onstant growth is evident for the Italian Exhibition Group’s Vicenzaoro September. The 2023 edition concluded with an over 6% increase in total visitors, while 50% hailed from international participation. The number of countries of origin also rose to 132 with numerous new entries. The European Union countries represented 52% of foreign visitors at Vicenzaoro, Asia and the Middle East 17%, the Americas 11%, Africa 4% and Oceania 1%. To be precise, the hefty presence of the large European markets was confirmed with Spain (7%), Germany (4.8%) and France (4.2%) leading the way. The United States was the fourth most represented country and leads the ranking of non-EU buyers who came to the show to do business with the 1,200 exhibiting brands at this edition.
Increased arrivals from Switzerland (+46%) Belgium (+25%), UAE (23%) and Turkey (+6%). This edition sees numerous new entries among the nationalities that visited the Vicenza Expo Centre halls. Mozambique, Ghana, Mauritius, Benin, Zambia and Burkina Faso, the Ivory Coast, Kenya were among the new entries from the African continent. And among the more distant new entries were those from the Virgin Islands, Mongolia, New Zealand and Vanuatu. The number of foreign visitors at Vicenzaoro has grown by 34% since 2017.
Solidity was the feature of this edition of Vicenzaoro with the economic growth curve for Made in Italy production and sales growing in terms of both turnover (+10.2% in the first six months) and exports (9.3% over the first five months), making the gold-jewellery sector the best performing in the Italian fashion system with a more than average growth than Italian manufacturing as a whole (according respectively to ISTAT data processed by Intesa Sanpaolo’s Study Department for Club degli Orafi for the first half of the year, and Federorafi data from January to May).
Numbers also mentioned by the Minister of Made in Italy, Adolfo Urso, in his message of greeting at the opening ceremony – which began with a commemoration of president Lorenzo Cagnoni, who recently passed away - and which support the leverage effect that an international trade show like Vicenzaoro represents for Italian exports. The show was the only international event held during the pandemic period and is now a recognised hub for international buyers. Vicenzaoro September hosted 400 foreign buyers thanks to an incoming programme organised by ITA – Italian Trade Agency - and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation.
Recognised as the trend show, at Vicenzaoro September companies presented their new collections and the path that designers and the consumer market will take over the next 18 months was outlined, thanks to the launch of the Trendbook, edition 2025+, edited by Trendvision Jewellery + Forecasting, IEG’s independent Observatory directed by Paola De Luca. Its ability and authoritativeness in interpreting and anticipating the market, it is a reliable point of reference for the community that wants to see tomorrow’s jewellery today. This is the power of the event, which attracts key themes for the industry such as the impact of artificial intelligence on human creativity in jewellery design, addressed by both Trendvision and CIBJO in one of its international seminars in preparation for the World conference in Jaipur in October. Watchmaking’s presence at Vicenzaoro was consolidated with the b2b community of TIME and the VO’Clock Privè event, open to the b2c public, where about sixty watch companies took part in both the exhibition area and the talk and seminar format that brings together experts and enthusiasts.
A programme of events put together by IEG with the Municipal Administration, economic categories and many local companies, inspired by the sensorial experience of food and wine, artistic heritage and museums in key points of the city of Vicenza: this is VIOFF, Vicenzaoro’s off show event, which gives international and Italian visitors the chance to discover the capital of jewellery.
The 2023 edition of Vicenzaoro September totalled 134,830,414 million Italian and foreign media contacts. And almost 20 million impressions on Vicenzaoro’s social channels during the event. Professional operators’ views of exhibitor profiles on The Jewellery Golden Cloud B2B platform exceeded 150 thousand, with a growth of 15% compared to last year.
Vicenzaoro September also confirmed its role as an international reference point due to the entire institutional and associative world being in attendance: from Confindustria Federorafi, Confartigianato Orafi, Confcommercio Federpreziosi, CNA Orafi, Confimi Industria Categoria Orafa ed Argentiera to Assogemme, Assocoral and AFEMO – Italian Association of Jewellery Machinery Manufacturers and Exporters, CIBJO - World Confederation of Jewellery, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ITA.
