GIMAV and Vitrum’s Renata Gaffo stepping down after three decades

She announced the decision Tuesday in an open “goodbye letter”.

“I did invest a lot of time and passion into the world I am leaving, and I will miss it, which is only natural,” she wrote. “Nonetheless, I can say that the wealth of love, personal and professional gratification I take with me makes me far richer than all the companies that travelled along my path, and built their own success.”

Mrs Gaffo will retire at the end of this year. Current deputy director Laura Biason will take over as director for both GIMAV and the Vitrum trade show, effective January 1, 2016.

Mrs Gaffo commenced her journey in 1984 when she was hired by the Federation of Industrial Associations to oversee participation in expositions and international events. She soon became director of both the GIMAV association and Vitrum. Her first Vitrum event was in 1985 at Fiera Milano Meccanica Pavilion—where she says the show occupied just 7,000 square meters.

The expo was then held in Lacchiarella for ten years, growing to 16,000 square-meters. It returned to Milan and was held at the Portello Fairgrounds before permanently moving in 2007 to the Rho Fairgrounds, where it reached a record 31,560 net square meters in size.

“Impressive growth, we said, which is also proof of the hard work and innovative approach the Italian glass industry managed to gain over time, and the prestige it rightfully earned by it,” Mrs Gaffo said. “It made a formidable contribution to the worldwide image of ‘Made in Italy.’

“The brilliant result I am most proud of is the relationship inspired by mutual esteem and trust that developed over the years between GIMAV’s members and numerous collaborators.”

She says she looks forward to observing a “brand new chapter” of the association and trade show, “knowing that the joint story of Gimav and Vitrum will continue to delight both those directly involved and those who will follow it from the outside, like me.”