E-commerce, constant inter-connection between on-line and off-line distribution and buyers that rely increasingly on multiple channels and devices: Expo Riva Schuh has its sights set on the latest evolutions in the worldwide footwear market, which opens its 87th edition with a chance to discuss the recent development of on-line phenomena and their impact on the footwear sector. Flexibility is the key word, both in supply strategies and also in the dynamic between producer and purchaser.
"Today, the digital world affects both the purchasing processes and the organisational aspects of the company – states the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini. It actually represents a fundamental opportunity for many businesses in the fashion and footwear sectors, and Expo Riva Schuh, which has always studied, and often predicted, market trends, could not fail to take the opportunity to carry out a careful analysis of this phenomenon.”
On Saturday 14th January at 11am, a debate will take place entitled:
"E-commerce and the fashion and footwear market: what have we learned over the last decade?" This will be an importance chance for discussion, moderated by Andrea Cabrini, director of Class CNBC, with the participation of Albert Antonini Mangia, Marketing Manager for Alibaba Italia, to help outline an initial picture of the on-line sales experience in the Italian and international footwear sector.
“The development of on-line selling channels - explains Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi – is a fact that companies in the footwear business, looking for new outlets for their business, cannot ignore, and it will continue to have an increased importance in events such as ours too, because of the growing influence on the way production and distribution are organised. Every market has reacted in a different way and with different timescales to the development of e-commerce channels, with so many variables in terms of growth, targets and the age and type of consumer. One common factor, however, is the growth trend, which has not stopped.”
The first date in the international trade fair calendar for the world of volume footwear, Expo Riva Schuh, will take place from 14th to 17th January 2017 with previews for Autumn/Winter 2017/2018. Over and above the vast range of products on display from 1,449 exhibitors of whom 1,162 are foreign, occupying a total of 32,715m2of net exhibition space, the event offers a unique opportunity to take stock of the footwear sector at global level. The event has a well-established international flavour, and this year will count on the presence of important exhibiting collectives from China, India, Brazil, Portugal, Spain, Indonesia, Pakistan, Hong Kong, Tunisia and Turkey.
"Our important collaboration with the ICE agency continues this year too - explains Carla Costa, Manager of the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi Fairs Unit – with whom we have been working continuously for some time now to expand the horizons of our fair towards the most promising and strategic markets. At this edition, we will be hosting a delegation of over 40 buyers from 14 different countries, with representatives from the key European markets (such as Germany and Sweden) as well as Russia and Eastern Europe (Bulgaria, Croatia, Romania, Russia, Serbia, Slovenia, the Ukraine and Hungary), and from some growing Asian countries (Azerbaijan, Iran and Kazakhstan) and from Turkey, the perfect bridge between Asia and Europe. Likewise, with a view to involve new markets, we have launched a survey amongst our exhibitors to identify the areas of greatest interest to them: the aim is to plan actions for presentation and training packages in the countries that are identified as strategic.”
A new image and a new website, with greater immediate impact and ease of use, will reinforce communication with visitors, with the aim of simplifying their participation in the fair and making run more smoothly, along with all those services that have always been at the core of the event.
Business, discussion and news on the footwear sector, styles and trends as told by the press and live social posts of Italian and international bloggers: all this awaits you at Expo Riva Schuh, Riva del Garda from 14th to 17th January 2017.
Press release
Expo Riva Schuh
Riva del Garda, 13 January 2017