CERSAIE, BOLOGNA , ITALY

Attendance at Cersaie 2015 exceeds 101,000 over five days

Increase in numbers of international visitors

to 48,235 (+3.5%), 47.4% of the total.

The most significant statistic from this year’s Cersaie, the International Exhibition of Ceramic Tile and Bathroom Furnishings which ran from 28 September to 2 October in Bologna, was the attendance of more than 101,000 visitors. As usual, the commercial side of the show was complemented by events catering for the world of architecture, interior design, installation and end consumers.

Representativeness and international scope are always the key characteristics of Cersaie, which this year saw an even stronger presence of exhibitors from other sectors, especially wood. There were a total of 872 exhibitors at the 2015 show, including 319 foreign companies from 39 different countries (1 more than last year due to the addition of Sweden). At the same time the event attracted a total of 101,809 visitors (+0.8%), including 48,231 international visitors, 1,632 more than last year (47.4% of the total). The numbers of Italian visitors remained stable at 53,578. The media was also out in force with a total of 694 participating journalists, including 257 from outside Italy. There was a particularly sharp rise in numbers of Italian journalists (+27.4%), largely due to the fact that the International Press Conference was held from the first time in the Ducal Palace in Sassuolo.

These figures confirm Cersaie’s status as a key venue for developing global business in the ceramic floor and wall tile and bathroom furnishing sectors and its important function as an engine for international trade. This role was underscored by the more than 150 countries of origin of the visitors and the many visits to company stands made by international delegations, organised as part of the Cersaie Business programme in cooperation with the Italian Trade Commission ICE and the Emilia Romagna regional government.

Cersaie is a vital appointment for architects, interior designers, tile fixers and the general public. This year Glenn Murcutt became the seventh consecutive Pritzker prize winner to deliver Cersaie’s keynote lecture in front of an audience of more than 1,300 people. The installation ‘Day Off’ by Diego Grandi in Hall 29 and the exhibition ‘Cer Stile’ curated by Angelo Dall’Aglio and Daniele Vercelli in Hall 30 attracted keen interest. All the other conferences in the ‘building dwelling thinking’ cultural programme were strongly attended, as were all the initiatives qualifying for training credits organised in cooperation with the competent professional associations.

Also popular were the various works in progress and meetings held at Tiling Town, the location for training young tile setters and presenting installation techniques. ‘Cersaie designs your home’ attracted strong participation by homeowners and on Thursday received a celebrity visit from Italian TV host Paola Marella, who was also the face of the event #selfeet.

Bologna Design Week made a very positive debut, attracting a steady flow of visitors to the cultural events held in the evenings in prestigious locations in the city.