Veronafiere Group launches “ONE 2024-2026” focus on the human factor for sustainable development
Veronafiere recently presented ONE – its strategic business plan for the development of the Veronafiere Group 2024-2026 – to employees, collaborators and trade unions. The business plan for the trade fair group has the following objectives: redefine action based on the critical issues of the current geopolitical context and, at the same time, strengthen development opportunities on the domestic market, as well as on international markets where the Group has historically played a leading role for the fundamental economy of Italy – the small-medium enterprises and supply chains represented by its products.
Maurizio Danese, CEO Veronafiere, and Federico Bricolo, president
“As the name ONE already suggests, Veronafiere comes forward with a business plan that aims to systematically bring together all the Group’s operating assets. Veronafiere has become a full-scale brand for promoting the country system on the global market. Its strong points include the local area where it operates, including the institutions involved in its corporate equity and the business sectors whose needs prompted the birth and development of many successful trade fairs,” said Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere and Member of the Board of UFI, the World Association of the exhibition industry.
Veronafiere’s unique prerogative lies in being the owner of its exhibition centre and all the main exhibitions in its portfolio – ArtVerona, Enolitech, Fieracavalli, Fieragricola, Marmomac, ModelExpo, Oil&NonOil, Progetto Fuoco, Samoter, SOL, Vinitaly and others – as well as being the direct organizer of these events (first in Italy in this area and third in terms of indoor exhibition space), thereby generating more than 90% of its revenues.
“The new strategic business plan sets ourselves the objective of valorising all Group companies under a single management structure, from companies involved in stand set-ups through to those operating abroad. The intention is to create value in terms of turnover and market know-how relating to our business through Veronafiere-branded exhibitions and events in Italy and around the world,” explained Maurizio Danese, the Group’s Managing Director (as well as President of AEFI, the association representing the Italian exhibition industry).
Strategic Business Plan 2024-2026. The growth lines for the next three years (2024-2026) based on Veronafiere’s distinguishing assets on the international exhibition market were designed and shaped around a business model that focuses on the human factor as the key to success through a focus on four pillars: sustainable growth of business in Italy itself; structured international presence; development of a complete and competitive offering of services and set-ups; using data to support business.
These pillars will be backed up by four spheres of action to achieve these objectives: streamlined corporate structure to help valorise production; new organizational structure and investment in people; technological, infrastructural and operating efficiency investments; business model driven by ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) topics. This latter choice promotes responsible business management by envisaging the adoption of practices to protect the environment and internal policies that focus on equality and inclusion for every employee.
International development, as envisaged in the Business Plan and one of its pillars, is strategic for all Made in Italy products and especially for the exhibition sector, and for Veronafiere takes shape through two aspects. The first involves coverage of Veronafiere’s reference sectors and exports of the Group’s key events to the most attractive locations, with attendance by international collectives organized directly in the target areas. The second will encourage incoming high-profile foreign operators, stakeholders and professionals to attend trade fairs in Italy: an assiduous and “two-way” effort capable of ensuring broad, circular business opportunities.
“The structural internationalization approach undertaken with Vinitaly is the starting point,” as Managing Maurizio Danese pointed out, “a virtuous experience that also now involves Marmomac which we think can be extended to other leading events, such as Fieracavalli, Fieragricola and Progetto Fuoco. We boast a diversified and extremely competitive trade fair offering in our portfolio, as evidenced by increasingly significant attendance by international exhibitors and visitors to the Verona Exhibition Centre – and now is the time to spread it on other markets.”
At the end of the period in 2026, the Plan will include 5 new exhibitions in the portfolio, as well as investments of well over 30 million euros in infrastructure, an increase of 6 percentage points for the gross margin from core operations (from 41 to 47%), turnover of 151.8 million euros (+40% over 2023) and Ebitda of 41 millions (26.8% against 16.4% in 2023).