SIMEI 2015: the International Enological and Bottling Equipment Exhibition

Organization already underway for the next edition. Big players, international conferences and the best technology at the fore.

The 26th edition of Simei, the International Enological and Bottling Equipment Exhibition closed just a few months ago, a success with a high number of both visitors (Italian and foreign) and exhibitors (all the big players in the industry present) and great satisfaction on behalf of the UIV (Unione Italiana Vini), the organizers of the exhibition from its first edition.

The organizers are back in force to repeat the success. First official announcement: the dates: Simei will be returning to the Fiera Milano Exhibition Centre in Rho from 3 to 6 November 2015. A very important year for Italy and Milan that will be hosting Expo 2015, a wonderful opportunity to make our country a unique show of excellence.

In the same spirit, Simei will be bringing to Milan the leading wine cellar technology and retaining its dual identity as an exhibition and a professional, scientific and technical updating experience.

As with the last edition, the programme will be full of strategic events for all operators. Meetings will be held with well-known international figures and academic, industrial and institutional representatives will be present to give their important contribution to the industry.

Technology, as always at Simei, will be the key player. State of the art machinery and services will be exhibited in the pavilions of the exhibition centre. The best of these will be given awards by an international Scientific Committee in the Innovation Challenge, the competition that aims to give visibility to all the innovations that make a significant contribution to the progress of the industry as a whole.

Not only. Returning to Simei is the new feature that debuted in 2013: CONTAG, the revolutionary technology never used before in such an important trade fair. This technology allows for the simple, comprehensive and sustainable exchange of information between the exhibitors, visitors and organisers. You only have to look at the numbers for last year to realise the impact of CONTAG: 18,700 videos, 157,328 brochures, 95,000 business cards downloaded virtually.

Once again at SIMEI 2015, thanks to the sophisticated software used in Contag, there will be a huge reduction in costs and a reduced environmental impact. Each visitor will receive an entrance badge holder fitted with a microchip and all exhibitors will be equipped with an electronic device containing the information they want to give out (brochures, videos, etc.). By placing the badge holder near the device, the visitor will obtain the information from the exhibitor to then view and download on a computer at leisure. At the same time, the exhibitor will see who has visited the stand.

For 50 years, Simei has been the benchmark of an important industry for the international economy and in particular for the Italian economy where Italy’s leading role in technological innovation has a strong impact.

Italian exports of machinery and equipment for wine cellars are continuing to rise: 2013 recorded exports of 2.297 billion Euros, corresponding to a 13% increase on the previous year. The figures include about 1 billion Euros just for machines for encapsulating, closing, filling and labelling bottles and aerating beverages, equal to about 60% of the entire business flow. Figures of great importance, especially when put into the context of the difficult crisis that is affecting all industries.

Another fact of great importance is that imports in 2013 fell significantly compared to the previous two years, resulting in a trade balance with an extremely reassuring surplus, totalling 1.8 billion euros.