The five days of Vicenzaoro Choice, the international show dedicated to gold ware and jewellery, closed today (Wednesday 16 September).
The final results exceeded the expectations of the eve at a moment of difficulty for Italy's gold districts and for the entire sector: a positive note was the increase of 28%, compared with the September 2008 show, in the number of buyers, 9413 Italians and 4257 from abroad, giving a total of 13,670.
There were about 1400 exhibitors: 75% of the companies were Italian, showing once again the importance of Vicenza as a representative for Italian-made ware and for the nation's artisan and industrial excellence.
"We are satisfied with the result," commented the General Manager of Fiera di Vicenza, Domenico Girardi, "a figure which should be analyzed in depth, bearing in mind that the operators at the autumn fair traditionally come from Italy, in particular, and Europe in general: these are the markets that order quantities ahead of the end-of-year festivities. Compared with Choice 2008, the European states with the highest number of operators include Spain (+7.4%), France (+43%) and Germany (+9.74%). The Greek presence was also highly significant."
It is possible to speak of a reawakening of the sector even if it will be necessary to wait for the performance of Vicenzaoro First, which will debut on 16 January 2010, to obtain confirmation of this trend.
This was a more effervescent autumn fair which, on the part of the companies, revealed a greater investment not only in the relationship with customers but also in the care taken with their stand designs. "That is why," continued Girardi, "we insisted at this show – with workshops and seminars – on the theme of the sales outlet and of the evolution of retailing and consumption models, also thanks to the collaboration with Federdettaglianti which brought 600 operators to Vicenza. In any case, Vicenzaoro Choice's focus is specifically on the retailing sector."
Another market variable, on which the sector's performance depends, is the price of gold: "In general, rather than the absolute value of the precious metal, it is its volatility which generates difficulty for production companies in managing their supplies and pricing," Girardi also commented.
The consumer's purchasing models are always changing and this is reflected all the more in the market, of course: there is a desire for research and creativity, and the seasonal factor can also be seen in this sector with the renewal of the collections and the demand for them.
There was also a positive feeling after the customary post-event meeting with the Jewellers' Coordination Table and Fiera di Vicenza management when the balance was drawn up: those present expressed a favourable view of the services and projects proposed.
The security services also deserve a mention: for the second time in a row in the fifty years' history of Fiera di Vicenza no thefts of precious goods were recorded, also thanks to increasingly close collaboration with the police.

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Meneghini&Associati Press Office Fiera Vicenza Spa
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Press Release
16 September 2009/17.00 Vicenzaoro Choice/ Corporate