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Home > CANADA > Business events in Italy
AT MAISON & OBJET ITALY'S HOUSEHOLD LINENS EXHIBITED IN THEIR MAIN EXPORT MARKET
Rendez-vous in Paris, from 7 to 11 September 2007, for the summer edition of Maison & Objet (www.maison-objet.
com/en), the Parisian fair which is one of the most important events for traders in the household furnishing and decor sector. Launched in 1995 and held twice a year at the Exhibition Parc in Paris Nord-Villepinte, Maison & Objet represents a key opportunity for companies looking towards international markets.
The event has a marked international character: with a capacity for 2,900 exhibitors spread over 101,000 square metres, the last edition of the Parisian fair welcomed over 70,000 visitors (up 8,5% from the previous year), one third of whom were foreigners (+17%). Furthermore, the visiting public is often looking to establish concrete contacts, as only professional operators are allowed at the fair. The last edition of the fair saw the appearance of a new international clientele from Asia, especially China and Japan, in addition to the significant increase of visitors from Eastern Europe (mainly Russia and Poland) and from the Middle East.
Aiming to promote and support an Italian presence at Maison & Objet, the ICE (Italian Trade Commission) has organised an official delegation of household linen firms for the September edition of the fair. To increase awareness of Italian companies the ICE has planned an advertising campaign in the trade press and will send a catalogue to about 1,000 traders before the event, which it will also distribute during the fair.
ICE's effort is proportional to Italy's relative weight: the country is the sixth largest exporter of household linen (kitchen towels, bedlinen, towels and tablecloths). The sector - which includes some big names operating throughout Europe (such as Zucchi, listed at the Milan Stock Exchange, or Caleffi) is made up for the most part by SMEs (small and medium enterprises), for whom the ICE delegation is the only chance to establish a contact with an international audience. Maison & Objet therefore facilitates contact and relationship building among Italian companies (who offer their quality in the design, in the product customisation, and in developing innovative solutions in style) and specialised traders from all over the world.
Maison & Objet's international flair must not, however, obscure the local dimension of the fair, held in the first export market for Italian companies: in 2006 net exports to France reached 73.425 million euros, registering a slight increase (+0.37%) compared to 2005.
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