XT Company, is very attentive to trade fairs, and this year also it was impossible to avoid this two important events in Bologna, close to each other for a week:
Cosmofarma Exhibition and Franchising&Retail Expo.
Cosmofarma Exhibition took place in Bologna from 5 to 7 May 2017. With over 400 exhibitors, more than 1000 brands, an exhibition area of 3 pavilions and about 32,000 attendees registered.
It was very interesting to see buyers, pharmacists, etc … from all over the world dialoguing with the manufacturers.
We also checked out a good organized meetings with companies. For XT Company this is an important milestone, because it allows us to update about the dynamics of the industry, on the ongoing transformation and the effective results on the future.
The event focused the recent edition on the future by innovation. “We look beyond, driven by passion”, was the theme. So, look to the future with professionalism, driven by passion to pass the challenges that the market imposes. And the scenery is changing: we think the transformation of the dynamics of this sector.
We had the definitive proof that over the next few years the market and the Pharmacies will no longer able to adapt to the new dynamics of retail and will therefore have a new organization as for Operations, Layout, Merchandising, Visual Merchandising, and Customer Assistance.
For this reason, we asked for the CEO of Farmaceutici Dottor Ciccarelli, Mr Stefano Leonangeli:
FARMACEUTICI DOTTOR CICCARELLI is an Italian Family run Company operating in the oral hygiene sector, cosmetics products and beauty treatment.
1 – What are the reasons encouraging for your attendance to the fair?
Cosmofarma is a successful fair with over 30,000 visitors in 2016 (+ 7% vs 2015), growing year by year. This year also the turnout was very high. An important and qualitative part of visitors is the Pharmacists, as our privileged interlocutors, to whom we will address for a comparison to meet their specific needs as for the visit of the area agent as well as to show the novelties and much more. Important thing is the relationship with foreign customers. Also important is the contact with distributors and foreign customers.
2 – Do you present news during this exhibition?
This year we presented some new products. The first one is the line Timodore with the new Pedicure Roll, a product integrating in an interesting part of the market for the complete Timodore products in Pharmacy. Important innovations on the fornula, graphics and communication fo the Cera di Cupra Line.
3- Do you have any initiatives ending on the retail market? For instance on window dressing or POP materials?
Each launch on the Pharmacy sector is full provided with promotional supports for the sales point, such as bench displays, windows displays, leaflets, sampling. This year we studied also a new flooring display solution at high visibility, which gathers all the products in Pharmacy. This is to create more visibility and well identification for the consumer, especially for the brand Timodore and further increase of the turnover of the products involved.
Instead, moving on the 2nd Edition of Franchising&Retail Expo, the International Exhibition devoted to franchising and retail, organised by BolognaFiere, in partnership with Assofranchising, we verified, despite all great anticipations, as for XT’s opinion, that this event achieved few interest.
Here the exhibitors meet potential entrepreneurs and aspiring franchisee coming from abroad and interested to join a franchise network or retail processes. We had the opportunity to talk to many players on the market by sharing views in order to enrich us with the innovations and achievements applied with the sector. Above all we realised that the franchisor and the franchisee must be fully combined and none of them can be excluded. This edition has been characterized by a strong international vocation, and has seen delegations, from different nations attendant at the fair, free for individual meetings with franchisors. We also noticed a strong attendance of Service Companies supporting for a successful and positive supply and demand formula. There were canonical training sessions and seminars with the operators in special classrooms for this purpose.
We saw even the official launch of the 1st Franchising Master developed by Assofranchising, the Italian Association of Franchising: a sign that also this sector looks after the future realising that innovation is equivalent to the progress.
On this occasion we interviewed Sara Häuptli Nguyen and Alessandro Melchionna, Coaches and Relational Counselors, team leaders and Dandelion’s founders.
1- Which are the reasons moving your Company to exhibit to this Fair?
This year, our presence represents the official launch of the first “First Class Master” in Franchising, developed by appointment and in collaboration with Assofranchising. Assofranchising appointed, about a year ago, NOUS&PARTNER (Member of Assofranchising), to develop the professionalization of the franchising project in Italy in order to cover the needs of the operators involved in this sector.
2 – What do you particularly present in this Exhibition?
In this order we developed a Master’s degree Course in addition to a Franchising training course.The implementation of this project saw the collaboration of three partners in the last year: Assofranchising as contact for the sector and representing the operators, NOUS & Partner for his management and consulting experience and Dandelion for his know how in coaching and university training.
3- Do you have projects on retail sector?
The recipients of the Master are to be identified at multiple levels. The first devoted to Franchisors who require more professionalism of their affiliates or managers, the second connected to professionals working in the franchising sector demanding for a development of their business, and finally to those desirous to undertake their entrepreneurial career in this area.
A cura di Andrea Marcucci (XT srl)
by AN shopfitting magazine no.139 ©
