Cersaie 2005, Bologna - Italy
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23rd Cersaie ends with very positive results. Attendance up by 4.2% on an equivalent basis. 27.92% of the 88,522 visitors were from abroad, underscoring the international scope of the ceramic tile and bathroom furniture exhibition
The first edition of Cersaie held over five days has registered the highest ever percentage of foreign visitors, once again confirming the key international importance of this ceramic tile and bathroom furniture exhibition. The 156,000 square metres of available exhibition floor was fully booked several months in advance and filled by 1,030 companies including 204 foreign exhibitors from 32 different countries. The show offered a packed and high-quality programme of events, ranging from the inaugural conference to the international press conference, from the Markitecture, Value in Architecture initiatives to technical seminars.
A detailed analysis of the attendance figures, calculated on an equivalent basis (Tuesday through to Saturday), shows that the numbers of visitors was up by 4.16% to 88,522 compared to last year’s 84,983. This was a result of stable foreign attendance combined with substantial growth amongst Italian visitors. Significantly, the 24,714 foreign visitors now account for 27.92% of total attendance, the highest value ever recorded at Cersaie and one of the highest of any Italian tradeshow.
However, in absolute terms the 2005 show saw a fall in total attendance by about 10,000 visitors due to the fact that this was the first year that the show has not been open on a Sunday.
Another positive figure was the increase in number of accredited journalists from 573 to 580, with foreigners accounting for 44.66% – a new record for this show in both percentage and absolute terms.
More than 700 people attended the inaugural conference, entitled ‘Italy’s role in the new international context’. Moderated by the director of the Italian financial newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore Ferruccio de Bortoli, the conference featured talks by Mario Baldassarri (Deputy Minister for the Economy and Finance), Enrico Letta (Margherita party official responsible for the economy), Luca di Montezemolo (Chairman of Bologna Fiere and the Italian employers’ federation Confindustria) and Alfonso Panzani (Chairman of Assopiastrelle).
Another very well attended event (280 journalists and guests) was the Ceramic Tiles of Italy International Press Conference held in the Fondazione Ca’ la Ghironda Contemporary Art Museum, where Assopiastrelle Chairman Mr Panzani spoke alongside Enzo Mularoni (Vice Chairman of Assopiastrelle for Promotional Activities and Trade Fairs), Ugo Calzoni (Director General of the Italian Trade Commission ICE) and Giorgio Squinzi (Chairman of Federchimica and Mapei). The press conference was followed by the presentation ceremony for the Assopiastrelle Distributors Award, the Ceramic Tiles of Italy Journalism Award and Exercises in Architecture – Cumulus.
Cersaie’s cultural programme, Markitecture, Value in architecture, also featured numerous events. Three exhibitions were set up in Cersaie Village: Cumulus for ceramic prototypes created by students at European design and art schools, the ‘Ceramic Tiles and Urban Renewal’ design competition focusing on five Italian squares, and the ‘Future Remote’ exhibition exploring the history of tiles in the Sassuolo and Imola manufacturing areas. Last but not least was the meeting with Austrian architect Wolf D. Prix from Coop Himmelb(l)au entitled ‘Beyond the blue’.
There was also a packed programme of technical conferences coordinated by the Centro Ceramico in Bologna, which explored key issues of relevance to the ceramic tile industry: the environment, technical standards, national and international certifications, product quality, and machining of porcelain tile.
The next Cersaie will be held in Bologna from Tuesday 26 to Saturday 30 September 2006.
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