AEFI ECONOMIC OBSERVATORY ON THE TRADE FAIR SECTOR

The 28th quarterly survey on trends in the trade fair sector conducted by the AEFI Economic Observatory for the January–March 2016 period indicates a static overall situation.

The survey, which involved 25 AEFI-member Italian trade fair districts – through the positive and negative balances defined on the basis of responses from members who took part in the analysis – highlights a positive trend for all the indicators considered, except the number of exhibitions. Though the majority of the districts involved in the survey (52%) recorded a stable situation, for the first time the balance – the difference between those who foresee an increase and those who foresee a decrease – is negative (-16%). This figure results in part from the fact that various exhibitions were concentrated in 2015 to take advantage of the EXPO.

Also stable, with a balance of nil, was the trend in exhibitors, with slight growth (+ 4%) among Italians and Europeans.

A slight increase was recorded in exhibition space taken, while there was encouraging performance in terms of visitor intake: increasing for 48% of members involved in the survey, unvarying for 28% and decreasing for 24%. The balance – +24% – was broadly positive, though less impressive than the same period last year and at the end of the year.
The cross section of visitors’ origins indicates a more significant increase in Italians, with a balance of +20%, followed by Europeans (balance +12%) and non-EU visitors, who record a positive balance of +8%.

Finally, highlighting the consolidation of the recovery, there’s the development of turnover, which is stable.

All indicators considered are expected to remain positive for the coming months.

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 des Foires Internationales. 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. Most international trade fairs, and 85% of all trade fairs, which take place each year in Italy, are held in AEFI-member exhibition districts.