The great event presenting machines and equipment for agriculture and green area maintenance responds to the health emergency and moves its 44th edition from mid-November 2020 to early February 2021. However, the November rendezvous is not cancelled, turning instead into a digital mega-event, an absolute innovation in the history of the industry’s showcases.
The great exhibition of agricultural machinery changes its schedule and moves from next November to February 2021. Due to the health emergency, the Bologna event – one of the most important industry events in the world with almost 2,000 exhibiting companies and a total of 320,000 visitors in the last edition – will not take place from 11 to 15 November 2020, as scheduled. Instead it will be held from 3 to 7 February 2021, still at the Bologna exhibition complex. However, the November rendezvous will not be disregarded. On the same days as the original event, Eima International will create “Eima Digital Preview”, the world’s first agricultural machinery event entirely hosted using a digital platform and technologies. The Eima of February 2021 will be based on its traditional formula, offering live to businesspeople, technicians and farms the widest choice of technologies for every type of processing. On the other hand, the digital edition promises to be a fascinating preview, a unique experiment in the industry, a new experience that will project exhibitors and visitors into a new dimension.
“The decision to postpone the great traditional Eima until the beginning of next year – explains Alessandro Malavolti, president of FederUnacoma, the federation of Italian manufacturers that is the direct organizer of the event – stems from a careful logistical and economic assessment, since it is extremely likely that exhibitions may still be affected in autumn by specific government ordinances, and the transport and services system may still be slowed down due to the precautionary measures that will still be in place both in Italy and abroad”. “After all, the agricultural and applied mechanics supply chain urgently needs to resume business – explains Malavolti – because there is great interest in technological innovations and great need, especially after the acute phase of the virus emergency, to restore energy and competitiveness to the primary economy”. “That’s why we planned the November preview – concludes the president of FederUnacoma – which will bridge the gap to the February 2021 edition, an event that represents an exceptionin the history of EIMA International, which will return to its traditional placement from November 2022”. “The enrolments in the 44th EIMA have already filled the Bologna exhibition complex, and this organizational structure will be transposed to February – explains the General Manager of FederUnacoma Simona Rapastella – while we are already working on the digital platform that will allow exhibitors to preview in November their company profiles and the range of products and news”. “We are working in synergy with institutions, professional organizations and publishing houses – adds Rapastella – to create a programme of seminars, conferences and media-based events, to focus attention on the main issues and encourage the meeting between supply and demand regarding technologies for agriculture, green area care and land maintenance”. “The ‘business-to-business’ meetings with foreign operators will feature prominently on the new platform – concludes Rapastella – since they represent a strategic target and a great strength for our exhibition”.