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| Vitrum 2005: Optimism rooted in the 2003 event There are great expectations for the 14th Vitrum trade fair, the international showcase specialising in machinery, equipment and systems for flat and hollow glass and products processed for industry, to be held at the Milano Portello location from 5 to 8 October 2005. Interest in the event is already intense with a high number of exhibitors registered with the organisation secretary's office, a factor that reassures the organisers of the success of this year's event. Contrarily the 2003 event was launched with fears relating to the decision, necessary due to the overcrowded schedule of Fiera Milano, to hold Vitrum 2003 at the end of June and not in the usual autumn slot. The initial concerns were later swept away by the numerous pre-bookings by exhibitors and by the good results of the event, which opened on Wednesday 25 June with the customary meeting between the Press and the Chairman of Vitrum, Dino Fenzi, the Chairman of the Gimav association, Annibale Besana, and the Chairman of the Gimav hollow glass section, Michele Gusti. The room housing the press conference was filled with journalists from more than twelve countries, representing over thirty-five specialist and news publications. The ground level halls housed the machinery and relative accessories, while the manufacturers of finished products and small items of equipment were on the upper level. A glance over the exhibition areas confirmed the elegant appearance, later to become a distinctive feature of the event, created by the lighting systems and colours of the exhibitor firms. The net exhibition area was 27, 517 sq. m and the total number of exhibitors surpassed all previous records with a figure of 432. The percentages for overseas and Italian attendance was 40% and 60% respectively, reflecting the high and established internationalised level of the Milan event. The expectations of exhibitors were to some extent fulfilled by the number of visitors over the four days of the event. The figure of 13, 032 - 60% Italians and the remaining 40% from overseas - demonstrated the important role performed by the trade fair on the international scene. Europe was best represented thanks to strong attendance by Spanish and French visitors, taking over from Germany in the first place it had always held in this particular ranking. There were a total of 8, 090 Italian visitors, with a strong increase in those from northern and central Italy. As regards the American continent, an analysis of the figures broken down by country shows two significant attendance growth values – those of Canada and the USA, despite the stagnation on the US market, the weakness of the dollar and the subsequent difficulties for products from the euro area. One exception to lower attendance by Middle Eastern visitors, caused by the tension in international and domestic politics, was Saudi Arabia, which almost doubled its attendance figure compared to the 2001 event. There were a number of positive remarks from exhibitors relating to the number of visitors, as well as appreciation of the trade fair, seen as a very important opportunity for the whole world of glass to come together. After thirteen events with constant growth in terms of exhibition size, quality of products and services made available to visitors and exhibitors, Vitrum 2005 is forecast as being a new opportunity and aid in creating the necessary confidence for development of the industry. write your comments about the article :: © 2005 Construction News :: home page |