ERI – acronym for Expo Riva International – was founded several years ago to take care of the promotion and development of Expo Riva Schuh abroad, with events organised in Dubai, India and other international venues. With the arrival of the pandemic and the internal reorganisation of the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, several special-purpose companies have been developed to carry out activities complementary to the sale of space within the fairgrounds. Among these, ERI is in charge of managing – on behalf of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi – all the services related to the presence at the fair: from logistics to technical installations, up to the development of new projects in the field of setting-up. Marco Lucchi, ERI Production Manager, and Elisa Santuliana, ERI Event Production Assistant talk to us.
What are the projects for June’s Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags?
“Starting with the summer 2022 edition, we have introduced a new type of Green set-up, which is characterised by its certified sustainability, a theme that is as central and important as ever. They involve pre-furnished stands which can be customised according to the requirements of the exhibitor, with a special focus on human and environmental respect and health. The floor of the stand is made of OSB, obtained by recovering wood and processing waste, while the walls are formed of panels covered in poplar (and not MDF as in the traditional stands), a natural material finished with water-based paints. What’s more: the sign bearing the name of the company or brand is made of fir from certified forests, while the electrical part features energy-efficient LED lights. The set-up material is processed in local factories that apply sustainable and waste-conscious processing and is stored inside the fairgrounds so it is zero-kilometre, with no environmental problems and costs in terms of logistics. These are just a few examples of why a Green stand has a carbon footprint about 70% lower than a traditional stand.”
What difficulties did you face in implementing this new project?
“We tested this new type of sustainable stand design for the first time a few months ago at the hospitality fair in Riva del Garda, where we oversaw the Green set-up of about 700 square meters. The actual demands from exhibitors were much greater, but we could not meet them because of the difficulty in sourcing the necessary raw materials, a problem that today plagues various fields and sectors. We are very pleased with how Hospitality exhibitors have embraced our desire to choose a green path, even though it involves a slightly higher investment than the traditional stand. We hope that the footwear and handbag sector will also want to adhere to this sustainable philosophy.”
What are the plans for the near future?
“We are working on implementing more green printing processes, with environmentally friendly inks, to better customise and design stands and marketing materials in a sustainable way. In addition, we aim to re-purpose the carpet used at the fair for the few days of the event in other areas, so that it can have a new life, limiting waste.
In short, we are working on refining our sustainable stand design in every respect. Our goal is to provide Expo Riva Schuh with 50% of Green stands in the next 2 years.”
What do you think is the added value of your offer?
“Product customisation, with stands tailored to the customer’s needs, as well as offering an all-inclusive turnkey service: the exhibiting company (in Riva del Garda or elsewhere) only has to worry about getting to the fair and selling, because we will take care of everything else: from stand design to material retrieval or storage, and even the positioning of the sample collection within the stand itself.”