The Fiera di Roma has restarted, the road to recovery of the company has begun, turnover and productivity are growing. He says it without hesitation Pietro Piccinetti, sole director of the Roman trade fair organization, in this interview with FIRSTonline. “We are demonstrating – says the manager – that Fiera di Roma can do it: with innovative ideas, conferences, competitions, international agreements, new events that we produce ourselves. We have about ten, and very important, planned for the next year. But we cannot be left alone. The Chamber of Commerce did its duty with the recapitalization of 10 million which made it possible to start the composition with creditors and to avoid bankruptcy. But where are the other members?”.
The outburst of Pietro Piccinetti, who arrived at the helm of the trade fair organization on 12 April 2016 with the mission impossible to relaunch an entity burdened by 275 million in past debts (held by the parent company Investimenti Spa) and reach balance in the budget in 2018, has a precise recipient and says a lot about the still unresolved issues, linked to the infrastructural interventions of the public administration . He accepted FIRST's invitationonline to take stock, just over a year after previous interview with our header. In this interval, the recapitalization of the entity took place for 13 million which made it possible to sign the composition with creditors. But as is known, participated in the recapitalization the Chamber of Commerce with 10 million and the Lazio Region with another 3. The Municipality did not appear. The shareholding of the Campidoglio was thus diluted (from the original 21%) but without however giving up entirely: in short, the Raggi junta - in this as in other Roman events - is there but is not there.
“In 2017 – continues Piccinetti – we brought the turnover of around 20 million, roughly in line with the previous year but without the contribution of an extraordinary event such as the Congress of the European Society of Cardiology in 2016. In practice, net of that event, we have recovered around 5 million in turnover in one year. It's not little. Above all, we have rebuilt the reputation of Fiera Roma, also abroad. It is a fundamental aspect for carrying out the industrial plan. We have launched new events and I mention the "Mediterranean Market", an event dedicated to the agri-food supply chains, among those in B2B, aimed at local companies and beyond. The "Chocolate Factory" is a beautiful event aimed at the general public: it is underway and it is a long-term project. Until February 18 it takes place in Rome but then it will go around Italy touching various cities for the entire year. It is the fruit of joint venture between us and the Thessaloniki and Athens Fair (Helexpo). Next year we organize an event dedicated to used vehicles, in conjunction with MotoDays in March, and we do it together with the Madrid Fair. I cite these examples to testify to the work done”.
About ten new events are ready for 2018. In the calendar it stands out in February "Via Pulchritudinis", a showcase of the sacred at 360 degrees – from vestments, to furnishings, services – recently presented on Vatican Radio in the presence of Monsignor Fisichella. Also worth noting "Sem", the exhibition of sustainable mobility, which will take place in April in conjunction with the Formula E Grand Prix at Eur. Another event will be dedicated to museums in December. The Fair will also remain open in the summer, interrupting the customary summer closure from June to September. They remain though some unresolved knots: the Leonardo Express that goes to Fiumicino airport does not stop at the Fair and there are no adequate transport and public connections. External decoration and cleanliness leave something to be desired. The unresolved knots of capital Rome are also transferred to the Fair. “We try to make up for it with private buses and cleaning at our expense, but is that right?” asks Piccinetti. The revitalization of Rome passes through the Nuova Fiera, says Piccinetti. But the debts and the sale of the Old Fair? “We are moving towards a solution but I am not authorized to talk about it, it is up to Investimenti Spa” concludes the manager. If the Municipality exists, strike a blow.
