Events

Cersaie 2021 returns as an in-person show | by Andrea Serri

Cersaie will be back as an in-person show from 27 September to 1 October 2021 in the Bologna Exhibition Centre, where it will occupy all the available space. More than 160 exhibitors will have stands larger than 200 square metres and some will have spaces as large as 400 square metres. The show will also see the participation of large numbers of foreign exhibitors and will feature an outstanding programme of initiatives and cultural events. This return to an in-person format has been eagerly awaited both by exhibitors, who have booked their spaces months in advance, and by visitors, who will find it easier to get to Bologna thanks to the vaccination campaigns currently underway in the various countries and the introduction of Green Cards for travel within the EU.

“The possibility of organising a world-leading event like Cersaie once again and giving our international clientele the opportunity to enjoy the Made in Italy experience directly and in-person is of vital importance for a sector that generates 85% of its turnover from exports,” comments Giovanni Savorani, Chairman of Confindustria Ceramica. “The experience of being confined indoors for long periods of time during the various lockdowns has fuelled interest in home improvements amongst consumers all over the world, with a particular focus on health and hygiene. This in turn has prompted growing interest in ceramic materials, bathroom furnishings, kitchens, outdoor furniture, lighting, wellness and interior finishes, all of which are product sectors that will be present at Cersaie 2021.”

The safety of exhibitors and visitors will be the top priority for everyone involved and will be assured in particular by the progressive rollout of the vaccination programmes in Italy and worldwide. These programmes are the prerequisite for the European Green Card and for the creation of safe travel corridors on the main international routes. “Safety is our top priority,” says Gianpiero Calzolari, chairman of BolognaFiere, “and for this reason we will be adopting protocols covering every aspect of health and safety both in the Exhibition Centre itself (from the entrances to the visitor routes, from catering to logistics) and in the city of Bologna in cooperation with the other players involved in the exhibition experience (airport, transport, hotels, etc.). We aim to create an environment where exhibitors and operators can focus on business and build new commercial relationships with complete peace of mind.” One particularly important aspect is the agreement with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Italian Trade Agency ITA regarding the participation of a contingent of 170 international buyers, architects and journalists, joined this year by a selection of real estate professionals. These visitors will come from Germany, France, the UK, North America and the Gulf region, all of which are areas where major international projects are under way.

One of the major new attractions at this year’s show will be the Contract Hall. Occupying the whole of Hall 18, it will host leading Italian companies operating in the new exhibition sectors introduced this year, namely kitchens, interior and exterior finishes, lighting technology, home automation, outdoor furnishing and wellness. Special attention will be devoted to the lounge area located at the centre of the space and to the overall exhibition layout, which will combine style and elegance with practicality to ensure that these new product areas offer a truly unique and informative visitor experience. The centrepiece of the Contract Hall will be Archincont(r)act, the exhibition format launched in 2019 which this year hosts 10 internationally renowned architecture firms operating in the various areas of real estate. This entire hall will serve to create a new itinerary and expand the range of products of interest to designers, architects and the building profession in general, as well as retailers and other commercial players operating in the contract sector. It will also create a virtuous circle interconnecting products, projects and investors, thereby cementing Cersaie’s status as the largest temporary showroom in the world. The event will be a privileged venue where visitors will find selected leading companies and high-end products capable of meeting the increasingly complex requirements of design, marketing and use of ceramic materials and bathroom furnishings.

The second entirely new feature of this 38th edition of the show is Cersaie Digital. Exhibitors taking part in the in-person event will also have the opportunity to participate via the web platform and harness the full potential of information technology, the dematerialisation of information and events and the global presence of target audiences. The platform, which will be on line for three weeks from 20 September to 8 October, is in no way intended to replace the in-person exhibition but rather to expand its ability to bring together visitors and exhibitors and to consolidate the role, standing and prestige of Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings.

 

June 2021