ITALIAN TRADE FAIRS: SECTORS AND TERRITORIES A WINNING PASSPORT TO INTERNATIONAL EXPORTS
“Italian Trade Fairs: Sectors and Territories”, is the title of the meeting held today in Rome, at the office of the Foreign Press Association and organised by the AEFI – Italian Exhibition and Trade Fair Association, to present information on and the activities of the Italian trade fair sector to the international community of Embassies and diplomatic representations from all over the world as well as operators, plus the initiatives scheduled for the coming year.
The meeting was opened with a welcome by Enrico Zanetti, Undersecretary for the Economy and Finance, who stressed the need for the trade fair sector to be supported in terms of legislation and taxation as well, given the crucial role that it has in the promotion and growth of our country’s businesses in the global market.
Zanetti dwelt on the work of his Ministry with the Italian Revenue Agency to “identify solutions for a more adequate definition of the property tax for trade fair halls,” and specified that “the trade fair system compensates, in terms of the IMU property tax, for substantial necessary dimensions.” Zanetti went on to affirm that “we are convinced that we can achieve positive results.“
Ettore Riello, AEFI Chairman, proceeded to recall the fact that 50% of our companies’ exports originate precisely from trade fairs. “For 75% of Italian SMEs,” Riello stated, “the tool of the trade fair is their only means of foreign promotion. And trade fairs, even on the most serious occasions in market crises, have never abandoned businesses. On the contrary, they’ve supported them, persisting in seeking new formats to boost their activity. Thanks to new projects and initiatives, and the extension of the services offered, fairs have increasingly moved beyond a basic concept of display areas and towards a position as partners and business consultants for companies, able to accompany them in the definition of tailor-made strategies.”
Internationalisation and promotion of the whole sector are some of the major themes within the AEFI’s activities. For years the Association has persevered with a campaign to provide the support that the sector needs and for adequate recognition of the role of trade fairs, a recognition that was achieved this year in part thanks to the sensitivity of the Deputy Minister Calenda, who placed fairs in the Special Italian Manufacturing Promotional Plan, observing their role as a strategic growth lever for our country. “A result that represents an important point of arrival for the work carried out by our Association to support the sector, as well as a point of departure for the system, because there is recognition of the role of all exhibitions as a strategic lever for the growth of Italy and an opportunity for wealth generation has been created for all,” continued Riello.
Chairman Riello dwelt on another particularly contemporary issue: the need for fair taxation in reference to the application of the IMU property tax to trade fair halls.
In fact, the figures for the sector speak for themselves: in Italian exhibition districts (which occupy a total area of 4,200,000 m²) 959 exhibitions were planned in 2015, 190 of which international in character (of these, 18% dedicated to the textiles sector, 13% to sports, hobbies, entertainment and art, 10% to food and beverages and hospitality and 10% to mechanics). In total, the 959 trade fairs animated 22 million visitors; 13 million of them – 10% of which from abroad – were attracted by the international exhibitions. Overall, the turnover generated during the fair was 60 billion euros.
What’s more, in 2015 Italian trade fairs organised no fewer than 89 exhibitions abroad, demonstrating their active role in supporting our exports. “Also to support the process of internationalising the sector, as AEFI we have launched a series of activities with the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to make the most of all the opportunities that the network of Embassies can provide. We have also recently signed two Memorandums of Understanding – with the Iran-International Exhibitions Company and with the TECA-Taiwan Exhibition and Convention Association – with the aim of contributing to economic growth by pooling, on one hand, the specific experience of our Members in organising events dedicated to specific sectors and, on the other, the growth in interest and business opportunities offered by the economy of the two countries. In 2016 we will continue to work to develop the project of internationalisation, intensifying commercial promotion activities in markets of interest in terms of our exports, above all for sectors in which Italy has great expertise and that our trade fairs can show off to best effect,” concluded Riello.
The subject of “coordinating the Italian system for global consolidation” was also addressed in the meeting, by various speakers coming from different angles.
Duccio Campagnoli, AEFI Vice Chairman and BolognaFiere Chairman, dwelt in particular on the corporate structure of trade fairs and the development of the sector, with particular reference to the Chambers of Commerce and the Regions, destined to change in light of the new regulations.
Regarding the needs of smaller companies, the concern of the Trade Fairs Network Committee, Loredana Sarti, AEFI General Secretary, recalled that the Association launched a specific project to meet demand through optimal use of the assets of smaller concerns, promotion of territory and adding value to the many outstanding and competitive businesses that characterise the fabric of the Italian economy, from the perspective of integration and the system.
Being competitive in a global market requires a different cultural approach: internationalisation means expanding horizons, so creating the culture is essential for growing the business. Speaking on this subject, Giovanni Mantovani, Veronafiere CEO, stressed that only through a different cultural approach, by explaining and relating products in order to provide greater knowledge, can a strategic lever for the entire Italian economic and industrial system be engaged.
Licia Ronzulli, Fiera Milano Vice Chairman, dealt with the role and use of technology in the development of the entire trade fair system: digital technology permits the implementation, in addition to communication solutions, of services for exhibitors and for trade fair operators, and technology enables the development of ideas and tools for communicating with the market as effectively as possible and multiplying business relationships.
In speaking on new markets as a growth opportunity for the sector, Pietro Piccinetti, AEFI Internationalisation Commission Coordinator and Pordenone Fiere CEO, affirmed the position of the Italian trade fair system as one of the most important at an international level, second in Europe, after Germany, in terms of size and draw, and fourth globally. He also confirmed that today’s trade fairs are increasingly assuming a position as partners and business consultants for companies, able to accompany them in the definition of strategies and to provide them with concrete support in overseeing strategic international markets. This is why it is essential to successfully develop partnerships and collaboration with emerging markets, increasingly attractive within a constantly evolving international scenario.
And with regard to the internationalisation and coordination of the Italian system, Francesco Alfonsi, ICE Agency Agreements and Conventions Office Manager, recalled the agreement signed with AEFI for the provision of a series of services at special rates as well as the possibility for all members, through the stipulation of specific operating agreements with the individual organisations, to appoint ICE to represent trade fairs abroad, in one or more countries.
The session ended with a contribution from Benedetto Della Vedova, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. “The Italian trade fair system, one of the world leaders, is an important instrument in internationalisation policy,” commented Della Vedova. -. Reinforcing the image of our trade fairs abroad is a central objective for the The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and for the network of Embassies and Consulates, to increase our export figures, secure new markets and attract investments.”
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.