Expo Riva Schuh opens its 84th edition from 13th to 16th June 2015: the event will offer a unique opportunity to see previews of the Spring/Summer 2016 collections from all over the world, presented by 1,389 exhibitors, of whom 325 are Italian and 1,064 from abroad, covering a net display area of 32,740m2.
At the opening of the fair, on Saturday 13th June at 11.00 am, in the conference hall of the exhibition centre, there will be a seminar entitled “The role of Expo Riva Schuh in the international panorama”, with the notable presence of Professor Alberto Castro, of the Portuguese Catholic University of Porto and Consultant to APICCAPS – Portuguese Footwear Association, who will give a talk on the subject of World Footwear Supply and Demand – Stepping into the Future, offering a reflection on the evolution of the worldwide footwear market. Also at the seminar will be the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Mr. Roberto Pellegrini, and the Managing Director, Mr. Giovanni Laezza. The debate, moderated by the journalist for Business and Finance of “La Repubblica” newspaper, Mr. Giorgio Lonardi, will be an opportunity to see how the sector is going and to talk about supply and demand of footwear globally, taking into consideration likely future scenarios. An important and valuable moment, starting from understanding the strategic role that Expo Riva Schuh plays, due its strong international calling and also because of its early position in the fair calendar, compared to other events.
“We are pleased to be opening the 84th edition of Expo Riva Schuh with such big numbers, especially considering what a delicate time it is on the international fair scene – states the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini. We want to continue to strengthen our role as a privileged observation point on the footwear sector at global level, and for this reason we have chosen to introduce a new and valuable opportunity for learning and debate. We are quite certain that this will help us to capitalise on our role as an international hub, able to attract exhibitors from 40 countries and to welcome visitors from over 100 countries.”
For the first time, this edition will be hosting exhibiting companies from Australia, the Arab Emirates, Greece, Singapore and the USA. The return of the group from Indonesia has also been confirmed and synergies with strategic partners, especially China and India, will be further consolidated as well as targeted activities to involve new countries.
“Expo Riva Schuh is an event which is able to test the waters of the international footwear market trends – claims Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi – making it, therefore, an ideal opportunity for checking out new emerging markets. It is important to remember that around 50%-60% of world commerce in volume terms is estimated to be in the medium to medium-low segment, which is precisely the market which Expo Riva Schuh deals with. In actual fact, we can estimate that one shoe in three of those acquired by a European consumer is most likely to have been seen and purchased at our event.”
Expo Riva Schuh will be monitoring the evolution of the world’s footwear market, also based on a recent survey, where certain countries emerged as being those that represent a particular commercial interest to the exhibitors of Expo Riva Schuh. First of all, the United States, benefitting from a more favourable rate of exchange and the progress of the market that has overcome the economic crisis. Then the Northern European countries, such as Germany, the United Kingdom, and surprisingly, Denmark, Sweden, the Netherlands and Finland too. And finally, Russia, which remains an important market, even though in the past few seasons the unfavourable exchange rate and geopolitical affairs have marked a significant setback. The competitive edge that Expo Riva Schuh has, is that of being able to give international buyers a wide and diverse offer whilst responding flexibly to the needs of the marketplace which is constantly evolving, and to explore diversified purchasing strategies.
“The fair is growing alongside the market and its new requirements and we want to offer buyers and visiting operators services that are increasingly targeted and tailor-made, ensuring that they get the best out of their visit to the fair – explains Carla Costa, Manager of the Fairs Unit of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. “Last Minutes Solutions”, for example, is a very important service that can offer help in making the most of your stay during the fair, like finding the best local services or buying a present for an important client. The service is active by phone or via WhatsApp and WeChat. As a matter of fact, we continue to pay more attention to new forms of communication, as we have been doing for some time now via the Social Media. As of this year, apart from our existing Facebook page, we will also be present with an Instagram profile to help us to keep in touch directly with the fashion and blogger communities.”
A special business meeting point will be the Buyers’ Lounge in Hall C4, a space where visitors, exhibitors and journalists will be able to develop their contacts and networking opportunities. Our collaboration with the “Associazione Cuochi Trentini” (Association of Trentino Cooks) will continue, delighting our guests in the lounge with the excellent flavours of the local area, reinforcing the link between food and socialising…. a concept which is particularly interesting given the simultaneous timing with Expo 2015.
The stars of Expo Riva Schuh will be the previews of the Spring/Summer 2016 collections, as always on show in advance, thanks to the early dates of the event in the international fair calendar.
So the date with Expo Riva Schuh is in Riva del Garda from June 13th to 16th 2015.
Press release
Expo Riva Schuh
Riva del Garda, 12th June 2015