MIPEL, the leading international B2B event dedicated to the leather goods industry, is moving into the digital arena by offering a completely and exclusively online event that will kick off on 23 March and run until mid-July.
“MIPEL119 The Digital Show” (www.mipelthedigitalshow.com) will recreate the dynamics of what normally takes place during a physical trade fair event, combining it with the many opportunities offered by digital technology: it will provide brands with the tools to display products and tell their story, as well as giving buyers visiting the event the chance to talk directly to exhibitors thanks to the creation of virtual stands where, during the first three days of the event, the special ZOOM videocall function will be activated, as well as allowing them to discover the FW2021/2022 collections of the various brands through 360° virtual showrooms, video presentations and product photos.
The new MIPEL platform will therefore make it possible to immerse oneself in an all-digital world, always bearing in mind the real needs of operators in the sector and providing them with the tools to satisfy them even without being physically present at the event: discovering new brands, contacting those already known, talking to and meeting exhibitors via instant connections and ZOOM videocalls, doing business and networking, discovering the latest in the sector. Buyers will be able to visit the fair, enter the stands of interest, talk to the staff, ask for information, view the collections remotely and hopefully place their orders, just like in a physical fair.
The exhibition, promoted by Assopellettieri – a trade association member of Confindustria Moda – was organised with the valuable support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA – Italian Trade Agency and sponsored by the Municipality of Milan.
“It was not easy to give up the physical edition of MIPEL, our event is one of the longest-lived in the trade fair sector and we are well aware that it represents the reference point for the leather goods world at international level. Franco Gabbrielli, president of Mipel and Assopellettieri, comments: “The worldwide emergency situation due to the pandemic, which has imposed an “Alt” on the system of large trade fairs, is making us realise how central the need for events in presence remains, especially in our sector where, in order to understand the peculiarities and quality of the product, it is necessary to touch it, perceive its consistency, weight, the smell of the leather and the physical characteristics of the materials used.
We are therefore absolutely thrilled and proud to present and launch our new B2B digital platform because it represents an important effort for the association in an attempt to meet the needs of companies in our sector and support them in the process of digitalisation. However, we are inaugurating it with the hope that in the future its main role will be to accompany the physical event in a phygital perspective and not to replace it: companies, buyers, visitors and organisers need physical contact”.
Inaugurating and animating the on-line event will be the MIPEL Digital Days: two days -23 and 24 March- necessarily virtual and dedicated to interviews, talks and webinars on the topics of greatest interest for the sector, organised by the well-known journalist and writer Alan Friedman as well as Armando Branchini, undisputed expert in the fashion and luxury sector, with the participation of important guests and names from the fashion system. Several topics will be discussed: the role and importance of Italian leather goods in the world, sustainability issues, the value of Made in Italy, market trends and prospects for the future, generational changeover and new ways of communicating, the need for companies in such a traditional sector to evolve while maintaining their core competencies, retail transformation and much more.
The first opening event of the “MIPEL Digital Days”, which will also be the official opening of MIPEL119 The Digital Show, is scheduled for 23 March at 10 a.m. (GMT+1) on the platform (www.mipelthedigitalshow.com) and live streaming on the MIPEL facebook profile: a round table involving the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Manlio Di Stefano, the President of Agenzia ICE, Carlo Ferro and the President of Mipel and Assopellettieri Franco Gabbrielli, moderated by Alan Friedman.
Leather goods is certainly one of the most representative sectors of Italian ‘know-how’ and is characterised by a production fabric centred on micro, small, and medium enterprises,” said Undersecretary Di Stefano, “Tradition and innovation have made this sector very competitive on international markets over the years. Today, as government and as Farnesina, and together with ITA, we are more than ever at the side of all companies with the ‘Pact for Export,’ concrete measures of over 2.7 billion euros to meet their needs for competitiveness, export propensity, and digital transition.
“It is a great pleasure to return to MIPEL, albeit in digital mode. – underlined Carlo Ferro, President of ITA – The adaptability of the organisers with the support of the system has allowed the event to be held with a view to reaction and vision, to provide a timely response to the limitations dictated by the pandemic, and this is certainly a great success. I am also pleased to recall our collaboration on the new MissMipel project, an excellent initiative that aims to bring the uniqueness of craftsmanship combined with the creation of a symbolic product to international markets. This initiative will be promoted through our foreign offices starting from New York, Tokyo and Seoul. Italian companies are the second largest exporters of leather goods in the world in terms of volume and the first in terms of quality. The combination of our product excellence, together with digital technology and the support of the country’s system, which is now even closer to the entrepreneurial fabric, will guide us towards a new start, hopefully as soon as possible, stronger than before.
During the MIPEL Digital Days, there will also be several opportunities for dialogue with a selection of buyers representing the main countries of interest for Italian leather goods exports, to discover how their buying habits have changed and the difference in the reactions of the various countries. A lot of space will also be given to presentations of companies and their collections to sector operators: in fact, within the platform there will be a dedicated section, the Buyers Lounge, where to discover the selection of companies proposed by MIPEL according to four criteria that reflect the research needs of international retailers: Women Entrepreneurs in Leather Goods, Slow Manufacturing, Travel Goods Technology, Craftsmanship Elevated Industry.
Four pillars through which MIPEL highlights a selection of brands by paying attention to what international markets are looking for today: in fact, due to the pandemic, new scenarios and new needs have emerged from the retail point of view that have enhanced the search for product types and assets in which the Italian leather goods industry is rich.
In addition, the platform will also have a dedicated space for the “ITALIAN STARTUP” project dedicated to a selection of young Italian designers who have distinguished themselves for their creative ideas. With this project, MIPEL and ITA reaffirm their support to emerging realities in order to find new ways to enhance and promote Italian creativity and genius.
www.mipelthedigitalshow.com
The next physical event is scheduled for 19-21 September 2021.