AEFI – ITALIAN EXHIBITION AND TRADE FAIR ASSOCIATION AT THE FIRST TRADE FAIR SECTOR FOCUSES OF THIS YEAR
As part of the in-depth analyses carried out at the beginning of this year dedicated to the trade fair sector by the main national media, AEFI contributed to outlining the situation of the sector, highlighting the strategic role of trade fairs for our economy and underlining its strengths and critical issues.
Large attention has been paid to the Association, with interviews and statements by President Ettore Riello; with the data of the sector at a national level and with the economic analysis of the trend of the last quarter of 2017, carried out thanks to the replies of 26 associated exhibition centres.
The main topics discussed included: mergers and alliances, innovation, internationalisation, expansion of services, digitalisation as strategic factors for our exhibitions to remain competitive globally.
The problem linked to the IMU property tax has been emphasized among the critical aspects of the sector: this dramatically affects the financial statements of the trade fairs, especially those with budgets close to the balance. In order for the fairs to really compete on equal terms with the other exhibition systems, they need the maximum support of institutions and government, starting with the clarification of some laws.
Download the Observatory of the Trade Fairs – Corriere della Sera of 22 January 2018
Download the Trade Fairs Report of Affari&Finanza – La Repubblica of 29 January 2018
Download the Trade Fairs Report – Il Sole 24 Ore of 6 February 2018
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.