As announced by Paolo Audino, CEO of Exmedia, the company that organises BTC, and Paolo Zona, chairman of Federcongressi, on 28 February during the association’s national convention, the two main players in the Italian events, meetings, conferences and incentive travel sector have signed a three year agreement with the common objective of strengthening and developing the Italian meetings and events industry.
Under this agreement, BTC, the Italian trade show for the meetings, events, conferences, incentive travel and business tourism industry, and Federcongressi, the association of industry businesses and professionals, will together pursue four main objectives:
- raise awareness among political bodies and companies of the economic, cultural and professional value of the sector
- promote the economic and professional growth of the businesses operating within it
- make the Italian market more international, particularly by increasing the number of international meetings organised in Italy
- stimulate and support industry studies and research; develop and strengthen the sector’s representative role
As part of this agreement, BTC is to manage Italian conference market survey Osservatorio Congressuale Italiano (OCI), the most authoritative statistical study of the industry, which Federcongressi recently acquired from the Rimini Convention Bureau and publisher Ediman, its sponsors for 16 years.
In agreement with Federcongressi, BTC will redefine, develop and enrich the survey’s contents seeking new scientific partners, bear the costs, partly by acquiring new sponsors, and will be responsible for its production, promotion and distribution.
“The industry needs qualitative and quantitative market analysis tools on which to base strategic and operational guidelines: the Italian conference market survey will be expanded and updated, to ensure that it provides an increasingly topical source of knowledge for all stakeholders” commented Paolo Audino.
“In this sense, the agreement between BTC and Federcongressi marks a turning point for the Italian meetings and events industry, as the its two main players have for the first time undertaken, in mutual recognition of their respective roles, to work closely with each other to give the sector a common direction. BTC will take its place alongside the association, and will make a pragmatic and effective contribution".
“The agreement between Federcongressi and BTC marks the change from a sponsorship relationship, through which we have been connected for a long time, to a real partnership”, said Paolo Zona.
“My objective is to create a steering committee that will provide the industry with a strategic direction. Federcongressi&eventi and BTC will be the initial core members, and will seek to bring all stakeholders into a synergic, compact and cohesive system."
"Only in this way will we be able to continue to effectively stimulate political bodies to, as set out in our objectives, make investments and take the necessary steps to ensure that Italy can compete effectively as a destination for meetings and events at international level”.
As well as commitments to provide mutual support, exposure and promotion, the agreement sets out close co-operation in relation to the show itself: BTC will offer Federcongressi members a 10% discount on exhibition space and on other B2B events attendance fees, and will provide the association with a 48 sqm stand; for its part, Federcongressi will help bring qualified hosted buyers to BTC.
