MISAF: 2020 EDITION BECOMES DIGITAL AND OPEN UP TO INTERNATIONALIZATION
From the 5th to the 19th of December, the fair, dedicated to the Chinese footwear field, will be completely digital and the innovative platform MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITION will also open to international exhibitors.
From the 14 to the 22 of December the matching process between exhibitors and buyers is scheduled
The sanitary crisis of COVID-19 has imposed a change in the way to plan big events, and MISAF – Milan Shoes and Accessories Fair, is ready to make its move: in fact, the 2020 edition of the Fair will be held from the 5 to the 19 of December, it will be completely online , and will be the first fair of the mass footwear and accessories field, to be developed in 3D. MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITON responds in this way to the change, taking advantage to launch again an accessible and concrete interaction for everyone, through a virtual modality. Nowadays, it is the only possible way to support the international footwear business.
The new MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITION platformwon’t just host the exhibitors coming from the Zhejiang, Fujiang, Guandong, Sichuan, Shandong, Jiangsu provinces and the main manufacturing areas in China, currently more than 200, but it will also host the professionals from other countries, exhibitors of the footwear and accessories field who are looking for new stages to present their products.
MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITON offers a new way to live the fair, through an interactive platform. It is a virtual experience, thought to widen the business opportunities of buyers, exhibitors and all the players of the footwear world, on an international scale. In the virtual stands, the products will be presented through videos or 3D images, with their technical data sheet; the operative modalities will be the matching between exhibitors and buyers, for the purchasing orders reception, and the exchange of information; the online chat will be used to communicate in a practical and quick way with all the participants of the fair, and the products catalogue will be online until the 8th of January 2021. There is also the opportunity to start live broadcast videos to present products, evaluate the performance trend (number of visits to the virtual stand), and manage appointments with buyers. At last, exhibitors who wish to take part for the first time in MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITION, will be able to require a free demo to receive a preview of the event and their virtual stand.
Buyers and visitors can freely enter the platform, through personal credentials, and they will have the opportunity to attend free events from the 14 to the 22 to develop business connections with international brands, get in touch with specific companies selected according to their demands and necessities, start conversations with exhibitors, and require an estimate, through online chats or videos. They will be able also to manage directly their online orders, and take part in workshops and different events.
The customization of the exhibition areas and of MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITION platform were managed by the students of Accademia Brera (scenography school) , who developed the winning prize project, working on the theme “The line which never stops, meaning the direction towards the future and new developments”, connected to the current situation of the pandemic, which generated huge changes in the fashion world. The online tool is perceived as an opportunity of relaunch, a direction towards the future.
MISAF VIRTUAL EXHIBITON will be the right occasion to highlight the footwear market, which during the pandemic went though export and import loses. In February, exports from China to Italy lowered more than 50 % than the same period in 2019, and the negative trend kept for two months (-31/32%); During the month of May trends were also negative. The imports from Italy to China were better: in comparison to 2019, the month which went through biggest loses was April (-41,12%), followed by a recovery in June (+26,18%) and July (+18,94%).
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Teresa Baroni- baroni@secrp.com
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