia), EEIA (UE), HKECIA (Hong Kong), IAEE and SISO (USA), IECA (Indonesia), IEIA (India), IELA (Global), IFES (Global), LECA (Lebanon), MACEOS (Malaysia), MFTA (Macao), PCEI (Poland), RUEF (Russia), TEA (Thailand), UBRAFE (Brazil) and UNIMEV (France).

For the occasion, AEFI – the Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association organised the event “Meet Italian Excellence: Trade Fairs as a bridge to development” in the Hall of the Temple of Hadrian, Chamber of Commerce in Rome, which opened with the video that presents the trade fair sector through an overview of Italian excellence. A journey that expresses the beauty, the culture, the traditions, and the craftsmanship of our Italy, which trade fairs support and promote.
A dual opportunity: to attract the interest of the world regarding Trade Fairs as levers for growth in companies, raising awareness of the value of exhibitions as a driver for the country’s economy, as well as making the Institutions aware of the importance of the sector, impressing on them the necessity for support also through the resolution of fundamental issues linked to legislation and tax.
It must never be forgotten that the sector at a global level is a genuine driver for development, also corroborated by the 55 billion dollars that the global exhibition industry is worth.
Global Exhibitions Day also aims to celebrate those who work in the sector: the industry employees more than 680,000 people. If you consider allied industries, you get a total of 1,800,000 jobs.

After the opening address from Lorenzo Tagliavanti, President of the Chamber of Commerce in Rome, the Chairman of AEFI, Ettore Riello, recalled that, throughout the world, 31,000 trade fair events are organised every year involving 260 million visitors and 4,400,000 exhibiting companies, while 51% of transactions with international operators occur at exhibitions.
A context in which Italy takes a leading role, taking second place in Europe in terms of the sector’s value, after Germany.
As far as our country is concerned, Ettore Riello, went on to stress that Italian trade fairs create 60 billion euros’ worth of business, generating 50% of the exports of our companies and that for 88.5% of Italian SMEs, the tool of the ‘trade fair’ represents their sole means of promotion outside the country.

An extraordinary asset that should receive robust support. In fact, the figures for the sector speak for themselves: in Italian exhibition districts (which occupy a total area of 4,200,000 m²) 946 exhibitions are planned this year, 189 of which international in character (of these, 18% dedicated to the textiles sector, 14% to sports, hobbies, entertainment and art, 10% to food and beverages and hospitality and 7% to mechanics). In total, the 946 trade fairs involve 200,000 exhibitors and 22 million visitors; 13 million of them – 10% of which from abroad – are attracted by the international exhibitions.

“But it would be reductive to talk about the role of exhibitions in the world solely from the perspective of their economic aspect,” commented Ettore Riello, AEFI Chairman.  “I believe that the value of their activity extends well beyond this and also contributes to building bridges between cultures and peoples, reducing the distances between our countries. Only by intensifying these connections can we truly become drivers for growth and bringers of socio-economic well-being for our countries.”

Today’s event was also an opportunity to highlight, at an international level, excellence Made in Italy in which it is necessary to continue with investment through a genuine “national strategy”, with a marketing project that involves all the main players in the Italian economic system.
An initial signal in this direction arrived last year from then Deputy Minister, now Minister, Carlo Calenda, with the inclusion of Trade Fairs in the Special Italian Manufacturing Promotional Plan, which also represents an important recognition of trade fairs as strategic growth levers for the country.
“Trade fairs can play a crucial role in relaunching our country as well as representing a great growth opportunity: a genuine reality, a driver for the entire industrial fabric of the country, to take its rightful place among the strategic levers of Italian industrial policy,” confirmed Chairman Riello.
And this applies to all exhibitions: each with its particular character, worth and specific role. The great exhibitions, those with a strong international calling, are making a real difference, in strategic sectors, in increasing exports.
There’s no shortage of results in the sectors which have seen great investment in terms of exhibitions products in recent years.
Since 2009 exports have grown constantly, reaching in 2015 413 billion euros with a positive balance of more than 45 billion and marked growth in the world of the so-called 4As: Alimentari-vini (Food & Wine); Abbigliamento-moda (Clothing & Fashion); Arredo-casa (Home & Furnishings); Automazione-meccanica-gomma–plastica (Automation, Mechanics, Rubber and Plastic), sectors heavily supported by the exhibition system.
At the same time exhibitions with a local and national character, focusing on specific targets, have a strategic role in preserving our country, in the consumer sector and in making the most of our economic fabric, and can act as “incubators” for new initiatives.

The contributions from speakers highlighted the value of trade fairs for business in guiding innovation and competition and the key role of exhibitions in developing international trade and internationalisation.

After the address from AEFI Chairman Ettore Riello, Benedetto Della Vedova, Undersecretary for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, recalled that “The Italian trade fair system is an important instrument in the Government’s internationalisation policy. Reinforcing the image of our trade fairs abroad is a central objective, to secure new markets and attract investments.”

Ferdinando Fiore of the Italian Trade Agency added: “The intervention of the ITA is not limited to the many activities that we conduct abroad: the greater part of our work aims to consolidate and promote Italian trade fairs, because supporting them means boosting the image of Italy abroad.”

Professor of Economic History at the University of Milan Giulio Sapelli, in his talk “Good practice for growth” stressed that the trade fair system needs all types of trade fair, and that even the smallest exhibition needs to feel part of the system. Sapelli provided inspiration for the Trade Fair representatives, who illustrated how the sectors where Italy is the undisputed leader through the excellence that it represents can truly constitute a lever on which to focus and a bridge to the world.

The debate – which involved Maurizio Danese, Chairman of Veronafiere; Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Fiera Milano; Franco Boni, Chairman of BolognaFiere and Vice Chairman of AEFI; Pietro Piccinetti, CEO of Pordenone Fiera; Lorenzo Cagnoni, Chairman of Rimini Fiera and Vice Chairman of AEFI; Giovanni Laezza, CEO of Riva del Garda FiereCongressi and Vice Chairman of AEFI and Renzo Piraccini, Chairman of Cesena Fiera – focused on exploring the methods and potential synergies with which to coordinate the whole sector in order to decisively take on the big international competitors.

Simonpaolo Buongiardino, Vice Chairman of CFT; Giuliana Ferrofino, Chairman of CFI; Ettore Riello, Chairman of AEFI and Giulio Sapelli, Professor of Economic History at the University of Milan, led the concluding round table debate.

 

AEFI – the Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association – was set up in 1983 with a view to generating synergies between the most significant Italian exhibition districts. Specifically, 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: the Exhibition Hub Technical Committee, the Administrative-Legal Committee, the Trade Fairs Network Committee, the IT and Technical Innovation Committee, and the new Initiatives and Programmes Committee.
On an international scale, AEFI represents Italian trade fairs in UFI – Union of International Fairs. Chaired by Ettore Riello, AEFI includes 34 member exhibition districts, which organise over 1,000 events a year over an overall exhibition area of 4.2 million square metres. Most international trade fairs, and 85% of all trade fairs, which take place each year in Italy, are held in AEFI-member exhibition districts.