For exhibitors interested in Italian demand, BTC, an Italian exhibition dedicated to the meetings and incentives industry, is the place to be in Florence from Nov. 11-12 at Fortezza da Basso.
Surveys from Osservatorio Congressuale Italiano show that the demand for meetings in Italy depends on the corporate segment (64 percent), scientific associations (13 percent), political bodies (12 percent) and other associations (11 percent).
“We pay great attention to foreign exhibitors because we think they perfectly match a demand like Italy’s, always looking for glamorous destinations. We have three offices abroad (in London, Brussels and Shanghai), the same number as we have in Italy,” stated Nadia Colaiuda, managing director, Viaggi & Incentive, and co-organizer and partner, BTC.
Consequently, Italy is the destination for a full range of formats: conventions, incentive trips and team-building events as well as professional conferences — especially for the medical industry, which still accounts for a substantial portion of revenue for Italy’s meetings industry, despite the decline in pharmaceutical sponsorships — and political and association congresses.
“One of the nicest – and most requested – things we do is to take Italian managers, professionals or stakeholder groups to India, mainly to New Delhi and Mumbai, but also elsewhere, and let them present their products to local managers,” Mabel De Bernardi, owner, The Differences. “It happens mostly for food services and design skills, both segments in which Italian know–how leads the field, but also for other products/services, such as biomedical equipment, marble polishing etc. These presentations, which actually closely resemble educational courses, are very valuable, because they are held by top experts and thus add significant ‘Italian’ value, which in many sectors is very highly regarded all over the world.”
Although affected in recent years by shrinking budgets, the corporate segment has always provided the national industry with a constant flow of work, accounting for as much as 48.7 percent of total conference attendance. It is therefore not a surprise that many new exhibitors come from abroad.
Two countries are highlighted: the Dominican Republic and Switzerland, which is not new to the fair. This year, Switzerland is doubling its presence through the efforts of Ticino Tourism, with four new exhibitors: the hotel Astoria Betriebs (Lucerne), Hotel Seepark and Interlaken Congress & Events (both of Interlaken) and Lugano Convention Bureau.
