A moment of collective recovery and thanks given to professionals and volunteers for their relentless effort and commitment during the months of the pandemic. The 2021 edition of REAS, the leading exhibition in Italy dedicated to the civil protection, first aid and fire protection emergency sector that boasts a 20-year history, closed with a high energy message.
From October 8th to 10th, the International Emergency Exhibition brought over 23,000 professionals and volunteers together from all over Italy to Montichiari. The exhibition left the emergency generated by the pandemic in its wake and returned to welcome the most important manufacturing and commercial realities in the sector, ready to take advantage of the direct contact with professionals and volunteers in the field.
REAS 2021 thus marks an ideal restarting point for the sector, as highlighted during the inauguration ceremony by the Head of the Italian Civil Protection Department Fabrizio Curcio, who thanked the entire world of volunteers and emergency professionals that permitted the country to cope with the difficulties over the last year. The Civil Protection Department was present at REAS with an institutional stand where it illustrated its activities on the territory, through an installation consisting of a special self-propelled plate that simulated seismic events, created in partnership with Fondazione Eucentre, the European Centre for Training and Research in Seismic Engineering in Pavia. During the days of the exhibition visitors were able to experience a seismic event, gaining greater awareness in relation to earthquake risk and the need to adopt best practices to reduce their impact.
REAS reaffirmed the same exhibition space as the 2019 edition with an exhibitor audience that represented the key sectors in which the emergency system is articulated at its best: first aid, civil protection and fire protection. “There is an enormous desire to begin again and an extraordinary public attendance” explained Tommaso Croce, Manager of the IVECO Special Transport plant in Brescia. “Returning today to a tradeshow – the most important in Italy, among the first to open in Europe – is above all for us a cause for joy, which gives some breathing space and happiness to us. It is also really important because here we gather all feedback from the market”. The exhibition has thus confirmed its role as a unique occasion to do business, and, after waiting for two years, the 2021 edition seems to have gone beyond initial expectations. “We are very happy to have participated in REAS”, declared Giulia Gandolfi, Marketing Manager for BAI Brescia Antincendi International. “Over the last two years the digital world has helped to maintain relationships with customers and stakeholders, but the chance to touch vehicles and components is a plus only tradeshows can provide”. This opinion is also shared by Mauro Massai, Managing Director of the company Mariani Fratelli: “There is a desire to re-emerge and great interest in new products is circulating”, he declared at the end of the tradeshow. “Attendance was truly remarkable, and our verdict is extremely positive.” Marco Leonardi, Commercial Manager of the Focaccia Group also drew up a satisfactory balance sheet. “We are very satisfied with this year’s tradeshow”, he explained on Sunday morning. “Turnout was excellent and exceeded expectations. There is the desire to meet and great interest in vehicles and all that the tradeshow offers”.
REAS 2021 thus preserves direct contact with exhibiting companies and shows it provides concrete responses to their needs. This is an important result that rewards a tradeshow format that, over twenty years of history has been able to win the confidence of companies, institutions and associations linked to the emergency sector.
“REAS is the result of enormous teamwork”, declared Gianantonio Rosa, President of Centro Fiera Montichiari. “Our exhibition has been able to react in the face of adversity, sending out a strong message of hope and faith. The tradeshow system can make an essential contribution to recovery, giving value to ideas, and the ability to work and desire to innovate to companies. Our thanks go to the volunteers, professionals and to all the companies that work each day to guarantee our safety”.
“REAS concludes with a very encouraging result”, declared Ezio Zorzi, Manager of Centro Fiera. “2021 edition numbers show that the emergency sector believes in the added value of tradeshows and wishes to return to believing in the future. The know-how of our companies is of inestimable value and is the foundation from which we must start again”.
“After almost two years of prevalently online interaction the wish to hold events in presence has returned”, explained Andreas Züge, Managing Director of Hannover Fairs International GmbH, the Italian headquarters of Deutsche Messe AG. “Through its 2021 edition REAS has reinforced its leadership position. In the year 2022 Italy will be once again an INTERSCHUTZ Partner Country. A not-to-be-missed occasion to develop the internationalization of REAS and above all to carry forward exchanges between the Italian emergency system and international key players”.
“International partnership is more important than ever”, confirmed Dirk Aschenbrenner, President of vdfb, the German Fire Protection Association. “At REAS we presented the German First Aid Robotics Centre (DRZ), which deals with research and development of mobile robotic systems for civil safety that were recently used during the flooding catastrophe in Germany. REAS offers an excellent opportunity to preview innovations and newness in products that will be featured next year at INTERSCHUTZ”.
“REAS struck me positively”, declared Karl-Heinz Banse, President of DFV (German Association of Fire-fighters). “We intend to continue with our partnership and confirm our attendance at the 2022 edition that will follow the appointment at INTERSCHUTZ a few months later.”
During the REAS inauguration ceremony, the vfdb President Dirk Aschenbrenner and the DFV President Karl-Heinz Banse welcomed the Head of the Italian Civil Protection Department Fabrizio Curcio to the INTERSCHUTZ stand, officially inviting him to the next edition of the quinquennial world leader tradeshow for the safety sector that will take place in Hannover from June 20th to 25th 2022. REAS and leading Italian companies will be key players during the Italy Partner Country Day that will take place with a series of initiatives specifically dedicated to our country. The synergy between Centro Fiera di Montichiari and Deutsche Messe AG has created a permanent channel of dialogue and cooperation between Italy and Germany and has contributed to growing the international appeal of the REAS brand.
The conference activities also proved to be an asset to the exhibition. The national conference “Drones in emergencies” was greatly appreciated. Organised on Friday by Mediarkè, it explored a topic becoming more and more strategic for Civil Protection that pays increasing attention to the implementation of significant technological developments. On Saturday the conference “Communication in emergency” generated high interest. It was presented by ANPAS and dealt with highly topical issues, thanks also to the speeches given by Fabrizio Curcio Head of the Italian Civil Protection Department and President of ANPAS Fabrizio Pregliasco. As per tradition, the A.I.B. Round Table, supported by the magazine “Italian Civil Protection”, confirmed its high profile and thanks to the presence of representatives from all regions in Italy, permitted assessment of the situation in relation to woodland fire protection in the country both in terms of legislation and operationally, drawing up new strategies after an extremely critical summer.
REAS 2021 concluded thus with the desire to return to planning with confidence for the future. The dates of next year’s edition have already been set for 7th, 8th and 9th October 2022.