For the first time in its history, Vinitaly 54th edition has been postponed to 2021 due to the Coronavirus crisis. The Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech shows held in conjunction with Vinitaly are also postponed. The new dates for these events are rescheduled to 18-21 April 2021, while Veronafiere will concentrate efforts to support business by Italian companies on the markets in the second half of 2020.
Yesterday Veronafiere Group has redefined its objectives in order to reorganise business in response to the current emergency and redesign all action needed in the aftermath. “The persistence of the Coronavirus emergency on a national scale, with the sequence of urgent decrees issued by the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, and its most recent propagation throughout Europe and beyond, mean that certain decisions can no longer be postponed. For these reasons, the Board of Directors, in agreement with the CEO and general management, reached decisions concerning many essential aspects for the continuation of Group business. These included the redefinition of objectives, strategies and investments to ensure the safety of products, customers and business in related sectors,” said the President of Veronafiere, Maurizio Danese.
“We must bear in mind,” Danese summed up, “that this situation has a massively disruptive impact on the European exhibition industry. To date, more than 200 events have been rescheduled, with an overall loss of almost 6 billion euros and 51,400 jobs at risk, not to mention all businesses related to this industry and the loss of 39 billion euros in exports for SMEs in Europe generated by international trade shows.”
The CEO of Veronafiere, Giovanni Mantovani, said: “”The post-emergency period for us will be a renaissance which, until the last minute, we were sure could take place in June. Yet the health crisis, as everyone can see, has become distinctly worse and what seemed possible out the outset is no longer so now. In agreement with supply chain organisations, Vinitaly, Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech will therefore take place next year. This is why,” Mantovani concluded, “that in addition to implementing special investments in international events such as Vinitaly Chengdu, Vinitaly China Road Show, Wine South America (23-25 September 2020), Vinitaly Russia (26 and 28 October 2020), Vinitaly Hong Kong (5-7 November 2020 ) and Wine To Asia (9-11 November 2020), as well as initiatives organised by the Vinitaly International Academy, we will be at the complete disposition of the sector and promotion system to consider the development of an innovative event next Autumn at the service of sector companies.”
The decision to reposition Vinitaly to 2021 was made in agreement with representatives of sector associations: Ernesto Abbona, President of the Italian Wine Union, Riccardo Ricci Curbastro, President of Federdoc, Riccardo Cotarella, President of Assoenologi, Sandro Boscaini, President of Federvini, Luca Rigotti, wine sector coordinator for Alleanza Cooperative, and Matilde Poggi, President of the Italian Federation of Independent Wine-Growers.
Changes to the calendar of events. In the wake of the Coronavirus epidemic, Veronafiere – as the direct organiser of its events – has to rethink in just two weeks, a calendar of 70 events in Italy and abroad, some of them having strong seasonal roots.
