Summer Preview returns to Milan with over a thousand exhibitors
Second edition of the summer version of Artigiano in Fiera organised by GeFi, with companies from 50 countries
by R.I.T.
Clothes and jewellery, home and travel accessories, food and gastronomic products from all over the world. Anteprima d'estate, the spin-off of Artigiano in Fiera launched for the first time last year, returns to Rho, Fiera Milano, from 29 May to 2 June for a second edition that has already recorded a significant increase in exhibitors, up from around 800 to over a thousand, from 50 countries.
An increase that confirms the interest and need of craftsmen for an event dedicated to them even in the warm season, all the more significant considering that many exhibitors come from areas affected by the ongoing war conflicts, such as Iran, Ukraine, but also Palestine. "Despite the logistical difficulties and increased travel costs, these artisans wanted to be there so as not to miss the opportunity of direct contact with the public and a comparison with other producers from all over the world, but also to express their desire for peace," observes Antonio Intiglietta, president of GeFi, the Fiera Milano subsidiary that organises Artigiano in Fiera in December and, since last year, also Anteprima d'Estate.
"The peculiarity of this event is precisely its seasonality,' adds Intiglietta. 'We have been working on it for 15 years, driven precisely by the request of the same companies that take part in Artigiano in Fiera, which needed a place to present their summer products, but also by other companies whose products are suited to this time of year. This is demonstrated by the fact that Anteprima is also attended by many small companies that are not present at the better known December event.
"The two events together offer a perfect semester that allows us to fulfil this need that we had been sensing for some time," says Intiglietta. "In addition, Anteprima d'Estate is characterised by a relaxed and convivial atmosphere that is well suited to this pre-holiday period. It is like a moment of celebration, for exhibitors and visitors alike'.
Even the reduced duration (five days instead of nine) compared to the Artigiano has its own precise objective, namely to involve even smaller realities, for which participation over so many days would require a commitment beyond one's capabilities. An open and inclusive event, which in fact provides free admission and also looks to young people, as demonstrated by the collaboration with the European Institute of Design (Ied) for the advertising campaign.
