41,000 at Micam highlights thirst for quality
20/09/2012
At a press conference on Tuesday, Cleto Sagripanti, president of the Italian Footwear Manufacturers’ Association, said the number of exhibitors was up, which was a “positive sign in a time of crisis”.
He added: “Micam is a business-orientated trade show; despite what politicians say, countries still need footwear orders and that’s what’s going on in our stands.”
The figures show that the 20,584 non-Italian visitors slightly outnumbered the 20,501 Italians – which Mr Sagripanti suggested was artificially low due to transport problems. “Traffic closures on Sunday reduced the number of participants by around a thousand people on opening day, which is usually attended by Italian retailers who take advantage of the day off,” he explained.
Politicians and public figures such as Maurizio Lupi, the chamber’s vice speaker, were in attendance, which Micam says is a sign that the Italian footwear industry is an important part of the economy.
“The Italian footwear industry is still strong despite the fact there have been some contrasting signals in 2012,” concluded Mr Sagripanti.
He added that while the domestic market shrank by 5% last year, in many markets, demand for Italian shoes is growing; Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, the Far East and the Middle East among them.
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