ITALY - The Rimini Fiera Group has posted a turnover of 78.6 million euros for 2009. The figure is 3.4 per cent down on 2007, a year when, the group claims, a comparable number of exhibitions were held. There were pre-tax profits in 2009 just shy of a million euros. No comparison with 2008 was offered.
In 2009 Rimini Fiera hosted 11,209 exhibitors (10,540 in 2007), 1,895,980 visitors (1,458,758 in 2007) and 1,153,482sqm of exhibition space was sold (1,097,976 in 2007).
Rimini Fiera chairman Lorenzo Cagnoni described the figures as “a positive result bearing in mind the difficulties due to the economic situation”. The venue’s profitability, Cagnoni said, remains “at the top of the sector”.
Describing 2009 as “a year of difficulties and critical situations”, Cagnoni said his team had managed to fulfil their two main commitments: applying a high investment policy and supporting innovation. “This,” he said, “enabled us to launch new exhibitions that, obviously, did not provide us with consistent profitability due to the high promotional expenses that every start-up involves, but it created the conditions for prospects of growth and development that enable us to be optimistic for the future”.
The old Rimini Fiera exhibition grounds stepped in to host the BTC Italian ‘confex’ in July, with the meetings industry exhibition needing to find a new venue following the pushing back of the opening of the new Rimini Convention Centre.
The space aged Palacongressi had to delay its opening to 11 September. The Fiera Group is also managing the new Palacongressi project and cited “technical” difficulties with the construction for the delay.
The inaugural event for Palacongressi now takes place on 14 September 2010, the 14th International Biotechnology Symposium and Exhibition.
