MILAN, Italy – This year’s edition marks an important step in the evolution of HostMilano. All of the predictions made on the eve of the show had to be increased, with growth of 13.5% in terms of the presence of professional visitors, up to150,968.
And, most of all, there was an exponential increase in terms of professionals from abroad – 60,383 from 172 countries, 40% of the total, and with growth of 17%.
“More than being an on-going process, now the internationalization of Host can be said to be a fact, which can be seen in the size, numbers and quality – says Fiera Milano CEO Corrado Peraboni –. And that’s not all. Host also reflects the new geopolitical scenario, opening itself up to markets like Iran, Africa and Cuba.
The increase of 13.5% in terms of visitors was due to various factors – the focus on supporting companies in all ways over the long-term, the great commitment to scouting abroad – thanks as well to the collaboration with ITA-ICE – and to the synergy with the city and what it represents for “Made in Italy.”
This is the successful path taken by Host, and it will also lead us to working to accelerate the internationalization of other exhibitions.”
The logistics of having the show take place during the final days of EXPO, which saw an especially large number of visitors, were also successfully managed.
“We worked constantly with law enforcement officialsand effectively collaborated with everyone from the public transport department, and thanks to the technologies we have, Fiera Milano was able to manage a great number of people and means of transportation in a highly flexible and efficient way, confirming our established expertise in holding large events,” added Peraboni.
Having the show in Milan is a value-add according to many of the foreign professionals in attendance.
“Italian style is much sought after in the Emirates region – says, for example, Andrej Trajkovski of Zadea, an importer from Doha, Qatar, that represents many prestigious Western brands – For example, we are discovering traditional Mediterranean products. And this is the best place to find this style and the technologies to manufacture them.
”Thus it is style and innovation that is taking is into ever new markets. “Even though European machinery is penalised by having extremely high excise duties – says Miguel Annessi, director of operations and purchasing for David Rosental & Hijos in Rosario, Argentina – we come here to Host to get it because the technology on display is much more advanced than what is available in our area.”
Host2015 was made all the more exciting thanks to more than 400 events, including seminars, workshops, competitions, championships, cooking shows and tastings.
Gianni Cocco from the Como area was crowned the “Best Barista in Italy” while the World Pastry Championship saw a surprise victory from Japan. The silver medal went to a very determined Italian team.
The appointment for 2017, when HostMilano will celebrate its 40th edition, is to be held at fieramilano in Rho from Friday, 20 October, to Tuesday, 24 October.
