Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags are back, live. From Sunday 18th to Tuesday 20th July 2021 at the Riva del Garda Exhibition Centre, the event will make a comeback after a year since the last on-site event with a marketplace for footwear, leather goods and accessories. The exhibition, which is organised by Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, will bring together 406 exhibitors from 31 countries and buyers from all over Europe in one, single place, confirming once again its front line role as a point of reference for the sector both nationally and internationally.
“The number of exhibiting companies is predictably reduced to about a third of the number we normally have," stated Roberto Pellegrini, Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi
"If we compare that to the expected attendance of buyers for this edition, it confirms that this is a trade fair able to guarantee that ideal proportion between exhibitors and visitors that, over the years, has proved functional to the business and always effective in terms of the marketing of products within this marketplace. The profiles of those interested in the fair also confirm the strong international identity of the event and the desire of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags to actively contribute to the recovery, here in Italy, of a sector which, despite all the difficulties, is livelier and more competitive than ever.”
And that isn’t all. The physical event will continue on its road of transformation as a truly international networking hub for everyone involved in the supply chain and will demonstrate its power with an edition that is rounded off with a digital experience, thus creating a hybrid event capable of bringing together the right balance of online and offline. The experience of the live fair is an essential element for a product that needs to be seen and touched first hand in order to be appreciated in its entirety. However, the new digital platform has made it possible to cultivate a virtuous relationship with the community of Riva del Garda, even over the past months, with 122 companies who have opted to take part virtually with the edition.
“The evolution of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, which is now ready to face a new stage, cannot ignore the fundamental contribution of consortia and trade associations that guarantee the maintenance of high-quality standards," expressed Alessandra Albarelli, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.
"In the light of this, numerous international businesses will collaborate and be represented at the fair - Assoprov (Italy), BFA - British Footwear Association (Great Britain), Abicalcados (Brazil), Aegean Exporters' Associations (Turkey), Apiccaps (Portugal), Bulgarian Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion Agency (Bulgaria), FICE (Spain) and the Pakistan Footwear Manufacturers’ Association (Pakistan) – plus those belonging to ICE – Italian Trade Agency and MAECI (The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation), in a synergy that will serve to amplify the international vocation of the event, involving visitors and exhibitors from the major consumer and manufacturing companies.”
These partnerships, which increasingly involve businesses from beyond the national borders, aim to favour the widespread presence of the event in different markets and to instigate important non-European development initiatives. The presentation of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags in New York next autumn in collaboration with the territorial department of ICE is an example of this.
The relationship with Italian and worldwide institutions is key and will be further underlined by the special ribbon-cutting ceremony that will be led by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio through video conference. The event will open the 95th edition of the event at 10:30 on Sunday 18th July in the main hall of the exhibition centre.
To accompany the three days of the event, there will also be two exclusive events for meetings and discussions designed to combine business and leisure, which has always been among the most strategic strengths of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags. Indeed, the exclusive ‘Spiaggia Olivi’ location in Riva del Garda will provide the backdrop on the evening of Sunday 18th July for a special event for industry members, the press and institutions at the Food & Shoes Gala Dinner. Then, on Monday 19th July, there will be the traditional dinner organised by Assoprov for its members, more than 40 of whom will be present as exhibitors at the fair.
Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags are ready to welcome their community in total safety at the Riva del Garda Exhibition Centre from July 18th to 20th 2021, because an all-round ‘safe business’ protocol has been adopted for the benefit of exhibitors, buyers and visitors, involving access and presence at the event, in accordance with health and safety rules issued at national and European level.
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