Italian MICE Expo to take place in Florence in November

FLORENCE, Italy – BTC, the only Italian exhibition dedicated to the meetings and incentives industry, is set to take place in Florence at the Fortezza da Basso from November 11 to 12.

The most recent surveys by Osservatorio Congressuale Italiano found that the demand for meetings in Italy primarily depends on the corporate segment (64 percent), and then on scientific associations (13 percent), political bodies (12 percent) and other associations (11 percent). Consequently, Italy is the destination for a wide range of event formats: conventions, incentive trips and team-building events, as well as professional conferences (especially for the medical industry, which still accounts for a substantial portion of revenue for Italy’s meetings industry, despite the decline in pharmaceutical sponsorships), and political and association congresses.

Although affected in recent years by shrinking budgets, the corporate segment can account for as much as 48.7 percent of total conference attendance. As such, it is not a surprise that many new exhibitors come from abroad. For example, Switzerland is doubling its presence this year through the efforts of Ticino Tourism, with four new exhibitors: the hotel Astoria Betriebs (Lucerne), Hotel Seepark and Interlaken Congress & Events (both of Interlaken) and Lugano Convention Bureau.

“We pay great attention to foreign exhibitors, because we think they perfectly match a demand like Italy’s, always looking for glamorous destinations,” Nadia Colaiuda, managing director of Viaggi & Incentive, a Triumph Group International company, co-organizer and partner of BTC, said. “We have three offices abroad (in London, Brussels and Shanghai), the same number as we have in Italy.”