From today Fiera Milano is the second private shareholder of Fiere di Parma, with a stake of 18.5%, after Crédit Agricole Italia, which holds 26.44%. Together with Unione Parmense degli Industriali, a 6.88% stake, an agreement is therefore consolidated between the private shareholders who have led the Ducale company over the last 14 years which, from now on, will manage both exhibitions with the historical partner of Cibus : Federalimentare. Public shareholders, i.e. Municipality and Province with 15.97% each and the Emilia Romagna Region (which holds 4.15%) extend their agreement to the Chamber of Commerce (which holds 9.78%), responding to recent institutional requests .
An operation of an industrial nature, but with inevitably political implications, strongly desired not only by all the Members of Fiere di Parma and Fiera Milano, but also solicited by the various subjects involved in the promotion of Made in Italy Agri-food, i.e. the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy, Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, ICE Agency.
The combined action of the two leading trade fairs in Italy can create a champion capable of competing at a European level, specializing the two events: Cibus Parma, an immersive showcase of Made in Italy food and its territories, Tuttofood Milano, a global and innovative platform for food & beverage of all the world. Both exhibition formats will be able to capitalize on the characteristics of their districts and their cities: Parma as a barycentric with respect to all Italian production districts, their excellence and the main PDO-PGI, Milan an ideal location for communicating to the world - inside and "outside" the show - the new paradigms of good&sustainable food. A combination that should convince Italian and foreign exhibitors to favor our country as a trade fair theater compared to other venues in Europe and around the world, which are currently less characterized. In fact, the "menu" that will be offered to operators from all over the world - retailers, importers, distributors, restaurant chains, etc. – will be particularly attractive every year thanks to educational and factory & terroir tours in Parma in odd years and a global and "contemporary" showcase with a rich "off-show" in Milan in even years.
“ At the conclusion of this long journey and this extraordinary result - said Gino Gandolfi, President of Fiere di Parma - I do not forget when in the midst of the pandemic in autumn 2020, Giampiero Maioli, CEO of Credit Agricole Italia, Enrico Pazzali, President of the Fiera Milano, Carlo Bonomi President of Fiera Milano and our CEO Antonio Cellie spoke to me about their vision of uniting the two platforms of the Italian agro-food sector, as all the operators have been hoping for for many years, to enhance more and more and in a coordinated way the typical productions of Made in Italy and, by involving me, they gave life to the project that is being realized today. I am also convinced that the entry into the share capital of Fiere di Parma of the main Italian trade fair operator will produce other significant and fruitful synergies. For these reasons, I feel obliged to thank all the public and private shareholders of Fiere di Parma, our board of directors and our structure who have made this agreement possible with their decisive contribution”.
“ Federalimentare welcomes the Cibus-Tuttofood agreement with great satisfaction – stated the President of Federalimentare, Paolo Mascarino - as it contributes to the vision of creating greater synergies in Italy between all the players in our food system. The opportunities for growth are on international markets, and thanks to Cibus-Tuttofood we will be able to count on trade fairs of an even higher level and visibility which will strengthen the competitiveness of Made in Italy food products abroad”.
The specialization and enhancement of the two Food & Beverage exhibitions is only the first step in an alliance that provides for further synergies between the two exhibition companies in other strategic sectors for our country such as Mechanics and Tourism where Milan and Parma host leading exhibitions in Italy such as , respectively, Ipackima and CibusTec, BIMU and Mecfor, BIT and Salone del Camper&Outdoor.
Here are the statements of some of the protagonists:
“ As shareholders we are convinced of the importance of the agreement with Fiera Milano because it will allow Fiere di Parma and Cibus to continue on their international development path: investments and the ability to look to the future are essential elements to continue to accompany the world of 'Italian agro-food" - said Giampiero Maioli, Head of Crédit Agricole in Italy - As a bank we are proud to have actively contributed to writing this new chapter together with all the subjects who, like us, see in the agreement an important result and a an unmissable opportunity for the Italian trade fair sector and for companies in the sector. I thank all those who contributed to the definition of this operation, which will certainly bring value to our country ”.
“ The agreement signed between Fiere di Parma and Fiera Milano goes in the direction of strengthening joint action for the promotion of Italian agri-food - underlined Gabriele Buia, President of Unione Parmense degli Industriali - The synergy created will ensure a leading role order to companies, not only in our area, but to all the entrepreneurial realities that express the quality of Made in Italy food. The agreement will also help Italian food companies to acquire new visibility spaces on international markets ”.
“ The agreement marks a historic step and opens up very significant growth prospects in the socio-economic and exhibition context in which we find ourselves – commented Michele Guerra, Mayor of Parma - The public shareholders have worked hard in recent months so that this operation , whose industrial value has never been in question, guaranteed the territorial protection of the fundamental assets of Fiere di Parma, which represent a crucial resource for our territory. The large political majority that voted in favor of this resolution demonstrates that Parma is united and ready to accompany this new path responsibly and conscientiously ”.
“ The Province of Parma approved with a large majority, and with conviction, the project which sees Fiere di Parma become a major operator in the national and international agro-food exhibition system - said Andrea Massari, President of the Province of Parma - For the first time all the public shareholders have allied themselves and have signed a strong and binding pact aimed at protecting the territory and Cibus which must remain a great showcase and symbol of Made in Italy agri-food excellence in the world, without giving up a project of growth and development in agreement with the main Italian trade fair player, Fiera Milano. They have been months of intense confrontations with the sole purpose of working for the common good and the future of our extraordinary land ”.
“ With this agreement, a large international platform in food is consolidated - commented Vincenzo Colla, Councilor for economic development and green economy, work, training and international relations of the Emilia Romagna Region - An expansive operation to catalyze exhibitors and visitors, making system the Italian agri-food sector and beyond. As a Region we will continue to support the development of this project, starting with the Parma trade fair system and investing in qualified skills in the sector, through the international FoodER degree. We want to strengthen the Food Valley for the benefit of the whole Region and the country ”.
