International attendees included delegations of industry players from 9 different countries selected by the ‘buyers programme’ run in cooperation with Agency ICE and the Ministry of Economic Development.
 
“There is a widespread feeling that, after reaching the bottom, Grafitalia is showing signs of climbing back up, but the path is certainly slow and arduous,” emphasizes Centrexpo Chief Executive Officer Guido Corbella. “We received signals of confidence from exhibitors exceeding expectations. Printing, graphics and converting are flagship industries in Italy’s economy and their excellence was recognized by the international delegations visiting the events over the last few days. Many exhibitors, particularly in the digital printing area, reported successful business negotiations and an increased number of prospects. We are very proud about this, as we believe this is the very purpose of any exhibition. In addition, the quality of professional visitors has also improved as they have shown strong, tangible interest in innovation, the only element capable of ensuring competitiveness for companies. Such willingness to invest and innovate is however curbed by the lack of liquidity resulting from the severe economic crisis still in progress.” Also, the radical changes underway, particularly in the field of printed paper, leave industry operators slightly confused about the best technology to invest in.
 
Grafitalia and Converflex will be back in 2015. Starting from the next edition the two exhibitions will be staged jointly with IPACK-IMA, Europe’s leading exhibition of worldwide renown for processing and packaging technology and Intralogistica Italia, the first edition of the new exhibition showcasing integrated material handling, warehouse management and material warehousing systems organized by Deutsche Messe in partnership with Ipack-Ima Spa.
 
The four shows will take place at Fiera Milano – Rho from May 19 to 23 2015 and are set to become a landmark and meeting place for visitors and buyers active in printing, converting, packaging and the management of the logistic flow of goods and materials within companies. The events are expected to attract a total of over 2,500 exhibitors and more than 100,000 visitors. This profitable synergy among different industrial sectors will make it possible to create new target markets and draw an extensive public, thus boosting business opportunities. The occasion is made even more valuable by its conjunction with the Expo 2015.