The big question that people from the Pitti Immagine team seem to be asking themselves at the moment is: How can we improve trade shows with the use of new technologies? Since the idea was first imagined in 2006 with Mit (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) and then made concrete in 2010 with the creation of FieraDigitale, e-Pitti is now being developed.

Last June, after being tested, Pitti Uomo (both for men and women) and Pitti Bimbo were extended virtually. “The initial idea was to prolong the experience of the physical trade show by five weeks”, said Raffaello Napoleone, CEO of Pitti Immagine and Chairman of FieraDigitale. “This is a long-term project; we have invested 1.5 million euros.” A team of 130 people was gathered in Florence in June in order to photograph the collections on the stands and even do a catwalk show on a treadmill in a 15 m2 room!

The adventure continued in September with the launch of the first showrooms, allowing brands to take orders directly by paying Pitti Immagine some commission. Around 50 brands have already confirmed their presence. In January, the temporary tradeshows will also allow exhibitors to take orders online throughout the duration of the virtual fairs, which until now were mainly used to reveal collections and let buyers refine their choice. In 2012 Pitti Filati will also join the list. Eventually, once the system is functioning perfectly, FieraDigitale does not rule out the possibility of offering services to others. More to follow soon...