CFI (https://www.confindustria.it) takes stock of the situation caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the field of B2B international trade fairs dedicated to the industrial sectors, organized by the CFI members, many important events have been deleted in March and April. This caused an important penalisation for the productive sectors that characterise the best of the Made in Italy.
The main deleted events are: Mido, Filo, Taste, I Saloni Del Mobile, Del Bagno, Del Complemento Di Arredo, Eurocucina, Vinitaly, Enolitech, Sol&Agrifood, Exposanità and Versilia Yacthing. These manifestations were planned to accommodate 9.000 exhibitors and 700.000 visitors with an international rate of the 30% internationality and with an expositive are of 400.000 square meter.
According to estimates by CFI the missing realization of these events meant a losing of 85 millions of euros of turnover, while the loss of profit on the whole territory has been of 900 millions of euros. The damage suffered by the expositors is hard to assess, for the sales in both Italy and in other countries.
This is an important sector for the Italian GDP that is suffering at the moment. The Government is getting worried about it and for reason they started a series of meetings with trade fair authorities. During this week the Ministry for Foreign Affairs started a confrontation about the future of the trade fairs, after the emergency situation that is causing the postponement and the cancellation of many important events in almost every industrial sector.
Ivan Scalfarotto, Undersecretary of Foreign, met Donald Wich and Francesca Selva, respectively CEO and vice-president of Marketing & Events of Messe Frankfurt Italy, organizing authority of SPS Italia, dedicated to the automation and rescheduled to September. Scalfarotto met also Sandro Nocchi, director of Firenze Fiera, and Anna Paola Concia, coordinator of Comitato Organizzatore di Fiera Didacta Italia.
The context of the trade fair is different is more particular than the other events one, in fact these exhibitions imply the presence of a crowd. The fair exhibitions are for the majority B2B events, frequented by almost all professionals.
Sclfarotto stated: “The majority part of the fair events is B2B, not for an indistinct public but only for professionals, for this reason this kind of events can implement the security measures and they will be able to program the participation. They will be able also to stagger people, stands and to distribute to every participant, buyer and expositor the appropriate individual defence instruments”.