Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) is targeting the sporting sector with several upcoming shows.
IEG, the second biggest Italian trade fair company in terms of turnover, is the new entity formed by the merger between Rimini Fiera and Fiera di Vicenza.
Its 63 scheduled shows in 2017 will include a high-profile programme of sporting events.
Sporting events include the PosteMobile Final Eight 2017, from 16-19 February, which will see Serie A basketball come to Rimini.
IEG managing director Corrado Facco said: “IEG wants the company to act as a conduit for the sporting culture that exists in the areas in which it operates, stoking passion and professional expertise through the organisation of top-class events.
“An enthusiasm for sport clearly outlined by Istat whose survey shows that in terms of Italian macro regions, more people practice a sport in the North-East (almost 40 per cent) than anywhere else in the country.
“Reconciling this ‘active’ dimension with our activities was possible thanks to three key elements: the desire and ability to identify and organise sporting events, also major ones; the availability of modern, flexible facilities in Rimini and Vicenza that can also host innovative events, even becoming genuine indoor sports arenas in the case of the basketball Final Eight; local catchment areas traditionally associated with the philosophy of healthy living and passion.”
Meanwhile, on 4-5 February IEG will be hosting the Italian Challenge at the Rimini venue, an international event that will see hundreds of registered archers, including many champions, battle it out head-to-head.
The event forms part of the World Archery calendar.
Still in Rimini, between 23 June and 2 July it will be the turn of Ginnastica in Festa where 13,000 registered competitors are expected over the ten days of competition, as well as tens of thousands of partners.
The competitive event is organised by Esatour Sport Events and ASD Pesaro Gym in collaboration with the FGI, the Italian gymnastics federation.
Following on from last year’s record event with participants from 42 nations, from 10 July the Rimini venue will be hosting Sportdance 2017, the dancesport championships organised in collaboration with FIDS, the Italian dancesport federation.
Genuine sporting events for IEG but also shows that place important emphasis on physical activity, wellbeing and passion, such as the major RiminiWellness show, from 1-4 June, which will bring fitness fanatics to the Rimini venue and the Romagna coast.
“Physical activity," explains Corrado Facco "is a macrotrend on the domestic and international market and IEG has the necessary expertise to transform it into successful b2b and b2c events. Events that also act as a driver for the local economy. The results are reflected in the attendance figures for our active events which in 2016 registered over 700,000 visitors and had an incredible knock-on effect on the local communities”.
A theme that also takes in the world of hunting and shooting sports with the Hit Show scheduled to take place at the Vicenza venue between 11-13 February.
The Vicenza venue will also be hosting the Pescare Show (25-27 February 2017) dedicated to recreational fishing, an increasingly popular event thanks also to the involvement of the main trade associations, sports federations and fishing schools, and a magnet for enthusiasts of different sports techniques and specialities, from spin fishing to fly fishing and match fishing, from carp fishing to sea fishing, and through to surf casting and big game fishing.
In April (21-23 at the Rimini venue) IEG will start its engines for the RiminiOffRoad Show, a new event in the halls and external areas with the biggest names from the international car and motorbike industry and the off road sector.
IEG’s year closes on 9-10 December with the MondoMotori Show, the Vicenza car, motorbike and bicycle event with a large outdoor area for demonstrations and live shows.
