MICAM ratified the reactivation of the international market
The Italian footwear fair was held between September 18th and 20th, at the Fiera Milano Rho exhibition center in the city of Milan. On this occasion, the 94th edition was held, which closed the “MICAM Glass Slipper” campaign, through its third chapter “Glamorous ball”.
The exhibition occupied pavilions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 7 of the fairgrounds, which were segmented into the Contemporary, Premium and Everyday categories, in addition to various activities parallel to the exhibition offer.
The number of exhibitors increased by 23% compared to last March's version, registering a total of 1,012 brands, with an Italian representation of 54% over foreign ones. The companies, both local and international, exhibited proposals in women's, men's and children's footwear, corresponding to the Spring/Summer 2023 season.
According to its organizers, there were 35,470 visitors, which represented an increase of 20% compared to the previous edition. Despite the travel restrictions from China and the block imposed by the war in Ukraine, the fair had a very good international turnout. Most came from Spain, France and Germany, followed by operators from the United States, Canada and Japan.
Also here, the largest influx of public was related to the joint programming of all the sectoral fairs in the same period and place.
The Italian Trade Agency (ITA) sent invitations to various delegations of international buyers and journalists, who were strategically relevant for the positioning of the national footwear sector.
The sensations perceived during the event were one of optimism for overcoming an adverse period (pandemic), where the sector tries to reorganize itself to a new reality, with new market conditions. Beyond the purchase and sales opportunities, it served to evaluate the novelties of the industry and its proposals, and at the same time update and deepen the most relevant topics of the sector.
Among the opinions registered, the president of ASSOCALZATURIFICI -Italian Footwear Manufacturers' Association- Giovanna Ceolini, said that "the industry as a whole has recovered significantly, but the high costs of energy, of raw materials and the consequences of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine are putting short-term growth at risk.”
In addition to conferences, forums and debates on fashion, trends and sustainability, the fair highlighted the quality of Made In Italy, with recognized international brands. All with a lot of creativity and a pinch of glamour, anticipating the future of style.
Along with the diverse offer of footwear, visitors were also able to access other spaces. Such is the case of EMERGING DESIGNERS, with 12 new international designers who presented their creations.
In turn, MICAM Sustainability Lab focused on the sustainability of the sector; topic that was also addressed at MICAM X, which added an informative aspect to the event, including other topics such as the future of retail, trends and materials; art and fashion, heritage and future.
One hundred footwear manufacturers and brands participated in MICAM, with the support of ICEX -the Spanish export promotion agency-. 50% belonged to the Valencian Community, mostly to the province of Alicante.
After a tour of the stands, the Spanish exhibitors stated that despite the current difficulties, a good level of business was obtained, with encouraging projections. They highlighted the high international profile of the audience, and the optimism and dynamism in the fair activity.
There were 41 companies that participated in the world's largest footwear event. In general terms, the results were satisfactory in terms of contacts and business, thus consolidating the remarkable performance of the Portuguese industry in terms of exports. The Minister of Economy of Portugal, present at the fair, pointed out that "the growth of the sector is impressive". In the first half of 2022 alone, 40 million shoes worth 957 million euros were exported, 27.5% more than in the same period of the previous year, "being the best historical performance", he added.
The participation of 60 Brazilian footwear brands generated US$ 32 million between realized and projected businesses. There were 612 thousand pairs sold at the event, plus 1.7 million reserved. ABICALÇADOS -the Brazilian Footwear Industries Association- considered the presentation very positive, since sales had a 20% growth in value, compared to the 2019 edition.
Most of the exhibitors observed “a growing demand for Brazilian products”, and MICAM gave them the opportunity to open new markets, in an international context of great changes regarding footwear supply points.
In 2023, MICAM will take place on Sunday 19th, Monday 20th, Tuesday 21st and Wednesday 22nd February, at the same fairgrounds, with the presentation of the Fall/Winter 2023-2024 collections.
