AnnualGuideToEquipmentandMachinery-MilanMachinista:Vitrum2011

Volume 46, Issue 7 - August 2011

feature

Milan Machinista

Vitrum 2011 to Focus on Energy Saving, Renewable Energy

Vitrum 2011, the 17th biennial international trade fair for machinery, equipment and systems for the processing of flat and hollow glass, glass and finished products for the industry, will be held again at Fiera Milano in Milan, Italy, October 26-29. GIMAV, the association of Italian manufacturers and suppliers of machinery, equipment and special products for glass processing, sponsors the show.

An international event that brings thousands of foreign visitors to Milan, many glass machinery providers look to Vitrum to provide leads and business opportunities to glass fabricators. Show organizers point out that the number of visitors went up 3.68 percent from Vitrum 2007 to Vitrum 2009, even in the midst of economic crisis during 2009. Visitors from more than 100 countries attended Vitrum 2009.

More than 600 companies exhibited at Vitrum 2009, attracting more than 20,000 visitors, and GIMAV director Renata Gaffo comments that for 2011, “The signs seem to be positive, after a 2010 fraught with highs and lows, marked by encouraging trends during the first few months, then by a slow-down that lasted only a short time, followed by upward growth through August, and later by another long pause and, finally, by a surge of recovery toward the end of the year. At last, looking at the numbers, very little seems changed from 2009, but what does appear to have changed is the mood—the will to get into gear and take off again looms on the horizon.”

The focus of the 2011 trade show will be “green machines,” and technologies engineered to save energy and harness renewable energy sources, including warm-edge technologies, in addition to solar modules and solar thermal panels.

The Vitrum Energy section will feature energy saving and renewable energy technology with glass in the spotlight as the center of the latest solutions for the green economy.

Vitrum Lab, the art lab project launched in 2009, and sponsored by the Lombardy Regional Authority - Education, Training and Labor Department and the Provincial Authority of Milan, will continue to promote glass-related art, crafts and culture. For a fun distraction, peer in on the projects of the elementary school children who will be invited to attend the fair and participate in creative workshops. And to watch glass in the making, check out the live performances by master glassblowers from Murano.

The Hollow Glass section will be dedicated to tableware, bottles, specialty glass for pharmaceutical/technical applications and products designed to meet high safety and sanitation standards.

To register, fill out the registration form at www.vitrum-milano.it, and you will get an email confirming your registration, as well as a special bar code to use at the ticket counter at the show to receive a personalized admission card.

In and Around Milan
Milan is Italy’s business hub and the seat of fashion. Rome might be bigger and have more political power, but Milan and the affluent north is what really makes the country tick, according to Fodor’s. The city is Italy’s transport hub, with the biggest international airport, Malpensa, the most rail connections and arguably the best subway system. Leonardo da Vinci’s The Last Supper and other classic works of art are housed in Milan, as well as the Gothic Duomo cathedral.

Other than the Duomo, historic sights worth a visit during your time in Milan include museums and galleries, such as the Casa-Museo Boschi di Stefano (Boschi di Stefano House and Museum), Museo Civico Archeologico (Municipal Archaeological Museum), Museo Nazionale della Scienza e Tecnica (National Museum of Science and Technology), Pinacoteca di Brera (Brera Gallery), Santa Maria delle Grazie, Teatro alla Scala, Triennale Design Museum and the Villa Belgioioso Bonaparte—Museo dell’Ottocento.

In addition to these sights, Milan is considered the shopping mecca of the world. Glitterati from across the globe flock to Milan to fulfill their designer desires. Corso Buenos Aires is a long stretch of street with various designer and regular stores on either side. Brera, Mercato di Via S. Marco and Via Torino are other famous shopping centers worth checking out for your souvenirs for home.

For a taste of delicious Italian cuisine, Fodor’s recommends the following restaurants in Milan: Al Rifugio Pugliese, Antica Osteria del Ponte, Bar Tempio, Cracco, Da Abele, Da Giacomo, Don Carlos, Joia, La Bruschetta, La Libera, Paper Moon, Pizza Ok, Taverna Morigi and Trattoria Montina.