Italy is the eighth largest economy in the world
Small and medium-sized businesses generate a staggering 99% of GDP. About 200,000 Italian companies export their products.
Of these, around 131,000 employ up to 9 employees, and almost 35,000 have between 10 and 19 employees. In short, they represent the backbone of the business system that exports and brings the Made in Italy brand to the world.
Currently, Italy carries out high-value trade deals with other European countries, such as Germany, France, Spain, the UK and Switzerland, alongside the US and China.
The trade show market in Italy
According to statistics released for 2018 by AEFI, the Italian Trade Fair Industry Association, Italian shows are faring pretty well, with a total of 908 exhibitions held, of which 209 international, and 4.200.000 sqm sold.
The number of exhibitors at these events totaled 200,000 and visitors 22 million. Events with international participants in 2018 mainly referred to the following sectors: textiles, apparel and fashion (15%); leisure, hobby and entertainment (14%); jewellery, watch and accessories (8%); food and beverage, hospitality (8%); engineering, industrial, manufacturing, machines, instruments and hardware (8%).
The Association estimates that business deals totaling 60 bn euros are closed every year during trade shows and 50% of exports come from contacts made during the shows. Italian venues are increasingly investing in better facilities, and digital infrastructures are now becoming a must for both organizers and venue owners.
International exhibiting and markets
As to Italian trade show market abroad, Italian companies exhibit in many Regions. Active markets are Europe, the ASEAN countries, the US and China, while interest is growing for emerging markets like India and Africa.
Cultural differences can still be hard to overcome, particularly those that refer to different business styles, different attitudes in developing business relationships, diverse habits related to punctuality and other aspects.
In trade show preparation, no element should be left to chance: definition of the objectives, design of the stand, whether or not to make use of specialized personnel are just a few tasks to address.
Other areas that contribute to event success include post-show follow-up and the calculation of ROO and ROI, without forgetting the ROX (Return on Experience).
Here is where the presence of a specialized event partner can make the difference to a business exhibiting internationally. Not all companies have the necessary skills in-house, and we can fill that gap, and we received more than a feedback that shows even experienced exhibiting businesses welcome this kind of support.
The value of experienced partners
Some SMEs have been following a plan of internationalisation, and trade show marketing is a critical element of their marketing mix. Trade shows are an ideal vehicle, becuase they enable even small realities to spread their presence and brand outside Italy.
“Out of Sight, Out of Mind”
Is something that must be taken seriously when it comes to marketing.
Italian trade show market vs the World
A big discovery, although not always painless for many italian brands, is that there are differences in each market.
In Italy, trade show market is a chance for meetings between suppliers and loyal customers.
In other countries, the focus is much more on finding new ideas and products. There is also in some markets a search for new partnerships and win-win collaborations.
That is why great attention must be paid to produce content and making it accessible to visitors and a lot of efforts into creating unique and immersive environments in which the visitor can live an unforgettable experience.
This approach differs hugely from the usual concept of a “nice stand” and it is required to keep up with future trends.
