Pitti Immagine has confirmed its physical trade fairs, including childrenswear show Pitti Bimbo, are being postponed until 2021. Pitti Bimbo no. 91 had originally been rescheduled to run as two day event on 9-10 September 2020.
Reasons for the postponement include insufficient confirmation of attendance. Also, the ongoing challenges facing the industry. The next physical shows, therefore, will take place in January 2021.
Pitti Immagine is now concentrating on the digital version of its fairs.
Commenting is Claudio Marenzi, president of Pitti Immagine. “This was a very painful yet inevitable decision. It was dictated by the conditions of operational and economic difficulty in which the majority of the manufacturing companies and retailers find themselves.
“Also, by the uncertainties that continue to persist regarding the modalities of traveling from one country to another, including quarantine restrictions, which have heavily conditioned the plans of international buyers.
“I should add that the prolonged absence of any certainties regarding non-repayable government and European economic support for taking part in the fairs also greatly affected the exhibitors’ decisions.”
The trade show organiser will now focus on Pitti Connect; its new and advanced digital platform to boost networking and business.
Pitti Connect translates the selection, design, communication and spirit of the physical fairs into a digital environment.
Commenting on the virtual platform is Agostino Poletto, Pitti Immagine’s general manager. “The new digital platform will be active and can be visited from the end of June/first week of July to help companies comply with the traditional timings of the sales campaign. It will be extended to the whole of September.
“Pitti Connect is an advanced networking and marketplace tool. It will allow exhibitors to increase their visibility with tens of thousands of qualified buyers, activating selected and certified commercial contacts and supporting them in the management of orders and holding events and live presentations.
“This is a decisive point: Pitti Connect is much more than a virtual showroom. It will have the same editorial and curatorial layout of the Pitti we all know so well. It will render, in a digital dimension, the wealth, energy, variety, strength of fulfilment and communication that encompasses the whole fashion community.”
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