MICAM Milano Digital Show: an opportunity to evolve

Companies think about the future and choose a digital path to strengthen contact with buyers even after having met them at Micam. Even if the trade fair is still considered an essential showcase for presenting one’s collection and discussing one’s products, the digital platform created by MICAM presents an opportunity to interact with buyers from all over the world when it is impossible for them to get to Milan or, in any case, to continue interactions and orders during and after the fair. Hereafter are some opinions from entrepreneurs who have taken up the challenge, sure that this is only one step towards an integrated digital strategy for their brands:

1. MICAM fair is supported by the MICAM Milano Digital Show platform: what do you think are the advantages of this digital evolution
2. How do you plan to improve the digital agenda of the company, in addition to being present on the MICAM Milano Digital Show platform?

Giancarlo e Sebastiano Davide – ARTIGIANINO

1. This year we joined Micam digital and by doing so we are starting to prepare ourselves for a new world. One might think that the current situation, in Italy and in the rest of the world, could represent a limit. But no. We have realised that this is the beginning of something new. Having a digital trade fair and, thus, making it possible for even those people who cannot physically be present to participate, allows us to embrace and present our products to an even broader public.

2. First of all, by making production smarter by facilitating production steps and developments. We are a company that is linked to traditions, but at the same time that aims for an increasingly innovative future vision. Then, by making the interaction with markets, representatives and potential customers more digital. Trying to interact more and more with those who are an integral part of the ‘Made in Italy’ world, who believe in the valorisation of craftsmanship, but above all in quality production.

Sara Galli – CALZATURIFICIO BRUNATE

1. The immediate advantage at this time is undoubtedly the possibility (the only one) to reach one’s customers around the world and present the new collection. Additional benefits could include the acquisition of new customers and the promotion of one’s products for a longer period of time than the traditional 4-day trade fair.
   
2. Being present on the MICAM Milano Digital Show platform, we would like to learn how to collect orders digitally and activate a direct “digital” link between sales and production.

Riccardo Achilli – CALZATURIFICIO MARCOS

1. The advantages are clearly related to the possibility of virtually reaching all those buyers who, given the current circumstances, are unable to be physically present in Milan. This is a sign of extreme dedication to the customer who can place his/her orders while saving investments and time.
2. Nowadays, every company is necessarily called upon to implement an integrated digital strategy: ‘MICAM Milano Digital Show’ can represent an important BtoB showcase in addition to other digital communication initiatives that the company is involved in in the field of social media, for example.

Ester Napoleoni – CALZATURIFICIO NAPOLEONI

1. 1. Being a small company, we have always conceived of trade fairs, MICAM amongst the others, as a meeting place to reach out to customers, where we can sit with them and have a coffee together. We are, therefore, also present at the September edition, because we believe it is a key showcase opportunity, even if this edition will inevitably be more low key than usual. The lockdown period scared us and pushed us to take on the digital challenge. It was up to us, the owner’s children, to undertake this new path, which is certainly different from the past, but exciting, nonetheless. For this reason, we have joined the MICAM Milano Digital Show platform, an initiative that we hope will be profitable, as well as interesting. We realise that if MICAM remains a showcase, sales from now on can be done elsewhere and in different ways.
   2. We realise that this is only one step towards a more complete digital transformation and, therefore, we have redesigned our website and thought of a new campaign, in order to achieve a whole virtual showroom in which to present our collections. This digitalisation process became a reality thanks to the commitment and enthusiasm of our collaborators, who pulled everything out of the box in order to realise these new digital tools. Now we are contacting our past and current customers to inform them that if they cannot come to MICAM, they can visit both the NuOrder-built MICAM platform and our own virtual showroom. I am confident: we are Italians, used to never giving up and therefore we will succeed!

Andrea Artioli – CALZATURIFICIO STAR

1. The advantages are all linked to the challenges of physical participation during this pandemic period for anybody who has to comply with regulations to cross the Italian border and reach MICAM. The digital environment overcomes these problems and gives the buyer a virtual presence with which view the latest news and maintain business relationships with the brands that take part in it.

2. Through digital sales channels – such as our single-brand e-shop artiolimilano.com – international multi-brand marketplaces, social channels, but also through a continuous updating of the brand and a widespread presence throughout the world so as to reach the consumer virtually.

Mariagrazia Del Vento – CALZATURIFICIO VOLTAN

1. Already as of this edition, in addition to our consolidated presence at the fair, we have decided to embrace the project of the ‘MICAM Digital Show’ platform: certainly, the main advantage is being able to reach customers and buyers who will not be physically present at the event, but as a secondary measure we will also try to evaluate the functions of the platform for CRM for our commercial apparatus.

2. By further digitising prototyping with the help of increasingly advanced tools such as new generation 3D printers, for example, to reduce costs and production times, and also by supporting new partners and realities that, like us, are starting or already have started to embrace this philosophy.

Salina Ferretti – FALC

1. The digital trade fair, especially in this moment in history, allows us to reach all those customers who will not come to the physical event and for a much longer period than the four days of the fair.

2. As a company we are already organising our own digital platform with our wholesale customers in mind.

Sara Cuccù – LORIBLU’

1. The development of new digital platforms is a concrete response designed so as to be close to buyers at all times in this period of physical distancing. They are certainly not an alternative to trade fairs, but they do allow the customer and the buyer to be able to see collections at any time and in any place. A platform can also be a tool for continuous and more frequent consultation over time, in this sense it will be important to make content accessible and dynamic with photos, videos and news that are continually updated.

2. Our company has always been attentive to research and innovation, we can say that we were among the first in the market to launch an online store with worldwide sales, over 11 years ago. Given that we have wholesale distribution of all contents, our vision has always been digitally oriented, meaning that we were already very active with regards to this approach that, due to Covid, has accelerated.

Giovanna Ceolini – PARABIAGO COLLEZIONI

1. This is certainly the greatest advantage to push forward the digitisation of those companies that have never before, either by choice or by necessity, been able to do it. With the current situation, it would have been unthinkable to only have a “physical” fair, the MICAM Digital contribution is essential for everyone, both customers and organisers.

2. Surely even just the need for video conferences has led to an implementation of the corporate internet network, and has “forced” us to pay meticulous attention to the photographs and content creating that we will use on our social channels, to give our customers an additional way to see products in different materials and colour combinations and with images of products being worn.