Visitors, exhibitors and organisers were all pleasantly surprised by the positive atmosphere at Simac, the international technology showcase for the footwear and leather goods industry and Tanning-Tech, the tanning technology fair.
The looming financial crisis and barrage of contradictory news that is currently casting such a gloomy shadow over the markets were both banished to the background over the 3-day Bologna events. Representatives from the leather industry as a whole were clearly champing at the bit to get to grips with the challenge and emerge victorious.
Although well aware that the worldwide credit crunch could limit investments, managers all seemed eager to deploy whatever it was going to take in terms of resources to tip the market scales. The crisis took a back seat to technology as they discussed future strategies and development.
The whole industry has adapted swiftly to changing needs. Moving Simac from its spring slot, where it jostled with a host of other fairs, to its current October date in tandem with Tanning-Tech has proved a winner. Visitors also appreciated the compact, rational new layout of the stands, the broad range of innovative exhibits and the consolidation of cutting edge technologies. The numerous delegations of visitors from abroad, many invited by the Italian foreign trade bureau, all expressed their full satisfaction with the event.
Without wishing to appear overly optimistic, the latest edition of Simac and Tanning-Tech seemed well up to the level of past successes, although this still has to be confirmed by the final figures on total numbers of visitors.
The sword of Damocles in the form of the world crisis is still hanging over the heads of companies in the industry, but despite the negative scenario, the fairs produced their positive effect, a definite sign of optimism in troubling times. “People are pulling their weight” says Amilcare Baccini, general secretary of the event, “now we need some institutional help to invest in technology, which is essential to make any progress and essential for creating added value”.
The looming financial crisis and barrage of contradictory news that is currently casting such a gloomy shadow over the markets were both banished to the background over the 3-day Bologna events. Representatives from the leather industry as a whole were clearly champing at the bit to get to grips with the challenge and emerge victorious.
Although well aware that the worldwide credit crunch could limit investments, managers all seemed eager to deploy whatever it was going to take in terms of resources to tip the market scales. The crisis took a back seat to technology as they discussed future strategies and development.
The whole industry has adapted swiftly to changing needs. Moving Simac from its spring slot, where it jostled with a host of other fairs, to its current October date in tandem with Tanning-Tech has proved a winner. Visitors also appreciated the compact, rational new layout of the stands, the broad range of innovative exhibits and the consolidation of cutting edge technologies. The numerous delegations of visitors from abroad, many invited by the Italian foreign trade bureau, all expressed their full satisfaction with the event.
Without wishing to appear overly optimistic, the latest edition of Simac and Tanning-Tech seemed well up to the level of past successes, although this still has to be confirmed by the final figures on total numbers of visitors.
The sword of Damocles in the form of the world crisis is still hanging over the heads of companies in the industry, but despite the negative scenario, the fairs produced their positive effect, a definite sign of optimism in troubling times. “People are pulling their weight” says Amilcare Baccini, general secretary of the event, “now we need some institutional help to invest in technology, which is essential to make any progress and essential for creating added value”.
