Big Buyer, a showcase of excellence, a 360° panorama for buyers in the stationery, office, school, party, creativity, and toy sectors, was held in Bologna, Italy, from 8-10 November, 2023.
The cornerstones of the trade fair included its excellent exhibition space with top-notch international participation, premier presentation of new arrivals, a comprehensive and integrated product panel, the ability to bring business and culture together under one roof, carefully selected visitors, and organisational quality.
Mariella Nasi Pfeiffer, creator of Big Buyer, points out, “All these factors allowed Big Buyer to meet its objectives and, once again, bring the entire industry together in Bologna to take stock of new market horizons and the most popular consumption patterns, but above all to benefit from all the guaranteed business advantages. These include defining new business strategies, planning orders, and developing and integrating promotional campaigns for the following year. The exhibiting companies managed to achieve their goals during the three days. This only proves that the Big Buyer concept is always in step with the times and can pride itself on a level of functionality unanimously appreciated by industry professionals.”
Pfeiffer acknowledged the role of exhibitors and visitors as “indispensable mainstays of the event, continuing to work together to achieve new goals in the future.”
Product and Visitor Portfolio Gets Bigger
Buyers were attracted not only by the preview of the 2024 collections but also by the new product categories included at the trade fair, which have further extended the range of exhibited products, with arts and crafts, hobbies, and creativity receiving unanimous approval.
Attended by large-scale retail buyers, office suppliers, and wholesale distributors, Big Buyer 2023 had an encouraging response from arts and crafts, bookshops, “do it yourself” (DIY), e-commerce, garden centres, gift shops, and more.
Conferences, Workshops, and Creative Labs
At Big Buyer 2023, professionals looking for all-round inspiration to make their businesses more profitable benefitted from a highly appealing conference programme and a unique offer of creative laboratories. While the totally-free interactive conferences held at international levels offered surveys, debates, and open discussions aimed at the growth of the sector, workshops and creative laboratories helped participants to acquire new inputs to effectively deal with various themes at their point of sale (POS).
Events and Awards
As usual, Big Buyer 2023 was also a venue for award ceremonies and shared moments. The awards were presented during the traditional cocktail party, in a friendly and convivial atmosphere.
Paperblanks, which won the Silver Plaque at the 16th edition of the Top Design Award, received hearty applause thanks to the precious Duomo di Milano (Milan Cathedral) collection created in partnership with Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano, an institution that has been safeguarding and restoring the Duomo for more than 630 years. The range of school accessories created by the Plastic Bank platform and designed by Mans won the 3rd edition of the Green Future Award for its ‘original’ and ‘total green’ concept, making use of 100% plastic recovered from the sea.
Target 2024: Milan and Beyond
At Edinova – organizers of the annual B2B event – preparations for Big Buyer 2024 are in full swing and the management has already identified the main areas of development on which to focus attention and investment. The change of venue marks a significant turning point, particularly in terms of centrality in the European scenario, with new opportunities, not only for Italian visitors but also, and above all, for foreign participants, thanks to countless options in terms of facilities and means of transport to the city.
Efforts will be made to further expand the visitor base, which will involve new types of buyers in order to develop an even more international and multi-target edition of the trade fair.
