Rome, 10 December– Milan’s New Fair System makes it to Rome

Rome, 10 December 2003 - Today, just over one year after the first stone of Milan’s New Complex was laid, Fondazione Fiera Milano has presented the transformation of Milan’s entire exhibition system at the Modern Art Gallery in Rome. The project revolves around a structure and infrastructure which, in terms of figures, contents and the stakeholders involved, will play an important role nationwide and within Europe.
The inauguration date of Milan Fair’s New Complex, an entirely self-funded project, is set for early 2005.

Transport and Infrastructure Minister Pietro Lunardi and Deputy Mayor of Rome Mariapia Garavaglia attended  the meeting where the project was illustrated by Luigi Roth, chairman and CEO of Fondazione Fiera Milano, Claudio Artusi, managing director of Sviluppo Sistema Fiera (the company controlled by Fondazione), and Vittorio Di Paola, managing director of Astaldi, which, jointly with Impresa Pizzarotti & C. and Vianini Lavori forms the Nuovo Polo Fieristico consortium that is building the New Complex, as well as Massimiliano Fuksas, the architect who signed the project for Milan Fair’s New Complex. Also in attendance were Sandra Pinto, the superintendent of the Gallery of Modern Art and Adriano De Maio, rector of LUISS Guido Carli University. Journalist Bruno Vespa chaired the meeting.

Fondazione Fiera Milano is building one of the largest exhibition systems in the world. The project is divided into two major parts: the construction of the New Complex at Rho-Pero, just a few kilometers from downtown Milan along the route to Malpensa International Airport, and the redevelopment of the existing exhibition grounds (440,000 sq.m of exhibition space), a third of which will continue to be occupied by Milan Fair - the so-called City Complex – while the remaining two thirds will be returned to the city, after the selection of the winning project in an international call for tenders on 30 July 2004.

“In addition to presenting the project for the transformation of Milan Fair’s New System – stated Luigi Roth, Chairman and CEO of Fondazione Fiera Milano – we are in Rome  to put forward a network of strong alliances based on concrete projects. A virtual axis connecting Rome to Milan, and all the key links along the way (i.e. the functional autonomous entities) in order to work in team with, and at the service of the government authorities.

We can become crucial mainstays as well as valuable allies to promote common interests for the country’s development. We want to share this goal with Rome, the capital, where the country’s economic and political power is concentrated, by forming alliances and implementing projects that are aimed at creating common resources”.

At the end of the meeting, the fourth volume from “I Quaderni di Fondazione Fiera Milano” entitled "Milano da dire e da fare" (talking about making Milan)  was presented. The work illustrates, through articles by opinion writers and pre-eminent personalities from Milan, the major changes that are affecting the capital city of Lombardy at all levels.