Bella Italia
Trade fair country No. 2 is currently investing in site and infrastructure measures. The capital Rome is hoping to benefit nationally and internationally from a new exhibition complex.
The Italians are a trading people: 200,000 Italian companies take part in trade fair events. They are not only the largest exhibiting nation at German trade fairs but the country itself is one of the leading trade fair locations world-wide. Italy is the number 2 on the world market - behind Germany. The market share in Europe is around 25 % - ahead of Spain (13 %) and France (14 %), but behind Germany (38 %). Other countries make up the remaining 10 %. More than 1000 trade fair events are held each year according to the Italian trade fair association, Associazione Esposizioni e Fiere Italiane (AEFI). The reason the association gives for this large number is that Italy is home to countless small and medium-sized businesses.
Trade fairs are prospering. Whereas 150 trade fairs out of around 1000 could justifiably be called "international" in 2002, in 2004 that number had risen to 195. According to the association around half the fairs can be classified as national, the remainder is more regional in character. As the number of international trade fairs grows, so too do the exhibitor and visitor figures - and the turnover. Italy is home to 32 large and largish trade fair venues. Milan is undisputed leader. With a 35 % share, Fiera Milano dominates the Italian market. The eternal runner-up is the trade fair city of Bologna with high-calibre cosmetics, building and art fairs. The building fairs alone draw around 500,000 visitors a year. The trade fairs Saie, CerSaie and SaieDue have special status. The number three in the Italian trade fair ranking is Verona which has a good reputation for topics such as agricultural machinery, products and services for agriculture, Fieragricola, and global prominence with Vinitaly, the international fair for wines and spirits. Rimini is trade fair location No. 4 with its top events on the topics of nutrition, show and entertainment. This is followed by Bari and the rest. At least, for the time being. Rome is heavily upgrading its available venues. It wants to play in the top league of Italian trade fair cities - and, being the capital, it wants to be as near the top as possible.
About a year ago, the new Milan venue in Rho-Pero opened for business. The first eight pavilions of the Nuova Fiera di Roma will open on April 21. Completion of the entire site is expected in 2009. The Romans do not do things by halves. One of the most important Italian and international trade fair venues is being erected in Via Cristofero Colombo. Rome is poised to enter competition with other European locations. The new venue including conference centre is intended to give a boost to the city: Rome can hardly complain about not attracting enough tourists and pilgrims, but the city would like to see more business travellers. The intention is to make Rome a worthwhile destination for them.
Although the first eight pavilions, covering an area of 71,786 m2, are due to open in April - events will commence somewhat later. Andrea Mondello, boss of Nuova Fiera di Roma, estimates that the pavilions will be ready for use in the fourth quarter. The first event is set to start on September 22. The honour of being the first goes to the jewellery fair Orocapital, to be followed in November by an event on building and plant engineering, and in December by Art and Crafts. For 2007, the Romans are planning large events on tourism and food. In this context, Mondello remarks that the company is holding talks with Rimini Fiera. Apparently the discussions have already resulted in an initial agreement. EUR 355 million are to be invested in the new venue - about half what the Milanese spent on the largest trade fair venue in Italy. The investment quoted for the new construction in Rho-Pero is EUR 750 million.
Back to Rome: The new trade fair site designed by the architect Tommaso Valle is progressing on a gross area of 920,000 m2. 302,000 m2 will be parkland. The planned 22 pavilions will cover 186,000 m2, including a net exhibition area of 101,000 m2, with 19,000 m2 for services. The 22 pavilions are single-level, air-conditioned and equipped with all the technical features that the trade fair industry needs. They are interconnected by a 2-kilometre footpath that takes visitors conveniently from each of the four entrances, at which parking will be provided for 14,000 vehicles.
The new Business Centre will be built entirely of steel and glass, covering an area of 3,000 m2. Around 4,000 visitors fit into the conference centre that can function as the hub of the trade fair site. Small or large events can be staged there; it is flexibly adapted to customer requirements. The infrastructure includes 30 shops, cafés and restaurants. Andrea Mondello is certain, "Our unique location close to the airport, its logistics and just being in Rome guarantee the new trade fair site a flying start". The new venue will supersede the old.The Romans are not the only ones investing in their site. For example, a new conference centre is being built on Rimini Fiera’s site, and Firenze Fiera is also considering expanding its capacity, as is Verona.One of the topics best suited to Italy is fashion and clothing. This is by far the biggest trade fair sector, followed by building, as a study by Cermes-Bocconi has shown. Third place goes to food and catering, ahead of sport and leisure. The Italian trade fair business is currently in a state of flux. It is not just the building work that is going on everywhere. Responsibility has been transferred from the Republic to the regions, public corporations are being transformed into public limited companies (in public ownership), and private capital has entered the arena which, in the case of Milan, has led to flotation on the stock market.And Italy is not expected to settle down any time soon. The site expansions will stiffen competition - both nationally and internationally. Attractive themes and successful events whet appetites, particularly, Fiera Milano's. A new trade fair for design, jewellery and art will vie with Ora in Vicenza, a food fair will be pitted against CIBUS in Parma, and an event about the processing and sale of fruit and vegetables will do battle with Macfrut in Cesena. And the Milanese simply cannot sit back and watch the world lead fair for wine and spirits being held in Verona rather than Milan: They are planning to launch a new wine fair. Italy's trade fair business is going to stay on the move.
m+a report Nr.2 / 2006 vom 24.03.2006
m+a report vom 24. März 2006