Over 12 000 visitors took part in the two events, a slight increase compared to the June 2017 edition. Altogether, there were 1 474 exhibitors from 37 different countries, displaying their collections in the halls of Expo Riva Schuh for Spring/Summer 2019. Amongst the visitors, there were delegations from Croatia, Serbia, Russia and the Ukraine, resulting from the collaboration with the ICE Agency.

“The quality of business that has developed here over the past few days in the halls of Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags confirms how our trade fair is still an efficient tool, not only for promoting products, but also for analysing the trends of the international market”, commented the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini.

The rapport between new technology and the speed of fashion was at the core of the opening talk: “(Too) fast for fashion: digital technology and the speed of fashion” held on the opening day. The debate was moderated by Cinzia Malvini, the customs and fashion journalist for LA7 and Book Moda, with the participation of Andrey Golub, CEO of Else Corp, an Italian start-up company specialised in solutions for Virtual Retail. The digital revolution, along with the growth of e-commerce platforms and the diffusion of new technology for production and retail, offers companies huge opportunities in terms of personalisation and market scalability. It does, however, become indispensable for brands not to lose the emotion deriving from physical contact with the product and its history. And that is how, in the midst of a digital revolution, trade fairs strengthen their role through a blend of on-line and off-line.

“A buyer today has to accept a large slice of the responsibility for unsold products - comments Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi. For this reason, over and above knowing about the latest fashion trends, he also needs to be an excellent analyst of international market trends. Here in Riva del Garda, we continue to offer a broad, carefully thought out and diverse range, and also the tools to understand just how the world footwear market is moving.” 

According to the fair organisers, this edition has shown important steps towards the internationalisation of the fair: relationships have been further developed with Vietnam, while collaboration continues with SAFLEC (South African Leather Export Council), first started back in April 2017, during the first stage of the Expo Riva Schuh Around the World tour. The 5 South African companies which took part in the 90th edition of Expo Riva Schuh represented a growing market with interesting prospects for the future.

“The presence of exhibitors from all over the world enables us to identify which ones represent a macro trend for the world of footwear - states Carla Costa, Manager of the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi Fairs Unit. At this moment in time, we are witnessing the importance of ‘comfort’ as an absolute must, and, as a result, a predominance of sneakers – personalised, coloured and in contrasting fabrics. Looking at materials, we see natural elements entwined with more technological approaches, embroidery on technical fabrics, opaque metal and the distressed look. Slip-ons are also greatly in evidence, some with a leather sole, others with rope, with coloured straw appliqués.”

The next edition of Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags will take place from the 12^th to the 15^th January 2019.