The four days of Expo Riva Schuh returned to animate the lively meeting between firms from the main production hubs worldwide and buyers coming from around one hundred different countries. A trait that reinforced the international orientation of the event, which saw the participation of around twenty collectives, associations and groups of exporters coming from countries of strategic importance for the sector, like Italy, China, India, Brazil, Turkey, Portugal, Great Britain, Bulgaria, Spain, Hong Kong and Pakistan. In terms of visitors, instead, potential business opportunities were reinforced thanks to the presence of delegations of buyers from Peru, Columbia, Romania, Croatia, Poland, Sweden, Russia, the Ukraine and Kazakhstan, organised both by the Italian Trade Agency and MAECI-the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and the Expo Riva Schuh and Gardabags Study Centre, demonstrating a strong interest in the Riva del Garda marketplace and its broad exhibition range.
“During the four days of the trade fair, we welcomed a targeted audience of professionals and we once again proved ourselves to be the reference point for the volume footwear sector, able to offer, thanks to Gardabags, a complete and integrated business experience for leather goods – declares the Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, Roberto Pellegrini – A strong international vocation emerges as the key strength of the two events: in over 40 years of the history of Expo Riva Schuh, we have developed a policy of allegiance and relationships with the various players in the market, to the point where we involve companies and buyers from every corner of the world.”   
The Expo Riva Schuh selection saw the participation of 1,310 exhibitors, of which 1,044 were foreign, and another 78 companies present at Gardabags, of which 42 were from abroad. The level of fidelity was extremely high, with 95% of exhibiting companies reconfirming their presence, as a tangible sign of these companies’ satisfaction.
Brand new to this 93rd edition and especially appreciated by the fair’s operators was the rich training programme proposed in Hangar D, which was dedicated to themes that ranged from sustainability in the leather fashion supply chain system to trends in fashion, and innovation and creativity.