Europe's largest congress center in Milan

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Due to open in January 2011, the MIC - Milano Convention Center can accommodate 18,000 people.

Milan, 14 November 2008 - It has 18,000 seats, 1 auditorium for 1,500 people, 1 plenary theater with 4,500 seats, 73 modular rooms with seating for 20 to 2,000 people, 54,000 sq.m of supporting exhibition space: these are some of the main figures for the new Milano Convention Center, presented this morning at Fieramilanocity, which will give Italy the largest congress center in Europe in 2011.

The project is signed by architect Mario Bellini. It incorporates new functions for Pavilions 5 and 6 at the "Portello" complex and merges these with the existing MIC, which is adjacent to the buildings and is currently the country's largest congress center.

The project was illustrated this morning by Luigi Roth, chairman and CEO of Fondazione Fiera Milano, Leonardo Carioni, president of Sviluppo Sistema Fiera, Maurizio Lupi, managing director of Fiera Milano Congressi, and architect Mario Bellini of course. Attending the presentation were Carlo Masseroli, Milan City Councilor for Territorial Development, Letizia Moratti, Mayor of Milan, Filippo Penati, President of the Milan Provincial Government and Roberto Formigoni, President of the Lombardy Regional Government.

"Not only is the Congress Center the first new infrastructure that will be ready to host some of the Expo events well before 2015 - stated Luigi Roth - it integrates and complements the range of important facilities offered by the Fieramilano Group, and is an important step towards the full redevelopment of the Portello complex by incorporating functions that are compatible with our mission. The city of Milan, which is the capital of the exhibition-related trade, industry and economy, a fulcrum and cornerstone for small- and medium-sized companies in Italy, will now become a one-stop destination in Europe for congress and incentive tourism as well. This  ambitious, important project will allow us to host more than 200 events a year".

The Portello redevelopment project is contextual with the broader transformation of north-west Milan that melds with the adjoining districts and creates - by raising the level of the square and highlighting the side paths of the "rib" - a new green strip between the City Life park and Monte Stella. The new gateway to the MIC, featuring an eye-catching architectural landmark by Bellini, will make the Portello the gateway to a new and extraordinary area of Milan opening towards the Expo site and the new Fieramilano exhibition complex at Rho-Pero. In fact, Portello would appear to derive from the name of a road that once connected Milan to Rho and called "the Portello city road".

Urban integration, green spaces, and high-caliber architecture are the expression of a project that is all about being socially responsible, namely the very approach used by Fondazione Fiera Milano.  In the same way, the innovative and complex system of photovoltaic panels will make the new MIC a self-sustainable building in terms of energy, as well as a supplier of electric power to the surrounding area: if the entire "Comet" was a photovoltaic-clad structure,  it could generate 800 thousand Watt of power.

The numbers for the existing and the new MIC:

 

At present

Extension

New MIC

Timeline

2001 (with a doubling of the spaces in 2005)

  

December 2010

Capacity

5,500 seats

12,500 seats

18,000 seats

Auditorium

  

1 auditorium with 1,500 seats

1 auditorium with 1,500 seats

Plenary Theater

1 plenary theater with 2,000 seats

1 plenary theater with 4,500 seats

1 plenary theater with 4,500 seats

Conference Rooms

35 rooms with 20 to 800 seats

37 room with 30 to 660 seats

73 rooms with 20 to 2,000 seats

Exhibition Area

11,500 sq.m of exhibition space

10,290 sq.m of exhibition space

21,790 sq.m of exhibition space plus 32,300 sq.m (pavilions 3 and 4)


More details are available from

Fondazione Fiera Milano  
External Relations and Communications Office
Roberto De Giorgis
Tel +39-02.4997- 7724- 7278 - 7689
ersinija.galin@fondazionefieramilano.it
http://www.fondazionefieramilano.it/