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::: The building world in MILAN
EVENTS of Federica Fiorellini
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Made Expo 2010
used
communication,
promotion,
cultural
and technical
activities
to re-launch
the construction
sector.
With so many
visitors, an air
of confidence
prevailed among
the exhibitors.
At Made Expo - the leading event
in the construction
world held in Milan this
year from February 3 to 6 - the
subjects of discussion ranged
from the relationship between
the university and the company,
noise pollution, old villages, sustainable
building, and renewable
energy sources, and went far
beyond doors, windows,
stairways, flooring and buildings.
This is because the building industry
is facing a new challenge
that will be won by the nations
that have decided to follow the
path of sustainability and new energy
sources.
Release from the crisis that is pinning
the building world down is
clearly possible. The intention to
react was clear and tangible signs
were everywhere at this year’s
Made Expo, where a healthy number
of visitors and a positive attitude
were on hand. The event’s
242,152 visitors showed a 21% increase
over 2009, 23,810 of whom
came from abroad (+24%). The
event in Milan closed with evident
public success, and its organizers
could not but be satisfied with
the results obtained “…not only in
terms of figures, but also and
above all, due to the positive feeling
that prevailed over the trade
fair grounds during the event” states Made Eventi President Andrea
Negri. “The more than 1,700
companies present (254 of whom
based abroad) on over 90,000 net
m2 of display area amply demonstrated
great resolution and the determination
to react to these difficult
economic times”.
::: A convincing format
Made Expo confirmed itself as an
efficacious instrument for both
exhibitors (those we spoke to
said they had done business as
well) and visitors alike, among
which we include ourselves and
testify to the high content of innovation
and research in the cultural
and technical activities we
observed, starting from those
that dealt particularly with the
world of wood floors to those of
wider scope.
With particular regard to the latter,
we mention for example the event
entitled “Borghi & Centri Storici”
intensely desired by President Negri,
who spoke of the need to requalify
and renovate the centers of
villages with less than 10,000 inhabitants
by integrating new models,
lifestyles, and innovative products
and services in their recovery.
In meeting this challenge, old
villages are destined to become a
formidable asset in the reinforcement
of local identity and territorial development in terms
of tourism and real estate
capable of catalyzing
public-private design
projects while promoting
new forms of typically Italian
tourist hospitality
and the development of
handicraft and commercial
activities that place
priority on the recovery
of the nation’s priceless
architectural and landscape
heritage.
The first “Construction
Technique Forum” organized
with the primary
purpose of conducting a
detailed discussion of
the most daring solutions
and the use of the
most advanced technologies and
highest performance materials
was also worthy of note. For the
first time in Europe, construction
technique was considered in all
its depth at a trade fair in a unique
occasion for a meeting with
designers, work supervisors,
builders and clients held for the
transformation of new standards
into solutions for the re-launching
and contribution of greater value
to their own activity. Inside the
Forum, the display space occupied
by the companies testified to
productive excellence in various
materials and systems.
This year’s edition of Instant-House, the contest open to Italian
and foreign Architecture, Engineering,
and Design students and
recent graduates, focused the attention
of the designers on two elements:
the environment and the
“soundscape”. From among the 201 design projects presented,
the Commission selected as winner
the idea expressed by Marco
Gazzola, Elisa Fortuna and Elena
Panza from the University of Architecture
of Venice - IUAV that
consisted in a continuous barrier
whose scale depends only on the
infrastructural context that
proved to be particularly interesting
for the protection of the individual’s
personal areas.
 ::: Is Parquet starting
to stage a comeback?
Getting back to our big/little microcosm
of wood flooring, some
faces were missing, it mustn’t be
denied, but Hall 3 looked extra
busy. The proposals from the parquet
exhibitors were more and
more “customized” than in the
past (large-sized planks remained:
colored and with many different
and unexpected types of finish), while the chemical products
showed even greater respect for
the environment and the health of
the operator as well: sustainability
in action, not only words.
There was an air of anticipation at
the booths: optimism and the
search for novelty prevailed over
uncertainty and drove flooring
layers, distributors, and architects
(more than a few from
abroad this year!) to come out
and take a look at the proposals offered by other companies.
Could these be signs of economic
recovery?
On the subject of flooring professionals,
the Federlegno Lounge in
Hall 7 was a very busy area for
meeting, encounter, and relaxation,
and also the setting for a
series of interesting seminars
dedicated to the sector.
::: The appointment
in October 2011
Our visit to Made Expo was a
productive experience for us,
and we think all the workers in
the field might say the same
thing. Above and beyond the offer
of products and services on
display, the event launched an
important message and offered
significant points of departure
for reflection. We now have a
year to think it all over. More
than a year, to be precise, because
next year’s appointment
will be in October, not February.
President Negri has already extended
his invitation: “Made Expo
will continue its activity in light of
the 4th Edition to be held October
5 - 8, 2011: we’ll keep working and
proposing international events
and activities during the months
preceding the next edition. The
top priority will be to accompany
the companies on their way to
meeting the great challenge of Expo
2015, which has chosen the
event as the point of reference for
the entire construction system
that is sure to play a key role in
the development of the planet
with greater sustainability and respect
for the environment and human
health”.
“The more than 1,700 companies
present (254 of whom based
abroad) on over 90,000 net m2
of display area amply demonstrated
great resolution and the
determination to react to these
difficult economic times”.
Made Eventi
President Andrea Negri
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