The new hall that will be erected in the heart of Vicenza Expo Centre now has its foundation stone. Exactly ten months after the start of the redevelopment work, this morning Italian Exhibition Group celebrated the start of the construction phase of the 22,000 square metre, two-storey building, designed by Hamburg-based Studio GMP in the person of professor and architect Volkwin Marg, with a ceremony attended by the Group's top management, institutions and national gold and jewellery association representatives.

THE FOUNDATION STONE LAYING CEREMONY

After the blessing by Don Giampaolo Marta, vicar general of the Diocese of Vicenza, Volking Marg handed the expansion project to IEG president Maurizio Ermeti in a container, who in turn placed it in the concrete block. Together with mayor Giacomo Possamai, provincial president Andrea Nardin, and Vicenza Chamber of Commerce president Giorgio Xoccato, Ermeti and Marg gave the foundation stone a symbolic tap with a trowel. Managing director Corrado Peraboni, operations director and director of IEG's Vicenza venue Mario Vescovo, chief corporate officer Carlo Costa and chief business officer Marco Carniello also attended on behalf of IEG.

STATEMENTS

Maurizio Ermeti, president of IEG: «More than fifty years ago, visionaries laid the foundation stone of the “snail” with the hope of improving their lives, businesses and the territory. Today, with this symbolic gesture, we are renewing that intention by building a larger, more technological and powerful structure to maintain Vicenzaoro’s status as a European and international leader in the jewellery sector. Not only that, this new infrastructure will also allow us to expand our calendar of events and that of our congress centre, making us even more attractive. Our thanks go to the city, the territory and the stakeholders who have supported our vision.

Corrado Peraboni, IEG ceo: «Making the Vicenza Expo more competitive in infrastructural terms means maintaining Vicenzaoro's leadership position in Europe and its specificity in the international context. But it also means strengthening the internationalisation strategy that IEG has put into action for its jewellery shows with the hubs in Dubai and Singapore: creating platforms for markets that then have a positive impact on foreign operators visiting Italy.

Prof. Volkwin Marg, Studio GMP in Hamburg, the extension designer: «We are grateful to be able to design for Italian Exhibition Group. We have a fantastic creative partnership that has lasted for 25 years, since the birth of Fiera di Rimini. It is a good sign for Vicenza that a new station is being built and that the environment around the Expo Centre can be redeveloped. In this context, we can imagine a future trade show business that will become increasingly attractive to the outside world, also in terms of architectural perception.

Giacomo Possamai, mayor of Vicenza: «The laying of the foundation stone for the Expo Centre’s new hall is an extremely important signal for the city. One that testifies to IEG's willingness to invest in Vicenza and that gives a bright future to Vicenza Expo Centre and the economy of our city, which has always been linked to the show. It therefore transmits the idea of a Vicenza that is continuing to grow and invest and is looking to the future with confidence.

Andrea Nardin, Province of Vicenza president: «Vicenza is undergoing an infrastructural revolution and the new Expo Centre will fit well into an urban context that is looking to the future. A restyling that is not just a façade, but one which signifies enhancing the trade show area, making Vicenzaoro even more attractive, and strengthening the identity of Vicenza’s economy. The laying of the foundation stone is a strong signal that we also want to send to our entrepreneurs: important challenges await us, but we are empowering ourselves to face them.

Giorgio Xoccato, Vicenza Chamber of Commerce president: «IEG's commitment to a redevelopment that offers enormous opportunities, first and foremost for Vicenzaoro, must be praised. The Expo Centre, at the entrance to the city, will act as a “business card” for the welcome that Vicenza wants to give its visitors. The investment will be further enhanced by the future High Speed Train stop, a project on which the Chamber of Commerce and the Vicenza system have worked with determination and unity.

CONSTRUCTION IS ON SCHEDULE

“Phase 2” of Vicenza Expo Centre’s expansion and redevelopment work, led by Mario Vescovo, IEG's Director of Operations and Director of the Vicenza venue, in relation to the construction of the new, modern and functional building to be erected on the area previously occupied by Halls 2 and 5, is proceeding in full compliance with the timeline set by IEG. After the demolition stages of the old buildings and land reclamation, the construction site has now been handed over to the civil works company, which is carrying out the piling work needed to support the subsequent foundations. The start of the above-ground construction will already be visible in time for Vicenzaoro January 2025, while at Vicenzaoro September 2025, headed by IEG’s global exhibition manager, Matteo Farsura, the unfinished construction will be seen in its entirety, thanks to the completion that will take place over the summer. Work will then continue with system installations and finishing works to be completed in spring 2026.