Agricultural machinery exhibition, EIMA International, proved last week that expos are back with a bang, as the Covid pandemic recedes, with over 270,000 visitors attracted to the Bologna fair over its five days (19-23 October)
Certified data released by FederUnacoma and BolognaFiere indicate 270,700 visitors, 25,900 of whom from abroad went through the gates. A great success for an event that will return in November 2022 and then resume its previous biennial schedule.
The international exhibition of agricultural machinery swept away uncertainties linked to the health emergency to make an impact with exceptional numbers.
The result that makes EIMA a “top” international event not only in the specific sector of agricultural machinery, but also in the landscape of trade shows in absolute terms. Not only was the number of visitors remarkable, but also the quality of the public, largely made up of businesspeople interested in new products and the purchase of technologies suited to the most diverse agricultural settings.
The cultural part of the exhibition was also very rich, with a total of 116 conferences and seminars on technical and political topics.
“EIMA wanted to go ahead this year, despite the inevitable defection of exhibitors and visitors from some countries that are still in a health crisis,” says Alessandro Malavolti, president of FederUnacoma, the association of Italian manufacturers that is organising the event, “Despite the scepticism of all those who were aiming to suspend it until November 2022, the data has proved us right and the 2022 edition will not be for us the ‘restart‘ edition but the ‘reconfirmation‘ one, the consecration of an event that in the most difficult year has given an extraordinary proof of strength“.
The final data indicates an attendance of 85% of the last edition before the pandemic. “The result seems ‘miraculous‘,” says Simona Rapastella, general manager of FederUnacoma. “But in reality it is the result of a great deal of work by the structure, of our determination to highlight the value of EIMA on the international exhibition scene, and of the exhibiting companies that followed us.”
Gianpiero Calzolari, president of BolognaFiere, also commented on the success of the exhibition: “We are particularly proud of the results of EIMA 2021 that bear witness to a widespread trend of economic recovery after the pandemic emergency. These are results that also underscore the importance of an extremely high-tech sector that is strategic for the objectives set by the green deal. Agriculture has a fundamental role to play in the ecological transition, and the operators in this sector are the main protagonists. Today, agricultural machinery is an essential tool for an increasingly important role in agriculture, as the event testified. A heartfelt congratulations to FederUnacoma for the organisational commitment that has led to this success”.
The next edition is therefore scheduled for November 9-13, 2022.
