Curtain up for New Milan Fair
Glass galore and strikingly biomorphous shapes run through Milan's new trade fair, which celebrated its grand opening at the end of March.
After 30 months construction work, Fiera Milano's new exhibition complex was presented to the public at the end of March with the first two fairs (Progetto Città and Expo Italia Real Estate) and a gala opening ceremony. Celebrations began with a stroll along the promenade beneath the large glass sail - an architectural highlight of the centre - by Silvio Berlusconi, the Italian prime minister, and the cutting of the ribbon. Then came a string of addresses by political and church dignitaries and Luigi Roth, president of the Fiera Milano foundation. All highlighted the importance of the new fair complex for the city, the region and the whole of Europe, expressing optimism in terms of the development it would trigger for the future.
Said Roth: "Milan Fair is now one of the biggest exhibition centres in the world, and the new complex will provide a major fillip for the economy. When the facility is up and running, the economic impact for the region is estimated at around EUR 4.3 billion a year, according to research commissioned by the Fiera Milano foundation and conducted by CERTeT and Bocconi University. Added to this is the creation of around 43,000 new jobs."
The new exhibition centre in Rho-Pero on the outskirts of Milan was constructed by a consortium of companies headed by Astaldi. It was designed by top-name architect Massimiliano Fuksas, who created the huge glass-and-steel sail that has now become the fairground's new landmark. Construction costs total EUR 750 million in all, including the price of the land. The project is being financed internally by Fiera Milano foundation.
When everything is finished - which the fair company says will be at the beginning of next year - Fiera Milano will have taken a decided step forward as far as its ranking on the international trade fair scene is concerned. Six single-storey and two twin-level halls are to be ready for the Macef in January 2006. Eighty restaurants, a convention centre and 64 meeting rooms, 10,000 parking spaces (plus another 10,000 in the pipeline), office buildings and a helipad round off the facilities.
In terms of meetings, too, things are happening in Milan. A basement is being added to the convention centre in the city, making it the biggest conference centre in Italy, according to Fiera Milano Congressi.
When it comes to the title of biggest showground in the world, the Milanese are still shaping up to the trial of strength with Hanover, which claims to feature 498,000 m2 in 27 halls on a single showground, whereas the space in Milan is divided, with 345,000 m2 housed in the new exhibition centre and 115,000 m2 in the old. Which still leaves Hanover out front.
But international rankings aside, it is a fact that Europe is now an important and modern trade fair centre richer. The coming months and years will show how it is used. Anja Wagner
m+a report Nr.3 / 2005 vom 27.04.2005
m+a report vom 27. April 2005