In June 2024 there will be the 101st edition of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, completing the entire year of celebrations for the event’s 50 years of success. Preparations are in full swing to guarantee all participants an offer that meets the needs of exhibitors and buyers as well as market trends.
TRENDS AND INNOVATION
After the success of the winter edition, the presence of the Highlights Area – promoted in collaboration with Arsutoria School – is reconfirmed in an enlarged and enriched version. Not only an exhibition space, but also an engine of inspiration and sharing for the entire industry community present at Riva del Garda. There will be specific activities such as interactions, moments of discussion, workshops and talks with experts on the next trends for footwear and leather goods. In addition, the area will host a number of products from the exhibitors’ collections that, selected by the Fashion Committee of Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, will be in line with the reference trends. An opportunity for both buyers and exhibitors, a way to discover the products most appreciated by consumers in view of the upcoming spring/summer 2025, but also to find inspiration and ideas for proposing future novelties and becoming leading players in the fashion sector.
Another format that is confirmed and becoming increasingly important is the Innovation Village Retail – in collaboration with Retail Hub – the exhibition village designed to show and share innovation and how it is applied in the corporate world, particularly in the fashion sector. It is a showcase for emerging realities, but also an opportunity for the future, astride digitalisation, to meet established players who bring the baggage of experience. Innovation is a key concept for Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, which confirms its commitment and resources on this front precisely because of the relevance and value that it has for the entire sector, to ensure its present and continuous development over time. The selected companies will also take part in the new edition of the Startup Competition, the challenge to the sound of innovative projects that will see the start-ups tell their product or service in front of the trade fair audience and a jury of experts. The appointments during the days of the fair are therefore confirmed, open to all those who wish to listen to the presentations of the start-ups and follow them until the winner is declared.
INTERNATIONAL PARTICIPATION IS CONFIRMED
Another theme that has always been dear to the fair is internationality and, year after year, it is confirmed as a global meeting point for footwear, leather goods and accessories. With the Buyer Programme, work continues to forge relationships with buyers from almost all parts of the world. This meticulous work involves analysing the needs of buyers and searching for the most interesting buyers for exhibiting companies. The strength of this programme is based precisely on seeking the perfect match between supply and demand in order to promote business opportunities, profitable networking and new formulas for collaboration with trade associations. For the next edition there have already been many reconfirmations from buyers and visitors who have already realised several business opportunities in the past; moreover, buyers from different markets, both European and non-European, are being contacted and selected. Confirmed attendance from Australia, the United States, Latin America, China and the Far East countries; from Japan, the United Kingdom and the European Union countries. Also among the exhibitors we can already mention the participation of brands that are always present such as XTI, Cortina, Tamaris by Wortmann Group, Geox, Bugatti, Inblu, Fly Flot, Valleverde and many others; on the Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags website you can find the complete and updated list.
CELEBRATIONS CONTINUE
Concluding a year of special events for the fair, June will see the Summer Version of Celebration Night. For the 101st edition, three evenings will be organised – on 15, 16 and 17 June 2024 – in the spectacular location of Spiaggia Olivi, accompanied by live music and DJ sets. The second part of the evenings will be open to the entire community in Riva del Garda. The celebrations are intended to underline the spirit that animates a trade fair such as Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags, which aims to increase business opportunities, but also to promote ever closer business and professional relations, as well as to encourage the meeting of friends and colleagues: the ideal place where business and personal stories intersect.
