Intimo più mare n° 226 | Luglio 2022

ENGLISH TRANSLATION
MAREDAMARE
Over the last two years dominated by the pandemic, the international
beachwear fair, organized and promoted by Underbeach
and scheduled to be held from 23 to 25 July at the Fortezza da
Basso in Florence Firenze, turns out to be practically the only one
to have kept the same dates and location, but, most importantly,
it has the distinction of having cancelled the least editions. It
features nearly two hundred collection of swimsuits and accessories
for the summer of 2023 by some of the most prestigious
manufacturers on the Italian and international landscape. Now in
its fifteenth edition, Maredamare is proving itself to be the most
important trade fair for this sector in Italy and among the most
important in the entire world.
“We expected a growth in attendance numbers, “Alessandro
Legnaioli, the fair president, was eager to point out, “but we are
currently so far exceeding our expectations that we were practically
overbooked two months before the fair even opened its
doors. There’s an enormous desire to meet with other industry
members and share experiences, to once again finally be able to
embrace old friends and colleagues. Then, it must also be said
that the fair is proving itself to be mature, not only for the domestic
markets, but above all for the most important European and
world markets thanks to the support of the ICE Agency and our
status as an international fair, a well-deserved reputation, earned
in the field. The achievement of this status opens all sorts of doors
for us and for our exhibitors, as well, making it possible to reach
more and more business partners further and further afield, well
beyond our national borders. Of course, it must be remembered
that our fair is the only one featuring products right across the
board from the entire beachwear sector, all conveniently displayed
in the same place at the same time. Anyone active in this
sector that is eager to grow simply cannot afford to miss our fair.”
The impetus toward ever greater internationalization, a development
that allows this Florentine trade fair to offer itself as a
global partner for all the brands in the sector, is largely generated
by the support of the ICE Agency, the body by means of which
the government promotes the economic and commercial expansion
of Italian businesses in the foreign marketplace. One major
means for encouraging this expansion and growth on the part of
ICE is by facilitation fair attendance for the most qualified foreign
buyers. This commitment on the part of involves the activation of
ICE offices abroad, in the most receptive markets outside of the
EU, with the goal of locating, contacting and inviting promising
customers. Another initiative distinguished by its global vision in
terms of developing new business relations is the collaboration
with ICEX, which is proceeding quite successfully. ICEX is the
public Spanish business entity whose mission it is to promote the
internationalization of Iberian businesses, and with this goal in
mind it will be bringing the following names to Florence: Chela
Clo, Cupea, Dolores Cortés, Elena Morales, Luna Brands, Luna
Llena, Pedro Palmas and Roidal. A special fashion show will be
scheduled as part of the regular fair program and feature the
Spanish brands. On 23 and 24 July, in two different time slots
(from 12:30 noon to 2 p.m. and from 4:30 to 6 in the afternoon), a
special dedicated open space will serve to host the eagerly awaited
fashion shows, both one-man and collective events. The afternoon
activities will be followed by evening events, a convivial
cocktail reception to once again generate the warm social atmosphere
of the fair. We asked Alessandro Legnaioli for his opinion
regarding the fairs in this sector, what he thinks the future will be
for specialized fairs.
“As always, it’s hard to imagine what the future is going to look
like in a world that has gone crazy, especially when there is no
certainty even for the medium term. Be that as it may, I still feel
that certain truths are undeniable. The first one, especially in regard
to Italy, is the unstoppable reduction in the number of sales
agents in our sector, a situation that is making it impossible for
many companies to cover all their sales territories, a trend that is
bound to only grow in intensity over the coming years. The need
on the part of the manufacturing companies to have a meeting
place in which they can get to know new customers, conclude
business deals and the increasing necessity to organize orders directly
on the spot in the context of a fair in order to most effectively
showcase the product lines while maximizing sales are activities
one can hardly imagine being carried out in a virtual context. And
finally, these’s the impact of all the changes taking place: the rising
cost of transportation and the difficulties involved in getting
exposure and doing business in target countries, especially for
small and medium firms. These problems only underscore the
need for fairs operating on an international scale, fairs that draw
the best customers in the world, as is happening at Maredamare.
In conclusion I would like to say that the fairs, although they must
definitely gear up to meet the new challenges, are bound to play
a fundamental role in the coming years when it comes to the
growth and development of the manufacturing companies.”
What are the main new projects for the future regarding the
Florentine fairs in our sector?
“The Florentine fairs are increasingly proving themselves to be
sector leaders in Europe thanks to the city’s enduring cultural appeal
etc. and the geographic positioning. And, if I may be so bold
and presumptuous, this leadership is also due to the fact that we
have been able to create a fair that it’s pleasant to attend as a
buyer and as an exhibitor. And the social considerations are increasingly
important in our working lives. There are lots of future
initiatives in the pipeline, but they all share the goal of generating
greater involvement on the part of the buyers and improved services
for the buyers and exhibitors.”
What strategies do you intend to implement in order to best deal
with the future?
“The main strategy employed in recent years has been to increase
the number of foreign buyers, activating all the synergies
possible. Efforts in the near future will be directed at reinforcing
that goal as well as implementing all the corrective measures
that the manufacturers and buyers have been suggesting to
us: improving the speed meetings and expanding them to other
sectors, foreign distributors and Italian sales reps in order to
facilitate business contacts, reinforcing our image by means of
new experiences in the fashion show sector and with the arrival of
the Maredamare fashion shows in Milan during the fashion week
there, structural agreements with Italian and foreign associations
and institutions in order to enhance and reinforce the image of
the fair and its exhibitors on the global level, meetings between
Immagine Italia and Firenze Home Texstyle with the goal of creating
an alternative Italian presence at foreign fairs, one offering
a highly heterogeneous selection, forging a policy that prioritizes
sustainability with the acquisition of a relative ISO, promote, foster
and support young designers in order to stimulate an invigorate
the market and provide meaningful new opportunities for
up-and-coming young talents.”
SALON INTERNATIONAL DE LA LINGERIE
The first true post-Covid edition of the Salon International de la
Lingerie and Interfilière must be considered a success. Despite
the fact that the dates are not entirely in line with the retail sales
period for the 2023 s-s collections of intimate apparel, but especially
beachwear, exhibitors and buyers (45% French, 55%
international) are almost all satisfied with the event which encourages
hope in terms of a rapid recovery, one not plagued