AEFI SIGNS A STRATEGIC AGREEMENT WITH POLAND: THE ITALIAN TRADE FAIR INTERNATIONALISATION PROJECT CONTINUES

An important new strategic partnership for the Italian trade fair system. AEFI- Associazione Esposizioni e Fiere Italiane has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with PCEI-Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry, marking another successful result in AEFI’s internationalisation project for the benefit of Italian trade fairs.

The agreement was signed by Giovanni Laezza, President of AEFI-Associazione Esposizioni e Fiere Italiane and by Przemyslaw Trawa, President of Council PCEI- Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry Council.

It confirms and formalises both Countries’ interest in developing their trade fair systems beyond national borders, on the basis of shared goals of growth and commercial strengthening.
Indeed, both parties are firmly convinced of the importance of international agreements for economic development and the document represents a commitment to collaboration and information sharing on the current situation and evolution of the two economic systems and on the trade fair policies of the two Countries. In addition, the memorandum confirms both parties’ desire to promote the exhibition initiatives of their partner country, to favour the distribution of the two countries’ products throughout the world and also to keep apace of investment opportunities and joint ventures also through the organisation of meetings and workshops aimed at facilitating networking activities.

The agreement is part of AEFI’s internationalisation strategy: operating beyond national borders is today a necessary choice and an opportunity which the trade fair sector cannot afford to ignore, as a key lever for supporting the growth of Italian companies in a constantly changing global scenario.

“After the start of our collaboration in 2017 with Centrex – the International Exhibition Statistics Union certifying the Eastern Europe exhibition data – we continued building on our contacts, focusing on those markets considered to be of strategic value – states Giovanni Laezza, President of AEFI -. We are delighted with this agreement: our new partner represents a Country with superb development potential and fantastic opportunities for our exhibitions”.

“PIPT has been cooperating with the most important players on the international exhibition market for many years, including UFI – the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry, AUMA – Association of the German Trade Fair Industry and CENTREX – the International Exhibition Statistics Union – says Przemysław Trawa, president of the Council of PCEI – Establishing cooperation with AEFI is continuation of international

development, especially since Italian market is one of the most attractive exhibition market in Europe. It is an honour for us to be in such a good group – adds P. Trawa.

According to analysis by East Capital, an independent asset manager specialised in emerging and frontier markets, Poland, even within the context of a slowing global economy, stood out in 2019 as the top European nation in terms of growth. With a constant annual growth rate of a bullish 4.2% between 1992-2019, the country is steadily catching up with Western Europe and has become the seventh largest economy in the EU with a total GDP of 524 billion Euro. A dynamic enterprise landscape consisting of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), which benefit from a large internal market and strong competitive advantages in neighbouring countries, is an important source of growth that characterises the country’s economic situation. As regards the figures for the Polish exhibition sector, Centrex analysis reveals that in 2019 there were over 200 certified exhibitions that covered more than 880,000 m2, involving over 28,000 exhibitors and 1 million 600 thousand professional visitors.

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. It currently includes 36 member exhibition districts, which organise over 1000 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. AEFI is 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 exhibitions through the activities of its Committees: Exhibition Hub Technical Committee, Legal-Administrative Committee, Internationalisation Committee and Trade Fairs Network Committee. On the internationalisation front, AEFI supports members thanks to agreements with strategic markets. 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.

PCEI-Polish Chamber of Exhibition Industry earlier (1993 – 2006) active under the name Polish Trade Fair Corporation, operates as an economic chamber for companies in the exhibition sector and industries related to the organisation of trade fairs, exhibitions and events.
Headquartered in Poznań, it groups together the leading organisers of exhibitions and conferences in Poland, venue operators, providers of design services and exhibition stands construcion, organisers of Polish company delegations at exhibitions abroad and representatives of foreign exhibitions in Poland, as well as companies dealing in marketing, IT services and catering for exhibitions. The mission of PCEI is to serve as a platform of cooperation for all players of the exhibition market in Poland and as an effective lobbying platform for the benefit of the Polish exhibition market, increasing the standards

of exhibition services in Poland and promoting participation in member exhibitions as an effective element of marketing and communication strategy of enterprises.
Since 1996 PCEI has been representing Polish exhibitions in UFI, the Global Association of the Exhibition Industry.