Among the different districts, the exhibition system that refers to Veneto / Trentino-Alto Adige / Friuli Venezia Giulia in recent years has made itself known not only thanks to the many specialist fairs, but to the dynamism of the organizing bodies.
However, the emergency that began over a year ago has hit hard here too, with soaring turnover and an uncertain future, despite the reopening – at least on paper – is just around the corner. According to experts, however, from this “black” period, synergies or alliances between the various local realities could arise, which are important to boost the restart of the regional economic fabric.
Proof of this is the letter promoted by Luca Zaia, president of the Veneto Region, together with fellow presidents of Emilia-Romagna and Lombardy, Stefano Bonaccini and Attilio Fontana, sent to the government to request both refreshments for the trade fair sector and encourage its reopening.
Precisely at the next reopening of the exhibition system on June 15, which concerns all the regions in the range, they are looking at the exhibition districts of the North-East to try to save the second half of 2021. Despite the upcoming resumption that sees some important events scheduled, the organizers they have no illusions and know that to return to pre-Covid turnover, we will have to wait until at least 2023.
We then return to the importance of the federative model, to which Veneto had looked with interest, through the councilor for economic development, Roberto Marcato, a few years ago, but about which nothing was done.
But, as already mentioned, Covid has spun the cards and the scenario of the exhibition system has profoundly changed and we are once again talking not only about corporate mergers, but above all about joint ventures or partnerships. Operations that aim to rationalize costs and schedules avoiding overlapping.
Something on this front is moving. Veronafiere, for example, considered the main exhibition center in the North-East area with over 105 million euros in pre-Covid revenues, has shown interest in crossing regional borders.
An interest that leverages on the typical specializations of the territory, such as marble, wine & food, the agricultural and agri-food chain. Vinitaly is an example, definitively moved to 2022, but present next October with the Special Edition destined for B2B in hybrid formula. Also at Veronafiere will be the Motor Bike Expo, which will take place from 18 to 20 June.
Regarding the partnership of the exhibition system, after the merger in 2016 with Rimini, Vicenza created the Italian Exhibition Group, listed on the Stock Exchange and currently the third exhibition center at national level, with almost 180 million euros in turnover in 2019 and 79, 8 in 2020. Today the group is working on another transaction, the merger with BolognaFiere, which should be finalized by June.