And we returned to a Fitur like the ones before

Fitur 2023: we were really looking forward to it

Like before what? Well, you can imagine... The Pandemic was a drastic turning point in many ways, but without a doubt, any face-to-face activity was affected to a greater extent. Events, in particular, suffered greatly. Fitur too, despite the efforts of his organization, determined to row against the tide and public opinion, for not surrendering to the devastating power of the virus. A stubbornness as laudable as criticized , which they have shown off for two eternal years and which, in the end, has been, in some way, rewarded.

Contrary to what happened with other major international fairs, this one never fell into easy temptation, it never bit into the poisoned apple of cancellation. Because, no matter how hard it might be to resign yourself and let yourself be swept away by the avalanche of caution, the comfortable (prudent?) would have been to follow in the footsteps of the majority and wait for better times to come. However, they never did. This quote is different, it is made of a different material.

They created Fitur Live Connect, their virtual platform, aware that the hybrid format, as with cars, offered greater guarantees. They also established strict security protocols, implemented a host of preventive measures and made payment and "no-show" policies more flexible (revenue management in its purest form). They stayed that way until the last moment. Trembling, surely, but firm, with your head held high.

In the end, they had no choice but to postpone, but even doing so, they had set a precedent and sent a message that went very deep: Fitur does not wrinkle. The 2021 edition was reduced to a kind of ghost edition, exceptionally celebrated during the month of May, unanimously remembered as a sad and devastating encounter. However, above all, it was an unmistakable symbol, perhaps the first, of the process of recovery of world tourism. We did not dare then to appear as exhibitors, but we understood that the right thing to do was to attend. To be, had to be .

Just eight months later, in January 2022, the picture was already quite different. In our country, the worst of Covid-19 was behind us. While people lost count of the number of waves surfed, the Coronavirus lost lethality. The vaccine had done its job and society learned to live with this uncomfortable companion, exchanging fear for respect. And Fitur returned to the cold of the capital in winter. It was still easy to find the seven differences between that fair and its pre-pandemic version, but there were clear signs of normality. Once again, Ifema distributed the right dose of optimism that the sector demanded to metabolize so much hardship and impotence.

Last year ended up being a record year in many ways. It would not be fair to say that it has been a bed of roses, but the truth is that nobody seemed willing to turn the other cheek after such a slap in the face. Thus, despite the innumerable crises derived from the war in Ukraine, despite inflation, despite the recession... The whole world has traveled again. No matter who likes it. And at Paraty Tech, we finally returned to a Fitur like before.

With booth. No masks. With sweets. Without hydroalcoholic gel. With quotes. No screens. With desire. No hard feelings. The figures for this edition, recently concluded, have exceeded all expectations: 66,900 net exhibition m2, 222,000 attendees, 136,000 professionals, 8,500 companies, 131 countries, 755 main exhibitors. We are talking about parameters very close to those of his historical record. Something unthinkable weeks ago.

The 40 m2 of our stand have fallen short to satisfy the agendas of the 16 colleagues who have traveled to Madrid. There wasn't room for one more coat in the warehouse, you practically had to take a number to fill one of the six available jobs, and both the cups of coffee and the bottles of water have been gradually gaining ground as the seasons have progressed. journeys.

They have been three intense, exciting, exciting and emotional days, in which we have taken the opportunity to sow, but also to collect. To discover and to spread. To establish new alliances, strengthen relationships and consolidate positions. Except for an alien invasion (the only thing that remains for us to see now), we predict a great 2023 and a long life for the queen (of fairs).