TheMicam struggles to get second wind

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Sep 5, 2014

It’s a faltering footwear trade show that has just ended in Milan. The 78th edition of TheMicam, presenting collections for spring-summer 2015 from August 31 to September 3, 2014 at Rho Fiera, near Milan, saw a drop in attendance both in March and in September.

In a press release at the conclusion of the show, organizers announced 34,176 visitors as compared with 38,621 a year earlier. "The closing data confirms a reduction in visitors in light of the difficulties of the domestic market and the area of Russia.”

While the Milanese event, a leading international footwear trade show, changed things up with a new layout and earlier dates (late August instead of mid-September), these alterations do not seem to have been convincing. The organizers have already announced a “small adjustment" for next September’s edition.

The number of exhibitors remained unchanged compared to the previous summer session, with 1557 brands, including 617 from abroad, as compared with 1,553 in September 2013. According to estimates, the show appears to have suffered, however, a drop of 5 - 10% in Italian buyers, and an especially significant decrease in Russian visitors, even if the overall number of company names present at the latest edition of TheMicam, “was unchanged from September 2013."

“Six months, there was a lot more Russian spoken at the show,” said Cleto Sagripanti, president of the Italian Federation for Personal and Fashion Accessories, during a press conference held a few days ago. “The crisis between Ukraine and Russia, along with the sanctions adopted by the EU against Russia have clearly hurt the exhibition.”

"We are concerned about the deteriorating situation in Russia, which is becoming more and more tense and is offering few encouraging signs,” said Sagripanti Cleto, who also points to the Italian government, which is accused of not sufficiently supporting the sector.

TheMicam’s next edition will be held from February 15 - 18, 2015. From September 24 to 26, its Chinese edition, TheMICAM Shanghai, will debut.

However, it seems that the organizer’s plans to expand into the United States with an edition in New York, seem to have been postponed.