Page 73 - Glass-Technology International no. 6/2017
P. 73
INTERVIEW WITH VITRUM DIRECTOR
During Vitrum 2017 Glassonline had the opportunity to
speak with Vitrum Director Laura Biason, who expressed
satisfaction with the results of the fair and shared some
thoughts on the next edition
CHANGING TIMES
As the shutters closed on Vitrum 2017, exhibitors and visitors said it had
been a good fair, “much better than expected.”
These positive views were also echoed by Laura Biason, Director of Vitrum,
who has been engaged in the organization of the fair over the last two years.
According to Ms Biason, this successful result has been achieved against
a background of increasingly rapid change in the global fair environment;
because of developments in global networking, many functions of the
traditional trade fair have changed and there has been unprecedented growth
a fair that really can make
in direct channels of communication between suppliers and clients – these
a difference, as is also evi-
developments have to be taken into consideration and integrated with other
denced by the attention kinds of information exchange. New companies are opening up new markets
shown by the foreign press and new technologies are changing the landscape of the industry, Vitrum is Laura Biason
this year over all four days keeping abreast of these new areas of interest and gauging their impact on the Vitrum Director
of the fair”, emphasised market, continued Ms Biason.
Laura Biason, Director of
Vitrum. NEW STRATEGIES
Between 3rd and 6th Octo- Ms Biason underlined that the new global perspective calls for a new strategy for Vitrum involving more
ber 2017, Vitrum attracted players on a larger canvas and increasing its ability to compete directly with the established major fairs by
involving an ever wider circle of companies. The proposal by Vitrum President Dino Zandonella Necca
to Milan the best of the
at the Murano summit meeting this summer to set up links with other national associations to increase
glass working world from
collaboration and cooperation on areas of mutual interest was warmly welcomed and strongly supported
all five continents: from
by international glass associations, she explained.
the United States, Europe, Such contacts have already borne fruit in the run-up to Vitrum 2017 and will have even more impact on
South America, the Far the next edition by extending the area of interest into more specific industrial sectors, she promised.
East, and Africa. A particu- A special effort was also made in collaboration with the Italian Trade Agency to select and attract
lar success was the partici- significant buyers from the international market and this brought extremely positive results.
pation – organised with the Everybody noticed visitors using the social networks to comment on stands and products and felt that
invaluable support of ICE this also contributed to wider visibility for the event and added extra cross-linking between exhibitors and
Agency (the Italian Trade visitors during the fair.
Agency) – of 109 prime Exhibitors were impressed by the quality of visitors, she underlines, and although the figures are not yet
final, pre-registrations were up four times on the number for the previous fair, with a huge increase in
flat- and hollow-glass op-
registered access on the first two days.
erators from 12 different
Another big success was the seminar program, with a wide offer of 4 different workshops, she noted,
countries.
proving that good content ensures good results; this also helped in networking, where systems can be set
“But in a fair so interna- up and people can find out more about each other and form interlocking relationships.
tional by its very nature Considering economic trends in general and export of machinery worldwide, Laura Biason said she was
– concluded the President very happy to see an increase in trade this year between exhibiting companies and Africa, the Gulf states,
Zandonella Necca – we Iran, and the Mediterranean basin countries.
are proud to record the
positive return of the Ital- FUTURE PROSPECTS
ian public, in confirmation In the Director’s opinion, one area for development for the 2019 edition will be hollow glass, a very
of the reawakening of the significant industry which has chosen to be present at Vitrum in recent years. Despite this, interest shown
at both Vitrun 2015 and 2017 indicates the consumer attractiveness of the products, and suggests a market
Italian market, a resur-
demand for more information on the state of innovation, technical solutions and customization possibilities
gence which has surely
offered by the full range of production. For the future, she expected to see continued emphasis on
been hastened by the finan-
collaboration with national associations and operators, and new sectors being opened for 2019, together
cial incentives provided by with the development of new materials which can be worked using glass processing machinery. She felt
the Government through confident that these goals would be achieved through working closely with the whole supply chain and
the Industry 4.0 National related services such as press and advertising.
Plan, a program to which
we have made a contribu-
Glass-Technology International 6/2017 71
