For the first time in many years, the exhibition space was fully booked at Mipel; +10%, according to the organisers. A double-digit increase was registered in visitor attendance (+17%) compared with the September 2016 edition, including a +27% increase in attendance from Italian buyers. Buyers from Russia were also on the rise (+5%) as well as from Ukraine (+29%). “The positive results achieved are in line with the latest economic data of the leather goods industry”, said the organisers. According to AIMPES, the Italian Association of Leather Goods Manufacturers, the Italian leather goods sector recorded a 14% increase in exports in the first six months of 2017.
As for the international footwear event, the Micam, the organisers announced a certified attendance figure of 47,187 visitors, up +5.6% over September 2016, including 27,880 visitors from abroad (+5%) and 19,307 from Italy (+6.5%). Like Mipel, the number of Russian buyers registered increased +32% over September 2016. Other major rises in visitor numbers included U.S. (+15%), China and Hong Kong (+7%). As for the EU countries, France ranked first (+6.7%), followed by Germany (+4%). A total of 1,441 exhibitors participated at the event, of which 797 were Italian and 644 from abroad.
