INT. HARDWARE FAIR ITALY

Bergamo

5 / 6 May 2023

Press Release

SUCCESS BEYOND ANY EXPECTATION FOR THE DEBUT OF INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR ITALY

More than 5,300 visitors from 30 countries. The new trade fair, powered by EISENWARENMESSE, achieves its goals and meets the expectations of visitors and exhibitors.

INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR ITALY
The first edition of International Hardware Fair Italy took place from 5-6 May 2023 at Fiera di Bergamo. International Hardware Fair Italy 2023, organised by Koelnmesse Italy on the model of EISENWARENMESSE, was sold out with 302 exhibitors in its two halls. The trade fair experienced a strong participation from international companies from 20 countries, including group and individual participants. Along with a strong European participation from Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Belgium, Switzerland, Poland, Greece, Bulgaria, Holland, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Norway, Serbia and Turkey companies from Australia, India, Taiwan, China and Unites States joined the premiere event.

The strong synergy with EISENWARENMESSE, the world’s largest trade fair for the sector is the basis for the immediate success of the new events’ first edition that registered more than 5,300 visitors from 30 different countries. International Hardware Fair Italy aims to become the new Italian “home” of hardware both at Italian and European level and hosts the entire world of hardware, building, DIY, outdoor & garden, as well as safety, paints & colours, electricity and industrial supplies. Complementary to EISENWARENMESSE the Italian event is held in odd years.

A platform that meets the real needs of professional industry
“For some time now, we have been gathering clear signals from the Italian and European market to organise an event dedicated to the hardware, building and DIY world, which was not yet present in Italy. And the market proved us right,” commented Markus Oster, Vice President Trade Fair Management, Koelnmesse GmbH in Germany. “The success of this first edition comes from all our experience as trade fair organisers, which has enabled us to structure a trade show exhibition that meets the real needs of the industry. Also thanks to the strong support to this first edition of the many European and Italian associations, we managed to create the most representative platform in Italy for the European market,” added Thomas Rosolia, CEO of Koelnmesse Italy.

International Hardware Fair Italy partners with EDRA/GHIN
The partnership with EDRA/GHIN (European DIY Retail Association-EDRA, and Global Home Improvement Network-GHIN) represented an important step towards establishing the event at European level. “The International Hardware Fair Italy was one of the most successful first editions of a Trade Fair that I have had the pleasure of experiencing” commented John W. Herbert, General Secretary of EDRA/GHIN. “The organisers of the coming together of the industry in Bergamo can be most proud for what they have accomplished with this show, which will have a most promising future.”

The national and international associations’ support
The leading associations in the different sectors, more than twenty of them both Italian and European, also confirmed their support and cooperation for the trade fair. Among them, we can mention ZHH, the Professional Association for the Hardware Trade; FWI, the Association of Tool Manufacturers in Germany; Assofermet Ferramenta, the Italian Association of Hardware Distributors. At regional level, the response was also strong, gaining the cooperation of organisations with strong roots in the region, including Ance Bergamo, Confartigianato Imprese Bergamo, Confindustria Bergamo and, in particular, Ascom Confcommercio Bergamo, which includes one of the largest hardware business networks in Italy.

The key role of matchmaking
The matchmaking programme was a key event to enable companies and distributors/dealers to meet at the trade fair. More than 200 meetings were organised during International Hardware Fair Italy, thanks to the collaboration with national and European distribution partners with specialisation in the different channel clusters involved in the event.

The conferences
The conference programme included two days of discussion on the most topical issues: industry scenarios, panel discussions between manufacturers and distributors from the physical and online channels, and an extensive programme of professional workshops.

The first morning was dedicated to the international market scenario in the hardware, building and DIY sectors, and the strategic and economic drivers that will condition the supply chains in the coming years. In the afternoon slot, the conference was dedicated to trends in modern home improvement, and the evolution of the national and international large-scale retail network.

The conference on the second event day was dedicated to renewal in independent technical retail, the evolution of B2B and social communication, and the new expectations of the professional consumer post Covid, with a focus on the world of colour.
The garden & outdoor market played a leading role in the conference dedicated to trends in the green distribution world and garden centres, with an in-depth look at the Green Bonus and innovation in gardening equipment.

The Product of the Year Award – a collaboration between International Hardware Fair Italy and Assofermet Ferramenta – as well as the Oscar del Negozio ferramenta and the Negozio Ascom Prize were presented during the award ceremony.

Milan, 17 May 2023

Press Release

INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR ITALY ON THE STARTING BLOCKS

The first edition of International Hardware Fair Italy will be held on 5-6 May 2023 at Fiera di Bergamo.

International Hardware Fair Italy, the new trade fair organised by Koelnmesse Italy on the model of EISENWARENMESSE, is only a few weeks from its debut and already has over 280 confirmed exhibitors. This result leads us to expect the two exhibition halls to be sold out. The participation of exhibitors not only from Italy, including group and individual exhibitors, is also very interesting. Exhibitors come from 19 countries: Italy, Germany, Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, Greece, Holland, Slovenia, United Kingdom, Norway, Australia, Poland, Turkey, Bulgaria, India, Taiwan, China and the United States.

International Hardware Fair Italy will host the world of hardware, building, DIY, outdoor and gardening, as well as safety, paints and colours and electrical and industrial supplies. The strong collaboration with EISENWARENMESSE, the most important trade fair in the world for hardware and DIY sectors, is the basis for the future development and consolidation of the new show at an Italian and international level.

The partnership agreement signed with EDRA/GHIN represents an important step towards the affirmation of the event at European level.
Over twenty associations, both Italian and European have confirmed their support to the fair, among them: Assofermet Ferramenta, ZHH, FWI, Ance Bergamo, Ascom Bergamo and Confartigianato Bergamo.

Another important partnership signed by International Hardware Fair Italy is with MADE4DIY consortium. The main purpose is to replicate the excellent result obtained at the Cologne fair. Among the distinguishing elements of the collaboration project with International Hardware Fair Italy there is the creation of the DIY Boulevard inside the exhibition area where companies associated MADE4DIY will create a shared area to highlight the distinctive value of Italian DIY companies.

The matchmaking activity is a key event that will allow companies and distributors/resellers to meet at the fair. The activity will be developed thanks to the collaboration with national and European distribution partners with specialisation in the many different sectors involved in the event.
The conference programme includes two days of discussion on the most current issues: sector scenarios, panel discussions between producers and distributors of physical and online channels, and an extensive programme of professional workshops.

Furthermore, there will be an extensive programme of demo activities and tests in the outdoor area, created in collaboration with over 30 leading companies in the sector.

Milan, 30 March 2023

INTERNATIONAL HARDWARE FAIR ITALY MAKES ITS DEBUT

The International Hardware Fair Cologne launches satellite event.
+++ The new event “powered by EISENWARENMESSE” will be held from 5-6 May 2023 at Fiera di Bergamo

Koelnmesse brings the approved trade fair model of EISENWARENMESSE to Italy by launching International Hardware Fair Italy. The new international project for the European market will provide a “home” in odd years to the world of hardware, building, DIY, outdoor and gardening, safety, colour, electrical and industrial supplies. “Our decision to launch International Hardware Fair Italy is in line with our strategy to strengthen our global portfolio while responding to the growing demand in the Italian market” according to Gerald Böse, CEO of Koelnmesse GmbH.

Briefly, this is the commitment that the new event intends to maintain by alternating with the International Hardware Fair Cologne. The Italian event will adopt contents, style, philosophy, objectives and quality of the largest trade fair in the sector worldwide. This new format underlines the great attention of one of the world’s most important trade fair organisers for Italy, which, beyond being a leading market, is certainly one of the most attractive location for events of European importance.

The choice of the new location, Bergamo, meets the development and internationality requirements of the new event. It is easily accessible, in a strategic position in northern Italy and well connected to all of Europe.

“For some time now, we have been collecting precise signals from the Italian and European markets for an event that will provide the many sectors mentioned with the necessary continuity of relationship with the market”, comments Thomas Rosolia, CEO of Koelnmesse’s Italian subsidiary. “We have chosen to put all our experience as exhibition organisers into an international exhibition that meets the real needs of the technical hardware, building and DIY sector. We will achieve this goal with the collaboration of institutional partners and leading production and distribution companies”, adds Mr. Rosolia.

International Hardware Fair Italy will be targeting an extremely wide range of visitors: from traditional and professional hardware distributors to tool shops, from large-scale retailers and DIY brands to paint shops and building material retailers. Of course, manufacturers and importers, distributors and decision makers from the industry panel, the increasingly important e-commerce platforms, garden centres, buyers, industry and service companies, will all be present too.

The exhibition is completed by a full calendar of side events: business meetings with major distributors, conferences, demo areas and training workshops to explore the topics and problems of fast-changing sectors.

See you at International Hardware Fair Italy, 5-6 May 2023 Fiera di Bergamo

Koelnmesse – Hardware worldwide 

As an international top organiser of trade fairs, Koelnmesse is the global market leader for the product sections hardware/ironware divided up into the segments Tools, Industrial Supplies, Fasteners and Fixings, Fittings, Home Improvement as well as for the innovations of these industries. The leading trade fair EISENWARENMESSE – International Hardware Fair Cologne – as well as Asia-Pacific Sourcing in Cologne, the International Hardware Fair Italy in Milan and CIHS – China International Hardware Show in Shanghai/China – are exemplary for this. www.hardware-worldwide.com   

Milan, 24 March 2022