Quadrum Returns to Florence After Successful Debut Show

Art Business News, August, 2000 by Julie Keller

FLORENCE, Italy--Quadrum, an international mouldings, frames, graphics and accessories exhibition, is returning to Italy Sept. 28 through Oct. 1. And show organizers say they plan to build on the success of last year's debut show for an event that's twice as nice.

"We're working on the second edition of Quadrum, and we wish to make it more attractive, more elegant and also more international with a number of exhibitors and visitors coming from all over the world," said Dr. Corrado Mancini, a show organizer, from his office in Milan. "To reach these aims, we have realized a stronger organization and have increased the exhibition area with a new pavilion and new booth equipment."

At the show, a number of products will be exhibited, including mouldings and frames, photo frames, posters and graphics, ovals, glasses and mirrors, machines, art paints, adhesives, brushes, canvases, tools and accessories for frames and lights and more.

Along with this diversity, show organizers are also demanding quality. "All of these products and the exhibitors have a common feature: the high quality," said MAncini. "In fact, a special committee, composed of industrialists and experts make a selection of the applications and admit only the firms and products with that feature. At Quadrum, visitors will see only quality."

A Firm Foundation

LAst year, at Quadrum '99, 100 international exhibitors filled more than 10,500 square meters of booth space and attracted more than 4,000 professional visitors, 27 percent of whom came from outside of Italy.

And considering that 45.9 percent of frames exported from Europe and 31.4 percent of frames produced in Europe come from Italy, the number of Italian exhibitors is also rather significant, according to show organizers.

The actual exhibitors space was also key to last year's success. According to show organizers, completely furnished booths with a linear and refined layout that highlighted the products while setting off the companies' images, along with specialized exhibits, gave international trade operators the possibility to visit the show in the most profitable way.

Mancini said Quadrum has a focus on international alliances. "Inn a world where the globalization is a characteristic, we think that strategic alliances with other international exhibitors and magazines have not only an important, but essential role," he explained.

Millennium Makeover

This year, Quadrum organizers plan to build on last year's event in several ways. First, the exhibition area will be expanded with a new modern and functional Cavaniglia pavilion. This new space will host the graphic, machine and accessories sectors of the show and will also provide the entrance to the event. In this pavilion, a larger number of exhibitors featuring a variety of new, state-of-the-art and unique products will be displayed, according to show organizers.

Organizers also hope to improve the show with an increase in visitors, a task that has already been accomplished.

"For 2000, we hoped to increase the number of visitors from different countries by 50 percent, and this aim has been reached four months before the exhibition," said Mancini.