Sitting down with Marco Carniello, International Exhibition Director Jewelry & Trend IEG, at VicenzaOro

I at all times like to get insights from VicenzaOro’s frontman, Marco Carniello. One of many issues that stands out is his razor-sharp focus and real curiosity in individuals. On Sunday tenth of September, at 9:00 am within the morning, I had the pleasure to interview Marco about VicenzaOro. 

At any time when I converse with Marco Carniello, I am struck by his modest, partaking demeanor. However make no mistake, this man possesses a razor-sharp focus and a real appreciation for teamwork. He by no means talks about himself; it is at all times about his crew. Simply observe how few individuals on the prime try this. This obvious lack of ego is a welcome element in a world the place individuals like to get credit score for what really took a crew to perform. 

For those who’ve seen Marco Carniello strolling across the commerce honest, you could not have missed him; this cycling-loving International Director of Trend and Jewellery for IEG, the commerce present organizer, appears to know everybody. Marco is a shining instance of a contemporary chief, empathetic and engaged, but with a razor-sharp imaginative and prescient and clear objectives. He by no means talks about himself however at all times about his Golden Workforce of colleagues, and he does not hesitate to focus on the roles of others.

On this interview, I sat down with him within the Welcome Lounge. A German colleague is listening in, and an American “traditional mannequin” and influencer, Manon Crespi, is getting every little thing able to shoot an Instagram reel with Marco shortly. Michela Moneta, his proper hand for all issues advertising and marketing, retains monitor of time and solutions.

The primary query is extra of an commentary. Friday was noticeably much less crowded than in earlier editions on the identical opening day. Marco folds his palms and smiles. “Nicely noticed! We see a lower in attendance on this version; it is a quieter begin. We had important will increase in earlier editions, even a +20%. Now, we’re seeing a +9% (correction on the finish of the honest: +6%), which is anticipated to say no additional. However that is advantageous as a result of when you’ve got a shockwave, even a constructive one like in current instances, it causes numerous points. Your entire provide chain might be affected, and merchandise could not make it to the shops on time.”

“The market is consolidating; it’d really feel completely different from the get together vibe we had, for instance, in January,” Marco laughs, “but it surely’s way more sustainable now.”

“We additionally count on much less buying; inventories are nonetheless ample in lots of instances,” says Marco Carniello. Nevertheless, consumers, retailers, and wholesalers are nonetheless coming to VicenzaOro. That is important as a result of they arrive to us for inspiration, to see the place the market is perhaps heading within the subsequent 18 months, and what the traits are. We delight ourselves on being a platform for interplay within the business. We create a wholesome and constructive atmosphere. We’re right here for the group that folks type inside an business.

Marco’s eyes mild up, and he sits up straighter. “Look, we like to think about ourselves a platform of alternatives. That does not simply imply a brand new transaction. We’re a platform for high-quality data and schooling. We’re additionally the networking platform. That is why we make investments closely in occasions each on the honest and round it, like the various Pleased Hours (with DJs, music, drinks, and snacks open air), particularly within the metropolis of Vicenza, the place there’s a lot to do. The distinctive worth is that we create the proper circumstances for alternatives in many various methods.”

I requested Marco Carniello what three issues he hoped VicenzaOro guests would take away as a sense. He jokingly says he needs to focus primarily on enterprise, hinting on the innate Italian aptitude for expressing feelings. That they’ve turn into extra impressed, that they’ve made at the very least one priceless new contact, and that they’ve found one new provider. The common purchaser stays right here for 2 days, so we hope our hashtag #discovermore has labored for them. We work onerous to turn into the showcase for traits. Our advertising and marketing crew may be very lively in strengthening this picture on-line and offline; right down to the smallest particulars, he factors to a blue shifting decoration in every single place on the honest. We wish to be a cool, hip, and vibrant atmosphere. That is why we’re more and more branding ourselves as an organization. We wish to be synonymous with the phrase “traits.” He laughs and says, “It have to be our Italian character!”

We wish to be a benchmark for operational excellence. We’ve got to be totally efficient. Vicenza is a small metropolis; we’re not likely outfitted for big teams of individuals. There is not any airport right here, no 5-star resorts. That is why it is as much as us to make sure that the customer’s journey goes as easily as doable after they determine to come back right here. And that is mirrored on our web site; all the data is geared in direction of making it as simple as doable for the customer. Marco emphasizes what is commonly underestimated: the appreciation for the hassle individuals put into attending a commerce honest. There have to be a way of ROI for the customer, and the VicenzaOro crew clearly feels that duty.

, I inquired additional in regards to the benchmarking Marco Carniello talked about earlier. How does he really try this? “We primarily have a look at commerce reveals like JCK (USA) and Hong Kong and generally borrow their improvements, they usually generally borrow ours. We really need your expertise,” he nods in direction of us and the guests within the lounge, “to be at the very least as gratifying as at these gala’s, however ideally even higher. We do not see ourselves in competitors with these gala’s however extra as ‘co-opetition’ (as in Dubai, the place VO is a part of the honest). It is necessary to maintain shifting, to innovate as a result of commerce reveals are an older enterprise mannequin.”

That is why we’re continuously testing new codecs like VO’Clock, the place the watch group has already related on-line properly prematurely and the place we offer the chance for a bodily gathering. We by no means pressure the matters that the assorted authorities and consultants deliver to the stage. We’re not the authority; we’re a platform.

To have a cause to exist, a platform like a commerce honest should present what the visiting jewellery or watch skilled wants. The honest has observed a requirement for extra pearls and is discussing this with Japan. combine within the completely different halls is important and a mirrored image of what consumers are in search of, says Marco Carniello. “We actively search suggestions from consumers,” he nods. We host 400 of them and supply numerous loyalty applications to 1000’s of others. Suggestions is vastly necessary to Marco and his crew as a result of every little thing ensures that the customer at VicenzaOro finds precisely what they want. This impacts the admission of recent exhibitors.

Subsequent yr, VicenzaOro celebrates its seventieth anniversary. How will probably be celebrated will likely be revealed to the press in a particular second in mid-October. We’re excited and eagerly wanting ahead to January 2024!

Subsequent dates of VicenzaOro

19-23 January 2024

6-10 September 2024