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EMECA general assembly in Milan end-May 2005 |
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 The representatives of the 18 EMECA member venues unanimously chose Piergiacomo Ferrari, CEO of Fiera Milano, as their new President. Ferrari succeeds Messe Frankfurt CEO Michael von Zitzewitz. Marc Granier, CEO of Paris Nord Villepinte, was appointed the new helmsman's deputy and First Vice President. Now as Vice President, Michael von Zitzewitz will be responsible for relations with the European Union. Juan Carlos Gomez, IFEMA Madrid, was confirmed in office as Treasurer. New to the EMECA board are MCH Swiss Exhibition CEO René Kamm as Vice President Strategy and Development and NürnbergMesse CEO Bernd A. Diederichs as Vice President Communications. In this capacity Diederichs will also act as EMECA spokesman.
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In his punchy inaugural address, Ferrari stressed the importance of defending European exhibition venues' lead against mounting competition and building further on it. Committing his colleagues from the premier European fair grounds to the spirit of EMECA, he said: "Moving ahead the challenges are tremendous, and only together can we rise to them." In his farewell speech Zitzewitz had previously underscored the important part that the European exhibition centres play in Europe's economic development: "Ninety-nine percent of all our exhibitors are small and medium-sized businesses, for which the more than 1,100 international trade fairs taking place at the EMECA member venues represent a unique sales platform." |
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At a working lunch with EMECA Gabriele Albertini, mayor of Milan, likewise highlighted the significance attaching to a prospering exhibition industry, describing it as a "driving force for our economy". In Piergiacomo Ferrari, he said, EMECA had chosen as its president a declared exhibition specialist with more than 30 years' experience, who deserved enormous credit for the construction of Milan's new exhibition centre.
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See more pictures of the meeting |
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