Bologna, 23 June 2023 – Designed to promote Italy’s medium and small boat-building sector, the new partnership is also set to change the national boat-show scene. The agreement signed by Gennaro Amato, President of Afina (the Italian Boating Industry Association), and Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere S.p.A., will significantly boost trade shows focusing on medium and small-size craft. It will also strengthen, improve and further develop the two international boat shows - Napoli-Navigare and Bologna - organized by the two Companies, but especially open up new opportunities abroad for the Italian marine industry.

"This is an important and decisive agreement for the boat-building sector specializing in 5 to 15 metre craft," said Afina President Gennaro Amato. "Partnering a corporate structure of the calibre of BolognaFiere Spa will benefit the entire sector. Their experience and proven sector-specific expertise will doubtless help promote and extend the international boat shows of Naples and Bologna. But the partnership will also bring about a real step change in the size range of Italian marine-sector exports, today almost exclusively of mega-yachts".

Thanks to this agreement, the 150 plus Italian shipyards attending these two international boat shows – companies located throughout Italy, from the Veneto region to Sicily, and producing over 2 000 boats a year for an annual turnover of more than 300 million Euros - will be able to count on exciting new initiatives geared to help them access foreign markets.

 "We are delighted to sign this agreement with Afina aimed at promoting the marine industry," said Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere Spa, "especially since it is also in line with our Group’s drive to expand our exhibition capability. In fact, we had already identified specific production sectors - among them, the small and medium-sized boating industry – that fitted our exhibition-centre offering. As the organizer of a trade fair in Bologna and Naples, Afina is an excellent partner with which to plan this sector’s development, especially in light of our partnership with Informa, leader in the boat-show sector abroad".

Off to a great start, this important partnership is set to provide a further thrust to the Italian boating industry in its bid to become a world leader. Long appreciated on the market, Made-in-Italy excellence in the 5 to 15 metre range will have export opportunities thanks to the agreements between BolognaFiere Spa and Informa, the events specialist managing major shows like the Monaco Yacht Show and the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show.

This strategic agreement between Afina and BolognaFiere Spa is the first policy initiative taken by President Gennaro Amato following his unanimous re-election for the fourth consecutive term at the helm of the Italian Nautical Industry Association. Other events will also be rolled out during his four-year mandate, such as the 50^th anniversary celebration of Nauticsud, scheduled for February 2024. A meeting with the top management of brand owners Mostra d'Oltremare of Naples will be held in the next few days. In the words of Afina’s president: "Successful organization is all about planning, which is why I intend to propose and share prospective projects with MdO’s top management. You don’t change a winning team!”.