Italian Vending Service Association, CONFIDA, has chosen Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) as partner in developing the ‘Venditalia’ show, the vending industry’s main European exhibition.
Venditalia 2024 recorded 22,300 trade visitors – 10% more than the previous edition in 2022.
The agreement signed between Italian Exhibition Group and Venditalia, a NewCo will be set up by autumn. The joint company will be 51% owned by IEG and 49% by CONFIDA, responsible for the organisation of Venditalia every two years. The deal was represented in person by Venditalia president Ernesto Piloni with the unanimous approval of the Rimini Expo Centre’s Board and CONFIDA’s shareholders.
Founded in Genoa in 1998, Venditalia has continued to grow and attract more industry professionals. In 2004 it received the status of international event and this year, having reached its thirteenth edition, it grew to encompass 32,000sqm of exhibition space, 300 exhibitors (40% of which international, mainly from France, Spain, Germany, Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom) and 22,300 trade visitors.
Italy is well-positioned to host the event, being the vending industry’s European leader. In 2023, the Italian vending sector recorded a total turnover of €2bn (vending and office coffee service), generated an employment spin-off of more than 33,000 people, included more than 3,000 companies and saw more than 830,000 vending machines installed (the largest fleet in Europe). Added to these numbers are other companies involved in the supply chain, such as food producers and manufacturers of accessories and technology. In tech, Italy also holds supremacy: 70% of the machines produced are exported as are many vending machine accessories.
IEG president Maurizio Ermeti commented: “We are extremely satisfied with this agreement. It will allow us to stage a new international event in Rimini, the sector’s most important in Europe. And we are proud that CONFIDA, an association linked to the Confcommercio world and a leader in the sector, has appreciated our expertise as trade show organisers.”
Ernesto Piloni, president of Venditalia, added: “After several years of success and development, we stopped to think and, with the firm intention to continue Venditalia’s growth, we looked for a new partner to work with and IEG was the best possible choice due to the strategic prospects it offers.”
Venditalia 2026 will be held in spring at the Rimini Expo Centre.
