At Almaty, in the prestigious venue of Dom Priemov, from 2 to 4 October, 50 brands of Made in Italy exhibited their products: for the last 15 years, Assocalzaturifici has been investing in the Central Asian market through a project that first began as a platform for launching Italian footwear brands, Shoes from Italy, contributing to a firmly rooted and capillary promotion of Italian productions along the chain of distribution that includes all of Kazakhstan. In 2018, the event was enriched by its total look offering thanks to its strategic partnership with Ente Moda Italia.

The exhibiting companies at the fair confirmed the volumes of the last edition, registering a steady level of business, but with quantities down from past editions. There was also greater attention to men’s products, as seen by the many customers coming from Muslim countries like Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, etc.

Slightly better results were recorded in Kiev, which confirmed itself to be a promising market for Made in Italy, as a city, which after years of difficulty, is relaunching itself in search of closer collaborations with Italian sector businesses, in the spirit of an economic and cultural affinity that is increasingly strong. Thirty Italian businesses including manufacturers of footwear, leather goods, and apparel (also here in collaboration with Ente Moda Italia) presented their collections at the Hotel Intercontinental in the Ukraine capital on 7 and 8 October, with great interest shown by Ukraine clientele. The ICE Agency organised an incoming programme of 30 select buyers coming from all the regions of the country, creating an opportunity for networking. The uncertainties surrounding the government’s future plans for duties and customs had little or no effect on the outcome of business deals cemented at the fair.