A successful program of incoming foreign buyers saw the footwear manufacturing excellences and artistic cultural heritage, food and wine specialties, and beautiful panorama of the district presented to 14 qualified members of the trade coming from Russia and the CIS region. This is what was promoted by ACRIB – the Consortium of Master Shoemakers from Brenta during the week between the end of February and beginning of March. A strategic initiative, in light of Italian exports to Russia during the first ten months of 2018, which arrived at a total of 293.33 million euros, with almost 5 million pairs exported. In this context, the activity of the Riviera del Brenta district counts over 500 SMEs making up the supply chain, with a production of 20 million pairs of luxury and high-quality shoes, of which 92% are destined for exports to the five continents. A segment that employs 10 thousand operators, creating a sales revenue superior to 2 billion euros.

To better highlight this heritage, the incoming program of foreign buyers included a series of visits to companies in order to demonstrate the excellence of the productions in their native economic-industrial settings and propose B2B meetings, with the intent of promoting the internationalization of SMEs. A stopover at the Politecnico Calzaturiero [Footwear Manufacturing Polytechnic School] allowed these special guests to see how the shoe is conceived and developed as an artistic work, while also highlighting the importance given to professional training by Riviera entrepreneurs.

The tour ended with a visit to see the artistic glass of Murano, the fishing village of Chioggia and the district dedicated to amusement of Alto Polesine, which presented operators with the other manufacturing and industrial excellences of the territory that claim the “Made in Venice” label.

“The visit of 14 Russian buyers – declared ACRIB President Siro Badon in a note to the press – represents a great opportunity for the internationalization of our district and the entire metropolitan area. The experience that such qualified individuals were able to appreciate over the last few days, will turn them into authentic endorsers and promoters of the value and unique quality of the Riviera shoe and the other excellences produced in the local districts”.