With over 40,000 visitors in three days (+4% compared to 2017), HIT Show closed last Monday with a very positive balance.
Organized by IEG, the Italian Exhibition Group, at the Vicenza Exhibition Centre, Italy, the international fair for hunting, outdoor life, individual protection, target sports and hunting dogs saw 380 companies with all the top Italian and international producers in attendance, arranged over 41,000 m² of exhibition area.
An upsurge in dealer participation resulted in a total of about 800, of which 200 from 20 different foreign countries, with an unprecedented involvement of a South Korean delegation. As explained by the Managing Director of IEG, Corrado Facco: “The stands are getting bigger and the quality of the exhibition is becoming higher, just as our capacity to welcome so many visitors into the Centre is improving. It is a success that generates a valuable economic spin-off into the territory.”
HIT Show 2018: an ever-growing success
HIT Show 2018 opened with the presentation of an economic report which ANPAM - National Association of Sports and Civil Arms Producers had commissioned Urbino University to carry out in order to define Made in Italy production: 7.3 billion Euros (0.44% of the Italian GDP) and over 87,000 persons employed. Export performances, with a 90.3% incidence, were extraordinary, while a drop in domestic demand was registered for the 2,334 companies, which translates into a reduction in economic spin-off.
Positive signs and a climate of trust emerged from the halls, where the main conviction was that the increase in visitors is consistent with an improvement in demand quality. “More people but also a greater capacity to understand the latest ideas and best products," was the leit motiv expressed by participating companies. The events on the HIT Arena stage, where the big Made in Italy brands presented the public and insiders with innovations at every level, also met with success.
The events on the HIT Arena stage - one of this edition's new entries and the place where the big Made in Italy brands presented the public and insiders with innovations at every level - also met with success.
ANPAM representatives confirm that this year HIT Show further increased its inclusion of civil society, intelligently dealing with themes that are extremely resonant in public debate. Two of these deserve particular mention, both organized by the Fondazione UNA Onlus with the aim to overcome common grounds on topics concerning the environment and fauna. With the aid of speakers such as Giuseppe Cruciani, Chicco Testa and Ettore Prandini, National Vice President of Coldiretti, a rational vision of biodiversity management was offered, with football players in a central role as defenders of the environment, and attention to the well-being of people and animals as well as the economic impact of some decisions.
HIT Show 2018: sport, research and dogs
Since sport is playing a leading role at HIT Show, a conference on promoting shooting sports took place with prominent guests of honour such as Roberto Di Donna, gold medallist at Atlanta 1996 in the P10 and currently the Uits coach for the young, Jessica Rossi, gold medallist at London 2012 in Women's Trap, and Alessia Iezzi, winner of the World Cup final in 2017.
HIT Show was chosen as the setting to present and sign the agreement for an ambitious medical-scientific research project involving sport, which will see Beretta, a company leaders in the firearms industry, FITAV (Italian Target Shooting Federation) and FMSI (Italian Sports Medicine Federation) in the field. The initiative, inaugurated in the presence of several Italian Olympic champions - Jessica Rossi, Giovanni Cernogoraz, Diana Bacosi, Alessia Iezzi, Riccardo Filippelli, Giovanni Pellielo - aims at investigating, using innovative methods, neuro-sensorial and neuro-motory mechanisms in target shooting, not only to improve the sports performances of the athletes, but also to provide useful information from the medical viewpoint. The Beretta team champions will be directly involved in the research.
HIT Show also included a much-loved event for hunting dogs. 1,500 dogs of various breeds and the enormous affection that traditionally surrounds this type of spectacle, paid tribute to the organizational efforts of the Circolo Cinofilo Vicentino (Vicenza Dog Club), which promoted the 41st National Dog Show in Vicenza.
At the closure of HIT Show, the companies' attention was drawn to the next event organized by IEG, the debut of HUNTING SHOW SOUTH, scheduled for Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th April in the elegant and functional Tarì Centre in Marcianise, between Caserta and Naples.
The Show, specifically for enthusiasts who live in the regions of Southern Italy, takes place after the 'preview' in Vicenza, where new hunting and target shooting firearm models were presented. HUNTING SHOW SOUTH will, in fact, provide the first opportunity to try out the new products on the market in total safety inside the appropriately outfitted areas. HUNTING SHOW SOUTH will also offer a wide range of accessories to compliment the passion for hunting and target shooting.
Next hunting event: Hunting Show South
HIT Show 2018 was organized in partnership with ANPAM (National Association of Sports and Civil Arms Producers), with the support of CONARMI (Italian Firearm Producers Consortium) and ASSOARMIERI (European Civil Firearms Trade Association).
all4shooters.com is the official media partners of HIT Show - Fiera Vicenza.
02/14/2018
