EIRE - An overview of the fifth edition of Expo Italia Real Estate (IT)

The turnout for the fifth edition of EIRE, which closed last Friday (12 June) was comparable to last year, and the organizers consider this an excellent outcome given how worldwide difficulties have been dampening the sector: a 36,000 m² area with 350 exhibiters from Italy and abroad, with a visitor count approaching last year's total of 20,000.

Nearly 100 different institutional conferences, seminars, press conferences and stand-based events addressed the most critical contemporary issues in the sector, sketching out future guidelines for the real estate industry and zeroing in on the most promising sub-sectors for recovery: retail real estate and tourism. Several market studies were also unveiled, including tourist sector studies by Progetto Turismo and Mercury, logistical studies by World Capital, and Assiimpredil ANCE's studies on the development of Lombardy's real estate market.

International participation
There was a substantial number of foreign exhibiters, including Turkey, Greece, Montenegro, Brazil, Panama, Romania, Hungary and Slovenia. The foreign press was well represented, and many important leaders and international operators addressed the fair, including Philip W. Charls (CEO of EPRA), Ikvai Szabó (Deputy Major of Budapest), Erdogan Bayraktar (President of TOKI, a Turkish group) and Haluk Sur (President of ULI Turkey), Branimir Gvozdenovic (Minister for Economic Development for Montenegro), Romanian Economic Minister Adriean Videanu, Kostas Fotoeolous (President of KED – Greek Public Property Agency) and Guilherme F. Mattar (Cabinet Chief for the City of San Paolo).

The operators
All of the fair's top players emphasized the positivity of this event and its importance for the market, and the small- and medium-sized enterprises working for positive growth in this market showed a tenacious resolve to get the sector moving again.

Public administration
In addition to public administration exhibiters, the fair was visited by numerous Mayors and Assessors (Regional, Provincial, Municipal) with competence in the sector. This edition of EIRE was inaugurated by the Governor of Lombardy, Roberto Formigoni, and other speakers at the convention included Davide Boni (Territory and Urban Planning Assessor for the Region of Lombardy), Michele Cimino (Budget and Financing Assessor for the Region of Sicily), Carlo Masseroli and Gianni Verga from the Municipality of Milan and Marco Corsini (Assessor for the Municipality of Rome).

The convention came to a close with the Social Housing conference, which presented a comparison of various international experiences. Italy's own contributors included Mario Mantovani (Undersecretary of State for Infrastructure) and Giuseppe Guzzetti (President of the Association of Savings Banks and Foundations). The final address was delivered by Antonio Intiglietta, President of Ge.Fi. and organizer of EIRE.

To bring the show to a conclusion, Intiglietta himself expressed how: "This edition proved that professionals, businessmen, institutions and important groups are ready to become the main characters in the next developmental phase of the real estate market in Italy and abroad. While waiting for investments to start flowing again, we can say that EIRE has once again confirmed itself as an essential point of reference for the sector's entire supply chain."

The sixth edition of EIRE – Expo Italia Real Estate is scheduled for June 8–11, 2010, at Fieramilano. Information about the development of EIRE is available on the website www.italiarealestate.it

Source: Ge.Fi. Spa

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