The September edition of VICENZAORO closes with a more than positive 23,000 attendance count (+20%) and buyers on the increase

This year’s outstanding edition of VICENZAORO September 2017, the International Jewellery Boutique, organised by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), a company formed by the integration between Rimini Fiera and Fiera di Vicenza ended. The five-day event recorded the participation of 14,385 buyers(+22.7 per cent compared to 2016) from 115 Countries, generating an attendance of 23,176 people overall (+ 20 per cent).

This is the best result since 2007, a sign of the winning strategy of VICENZAORO, focused on the enhancement of the quality of the brands and jewellery on display, on the creation of a platform and a business network for the development of the international goldsmith and jewellery industry, and on the proposal of high added value content, including digital content, to accompany the industry through great transformations, above all sustainability and Industry 4.0.As a result of this proposal, a scouting process was developed for the selection of the best and most qualified representatives of international buyer demand within the various distribution systems, including independent stores, retail chains, shopping malls, area distributors and specialised digital portals. Hence the success of the event, which had an extremely high attendance and confirmed the central role of VICENZAORO among the three most important global competitors.

In this context, thanks to the support of the ICE Agency, VICENZAORO September hosted 500 buyers selected from major markets and 800 Gold Buyers directly managed by IEG, who benefited from exclusive services during the Exhibition.

Opinion leaders and trend setters from the key reference markets, influential speakers at in-depth conferences, and over 100 journalists from national and international media took part in this year’s edition. Nearly 70 events were organised, double the number compared to the 2016 edition, a growth that also involved the digital channel: +30 per cent visitors on the new platform vicenzaoro.com and three times as many views of web content.

In an exhibition format with a contemporary, digital and navigable design the Exhibition was attended by 1,300 brands from 36 countries and from the main Italian goldsmith districts, hosted in the five districts Icon, Look, Creation, Expression, and Essence, under a world-class project created to encourage business meetings between international demand and supply.

As for the buyers’ countries of origin, there was a good increase in operators from Europe, with significant increases from Germany, the UK, France, Belgium and Spain, and from Central and Eastern Europe. There was a good growth of buying representatives from Turkey while the number of top buyers from the Middle East remained the same, with a significantly growing participation from Iran. The Americas and China confirmed the appeal of Made-in-Italy products, while Russian-speaking Countries had a positive recovery.

The key topic of VICENZAORO September 2017 was “Green Jewellery”, i.e. social responsibility and sourcing policies of all the materials used in the global goldsmith and jewellery sector. A topical and strategic issue for the companies’ ability to compete in a scenario that has been witnessing an increased demand for transparent, certified, ethical and sustainable products and supply chains from new consumers. The highlight of the Exhibition was the opening conference held on Saturday, 23 September, which was attended by the Under secretary of the Ministry of Economic Development, Ivan Scalfarotto, who stressed that CSR could represent the identifying feature of the new Made-in-Italy production.

For the Chairman of IEG, Lorenzo Cagnoni: “The significant growth of VICENZORO, together with the positive performance of other IEG events, is the best proof of the soundness of the decision to integrate the trade fairs of Rimini and Vicenza. We believe, and have invested with determination, in the Gold Exhibition, an event with a strong link with the local communities, a marked international vocation and the spearhead of IEG’s competitiveness in the global scenario”.

The Executive Vice President, Matteo Marzotto, said: “VICENZAORO fully represents IEG’s innovative vision.It is our product with the highest rate of international participation, one that fosters a top quality supply chain and is capable of engaging with all the industry players, gathering them at the same table in a productive systemic debate. An ambassador event of the world’s best jewellery, whose distinctive soul is the Well-Done-in-Italy style”.

The Managing Director, Corrado Facco, said: “VICENZAORO is a world leading exhibition in the industry with a very clear position characterised by a leadership in the high quality of production, in the content generated and in its innovative format. A winning strategy that makes it a marketplace of great attractiveness, which acts as a means to achieve a turnaround for the entire supply chain and product innovation with a focus on the most current trends and content driving the evolution of international jewellery”.

Other major events and projects included: the conference on the impact of the newEU legislation concerning Conflict Minerals on the jewellery industry, organised in cooperation with CIBJO (World Jewellery Confederation); N.O.W. Not Ordinary Watches, the capsule collection devoted to twelve selected global Independent Watch brands; S.E.T. Small Equipment & Tools, a project devoted to enterprises producing machinery, tools and 3D printers, software and small equipment; the launch of TRENDBOOK 2019+, the most authoritative guide that, eighteen months in advance, outlines the Mega Trends that will influence the future choices of sophisticated consumers; the Next Jeneration Talent Contest awards, a contest for young international designers promoted in collaboration with the School of Design of Politecnico di Milano; the opening of the exhibition Jewel and Function at the Jewel Museum.

The upcoming IEG exhibitions devoted to jewellery will be: Gold/Italy (Arezzo, 21-23 October 2017), VOD Dubai International Jewellery Show (Dubai, 15-18 November 2017) and VICENZAORO January (Vicenza, 19-24 January 2018).