The 29th edition of TECNA – The Global Expo for ceramics and more, which has just concluded at the Rimini Expo Centre, drew highly qualified visitors from 100 countries over four days. The event marked a clear step forward for the show, combining strong attendance from industry professionals with exhibitors from across the entire supply chain. It was organised by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group in collaboration with ACIMAC, with the support of MAECI – the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation – and the Italian Trade Agency (ITA).
Attendance remained strong throughout the four-day event, with 45% of visitors coming from abroad – a higher proportion than at the previous edition. The largest international contingents came from India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Turkey, Tunisia, Germany, the UK and Argentina, a clear indication of the markets where demand for technology is currently strongest.
TECNA also remained an important meeting point for Italian professionals, who continue to be key partners for exhibiting companies. Most notably, 15% of visitors came from non-ceramic surface sectors, a clear indication that TECNA is broadening its reach.
“This edition marks a real turning point,” said Gian Paolo Crasta, Director of ACIMAC. “For years, TECNA has been the go-to exhibition for ceramic technology and it remains the industry’s international meeting place. This year also saw the return of glaze and colour producers and additive manufacturers, meaning that the full supply chain was once again represented at TECNA. This is a clear example of what Italy can achieve when all the key players – industry associations, exhibition organisers and companies – work towards the same goal. In addition, TECNA attracted highly qualified visitors, many of them directly responsible for investment decisions.”
TECNA’s international reach was evident even before the show opened. The international buyer programme organised with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) more than doubled the number of overseas buyers compared with previous editions, bringing more than 285 selected professionals to Rimini. The B2B meeting platform operated at full capacity throughout all four days. Around 300 brands exhibited at the show, 39% of them from 19 countries outside Italy.
“The attendance figures confirm TECNA’s standing as a leading global exhibition for the sector,” said Marco Cecchini, Group Exhibition Manager Industrial Division at Italian Exhibition Group. “We welcomed visitors from 100 countries, saw international attendance grow and hosted selected buyers who came to Rimini specifically to invest in technology. Our work with MAECI and the Italian Trade Agency was crucial in bringing these visitors to Rimini, and the results of these four days indicate that we are moving in the right direction. The ceramic industry remains at the heart of the event, as professionals continue to choose Rimini for the machinery and technologies serving the sector. But this year’s show also reached well beyond ceramics, taking in wood, glass and advanced materials that are attracting growing interest from the aerospace industry, while also drawing professionals who until recently would not have considered TECNA a key event for their sector. When one visitor in seven comes from outside our traditional sector, it shows that TECNA is becoming a reference point for a much broader market.”
The conference programme covered every stage of the supply chain. The TECNAwards debuted in a new two-day format combining award presentations with institutional keynote speeches, Industry Outlook presentations and roundtable discussions, and recognised companies from Brazil to Rwanda and from Indonesia to Bulgaria. For the first time, the Decortech Conference was curated by a Technical Committee made up of associations, companies, architects and designers. Its two-day programme covered topics ranging from multi-surface design to artificial intelligence and concluded with a CNR workshop on advanced ceramics for aerospace applications.
