TheMicam on a quest for new dates

By

Dominique Muret

Published
Sep 17, 2015

TheMicam appears to be encountering difficulties with its relaunch. For several seasons now, the Milan footwear show has witnessed a decline in the number of exhibitors and visitors.

At the close of the latest edition, held from 1st to 4th September, Anna Rita Pilotti, the new president of Assocalzaturifici (the Italian footwear manufacturers association), announced "a renewal project" for next year. Starting with a change in dates, to include Sunday again. 

However, according to La Conceria, an Italian website specialised in the leather and tannery sector, it seems that there is a lively debate about the issue. In 2016, the next edition of TheMicam will be held from Sunday 14th to Wednesday 17th in February. In contrast, there's widespread uncertainty about the next summer session.

At the beginning of the month, the show's organisers announced that dates for TheMicam would shift to 3rd-6th September 2016 instead of 28th-31st August as previously planned. It appears that Anna Rita Pilotti then suggested to postpone the show to 22nd-25th September. The suggestion was turned down by Assocalzaturifici's executive committee, which made a counter-proposal: to hold the show from 16th to 19th September, just before the Milan Fashion Week planned from 21st to 27th September 2016.

This solution could win over Italian footwear manufacturers, who are absolutely against holding the show in August, and rather unconvinced about the end of September dates. The final decision should be given next Tuesday.