Recovery signs at the Riva del Garda fair in Italy
EXPO RIVA SCHUH is currently the main international exhibition for mid-range volume footwear. Its 96th edition was held between January 15th and 18th in Riva del Garda, a locality in the province of Trento, 177 km east of Milan, Italy.
Simultaneously, the 7th version of GARDABAGS, the leather goods and accessories proposal, was carried out.
On this occasion, 430 exhibiting companies from 30 countries took part in the fair, among which Italy, India, Turkey, Spain, Portugal, Germany and Brazil stood out. The trends for Autumn-Winter 2022/23 were presented at the event and the first deals were closed, according to its organizers.
The strong international profile was reflected with the presence of 70% of foreign visitors, from 86 countries. In this sense, among the 3,500 buyers, representatives from Spain, Portugal, France, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Great Britain, Turkey, Greece, Poland, Azerbaijan, Jordan, Uzbekistan, Australia, the United States and Canada were registered.
Another of the characteristics of EXPO RIVA SCHUH AND GARDABAGS was digitization, through Artificial Intelligence implemented in the DIGITAL CONNECTION platform; linked, in turn, to innovation in “hybrid” exhibition formats, where the presentation of physical products and virtual management of the negotiations were ensured, for those firms that were not part of the event in person.
Other topics were also developed from the organization, such as sustainability and the creation of strategic alliances, among various initiatives.
In addition, this edition of the Italian footwear and accessories fair left a signal of resumption and motivation on the part of the sector, in view of the positive reaction of the event's participants. In the words of Roberto Pellegrini -president of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi-, the exhibition provided the opportunity to conduct business with "a true act of strength and courage".
EXPO RIVA SCHUH AND GARDABAGS are scheduled to take place in Riva del Garda between Saturday 11th, Sunday 12th, Monday 13th and Tuesday 14th June 2022. In addition to the face-to-face exhibition, there will be the possibility of networking and virtual business, plus the access to various contents, thanks to the complementarity of Digital Connection.
Representatives of the 26 Brazilian footwear brands and industries participating in EXPO RIVA SCHUH AND GARDABAGS, described the results as very positive. Sales of 670,000 pairs were made, for a value close to US$ 7.5 million, and good projections were made for the coming months, based on the 211 contacts obtained with important international buyers.
For the ABICALÇADOS Trade Promotion Coordinator, Letícia Sperb Masselli, “despite the fair being more compact than in previous editions, in pre-pandemic, it had satisfactory results for most Brazilian exhibitors. They will certainly boost Brazilian exports throughout the first semester”, she concluded.
The presentation was made within the BRAZILIAN FOOTWEAR program, which promotes exports, with the organization of ABICALÇADOS -Brazilian Footwear Industries Association- and the support of APEX -Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency-.
The brands participating in EXPO RIVA SCHUH were: ADG Export, Awana, GVD International, Usaflex, Carrano, Stéphanie Classic, Andacco, Beira Rio, Vizzano, Moleca, Modare Ultraconforto, Molekinha, Molekinho, Actvitta, BR Sport, Madeira Brasil, Verofatto, Werner, Pegada, Capelli Rossi, Jorge Bischoff, Loucos Santos, Democrata, Piccadilly, Anatomic Shoes and Sapatoterapia.
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