As Expo Riva Schuh comes to a close, they celebrate the 91st edition as a booming success. With over 13,000 visitors attending the fair, this confirms a significant increase in visitors. Autumn/Winter footwear collections revealed a heavy interest in western styles with metal inserts and lacquered materials. Women's styles championed vintage-look heels with strong lines and bold shapes referencing the 1980s and 1990s. While in men's, chunky sneakers have allowed more mainstream consumers to experiment with bolder shapes and colours. The event boasted a proud 1,469 exhibitors and among them were 1,207 foreign companies from 39 countries.
"We firmly believe in this event and in its potential as an international hub for footwear and leather goods," said Riva del Garda Fierecongressi's president, Roberto Pellegrini. "For this reason, we are working on an increasingly accurate selection of the offer, complemented by Gardabags for the bag sector. We also offer innovative services, and the renewal of the exhibition spaces."
"Our flexibility has enabled us to respond effectively to the Digital Revolution, which we wanted to analyse during the opening event," added Giovanni Laezza, general manager of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. "E-commerce, social commerce, and influencers have not weakened the role of trade fairs: the challenge is to shed skin, to become a moment where all this digital vortex takes shape in the new collections (increasingly tailored to the needs of digital consumers), through the exchange between production and distribution and through the confrontation with an increasingly fast-paced retail world that aims at responding as quick as possible to the suggestions of social networks."
Keep an eye out for their next event 15-18 June 2019.
