The fair business and its professions
Rho-Pero, 15 november 2003 - The Milan Fair is one of the primary forces driving the economic development of the Lombardy Region and the entire country. Once it is fully operative, Milan’s new exhibition system, composed of the New Complex and the City Complex, will open up the regional job market to more than 43,000 positions.
Details about the expectations of the people of Rho and the surrounding area, in terms of the professions and opportunities connected to the arrival of the Milan Fair in their midst, were revealed in the three studies presented today, commissioned by Fondazione Fiera Milano, the Provincial Authority of Milan and the Chamber of Commerce. The teamwork and unity of purpose which characterized Fiera Milano’s actions is further substantiated by the breadth and depth and coordination involved in the studies anticipating the impact of the project on the area.
he Milan Polytechnic Institute, the "Il Poliedro" Research Institute and the Milan-Bicocca University all participated in conducting the studies.
Today’s meeting was the third stop on the itinerary of this traveling conference entitled "East-West-Lombardy. The cardinal points of development" promoted by Fondazione Fiera Milano. The first two stops on the circuit were in Brescia (November 10th) and Milan (November 14th) before hitting Rho-Pero this morning, home of the New Fiera Milano Complex.
Following the welcoming remarks by Luigi Roth, Chairman and CEO of Fondazione Fiera Milano, other speakers included Ombretta Colli, President of the Milan Provincial Executive Committee, Marco Di Tolle, Councillor for Territorial Planning and Infrastructures, Carlo Sangalli, President of the Milan Chamber of Commerce, Paola Pessina, Mayor of Rho, Augustangela Fioroni, Mayor of Pero and Claudio Artusi, Managing Director of Sviluppo Sistema Fiera, the engineering and contracting company for large projects, controlled by Fondazione Fiera Milano. The audience included entrepreneurs, executives, and representatives of public and private organizations.
Paolo Fareri, researcher in the Department of Architecture and Planning at the Milan Polytechnic University, explained the first study "The Fair, an opportunity in hand" which points out the opportunities available to the Rho area with the construction of the New Milan Fair Complex--opportunities which, however, call for contribution and the ability to be part of "the system".
Giancarlo Moretti, Director of the "Il Poliedro" Research Institute, outlined the second study, "The professions of the fair sector" designed to examine the work, organization and skills required to support the Milan Fair System--a system composed of Fiera Milano and many other economic enterprises that together may drive the success of Milan as a city of exhibitions and The Fair.
First, is the Milan Fair System, in other words, the 14 companies that make up the Group controlled by Fondazione Fiera Milano and which work in different branches of exhibit-related business. These range from construction of the New Milan Fair Complex in Rho-Pero to the re-development of the City Complex, management of exhibition space and services, to the organization of fairs, congresses and complex events.
Second, is the system of fair organization, which includes the organization of fairs, congresses and events, outfitters and exhibitors.
Third, is the system of allied industries that involves all the services the urban area has to offer to users of the fair.
omaso Pompili, Associate Professor of Applied Economy in the Sociology Department of the Milan-Bicocca University, presented the third study, "A new strategy for the area" conducted for the Provincial Authority of Milan, which looks at the arrival of the Fair in Rho-Pero as a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for re-organization of the area and as an occasion for an overall re-thinking of its development strategies. Creating a new image of the area cannot be the result of the action of external forces, nor of the isolated activities of the individual local governments, but will be the fruit of a policy of cooperation among local governing bodies that will have to work together toward the harmonious allocation of the jobs and positions.
Participating in the discussion, summarized by Aldo G. Bonomi, Director of the AASTER Consortium, were: Elio Catania, Vice President of Assolombarda; Giorgio Fossa, President of SEA S.p.A.; Renato Galliano, President of Comunimprese; Antonio C. G. Pastore, President of Osservatorio Indotto Fiera of the CCIAA of Milan; Andrea Poggio, regional Chairman of Legambiente; Carmelo Tomasello, Deputy Mayor of Legnano; Maurizio Zipponi, Secretary General of Milan-based FIOM. Concluding the conference was Cosma Gravina, Councilor for Labor and Economic Activities of the Province of Milan.