METEF 2021: A new corporate structure, a new location and solid partnerships for new developments in the international context

Metef, the great exhibition for aluminium, metal foundry and innovative material technologies, launched in Italy in 1997 by Edimet as the world’s first event dedicated to light alloys, initially in partnership with Verona’s trade fair which in 2017 acquired it entirely, is now being strengthened by a new corporate structure and creates new partnerships to tackle international competition.
The growing interest for aluminium as a raw material in the global economy of the next few decades brought to an extraordinary convergence of interests on the Metef event between Veronafiere and Bolognafiere, two of the greatest Italian trade show organizations, which decided to join forces with a 50-50 peer participation, placing their bets on a show whose next edition will be held in Bologna in March, 2021. This historical partnership has the aim of enhancing in the international context a segment of such extraordinary strategic relevance as metallurgy and advanced manufacturing, from automotive to transportation, to constructions and mechanics, strongly connected to aluminium, a versatile, sustainable, environment-friendly material which lies at the foundation of every industrial development.

The Metef- MecSpe alliance
The next edition of Metef, which will be held in Bologna from March 25th to the 27th, 2021, will take place at the same time as the MecSpe trade show, the reference event for the manufacturing industry in our country and for the smart factory, which in 2021 for the first time will be hosted in Bologna. The two shows will be hosted in distinct and communicating halls, to underline the consideration of their respective peculiarities and strengths but also the opportunity of developing synergies so that each may increase its competitive and innovative capabilities, cooperating closely to reach the predefined strategic objectives. In this cooperation spirit, the organization of the joint event will be taken care of by the respective secretariats which managed them so far, Metef Srl for Metef and Senaf for MecSpe.

New opportunities for Metef and MecSpe
The decision of moving Metef from Verona to Bologna at the same time as MecSpe began with the great opportunity of a partnership with a complementary event, creating synergies between two important trade shows which, combining their strengths, will be able to compete internationally by representing a complete picture of the global manufacturing industry. The strengths of this operation essentially consist in: a partnership between two well-known events with a consolidated positioning in the respective reference markets; a new location in a trade show centre, FieraBologna, which is pivotal with respect to the national manufacturing and metallurgical industry, fully equipped with infrastructures, easy to reach and very much appreciated abroad; the complementary and complete range of products offered.

Metef’s sectors
The industries represented are: primary aluminium, secondary aluminium, materials, machines and equipment, products, machining, assembly and surface finishing for foundry casting, die casting, extrusion, rolling.

Metef’s visitors
All of the operators of the aluminium, foundry and special metal industries interested in the various segments of the value chain:
• Production
• Processing and intermediate machining
• Recovery and recycling
• End uses in the main segments: transportation, building,
packaging, mechanics and electromechanics.

Metef, an international trade show
Metef is characterized by a good international standing, both as regards exhibitors and especially as concerns visitors; the last 2017 edition recorded an international presence of 40%, the presence of foreign visitors grew by 26% with respect to 2014 and the participation of foreign exhibitors added up to 35%.