Italy, at hand

Convention Bureau Italia, the benchmark in Italy for the promotion of the destination in MICE, presented its new communication campaign at a press conference at IMEX Frankfurt.

“Italy, at hand” - this is the campaign's title – represents an important turning point in the promotion of destination Italy. Indeed, for the first time Italy comes to the international markets with an ad hoc image dedicated to the MICE segment.

It is the result of a study focused on the search for a repeatable concept with the function of leit motif to recur in all the proposed images, to create a campaign which is easily recognisable, modular and extremely compact. The starting point was found in an element, which characterises Italianises the world over, and is the symbol of humanity, co-operation, craftmanship, sincerity and welcome. All the elements, which sustain the excellence of Made in Italy in the international imagination. Hands, these wonderful instruments which the Italians use so well in the art of gesticulating that they have become an element of universal recognition.

Hands that hold, squeeze, grasp, accompany, caress, touch, and work. Hands talk. Hands are the protagonists in the new image of Italy for the Meetings Industry. Italian hands.

Hands have been made part of every image to underline the approach to the enjoyment and accessibility of this wonderful country. An Italy, which is to be experienced in the daily life of every single gesture, which makes it unique. Then a dynamic claim was thought up to link to each image, to emphasize the emotional tension of every cultural microcosm, which these images narrate.

The campaign, created by +39 Italy – renowned and award winning Italian DMC – is the winning entry of the “Capture Buyers' Imagination” competition. The competition, launched by Convention Bureau Italia in May 2016 and open to the Convention Bureau Italia's Preferred Partners, was conceived with the objective of identifying a new co-ordinated image for destination Italy which answered to the demands of efficiency, versatility and originality of the message to be used in various contexts and which responded to the thematic lines represented by the destination. Italy as the country of Food & Wine, Made in Italy, Lifestyle, Fashion, Design, Traditions, Art, History, Technology.

All the entries were evaluated by the Convention Bureau Italia's Technical Committee, a panel of Meeting Industry experts with the special participation of a person with an important international reputation.

“We are very satisfied with the result of the competition. For the first time destination Italy is present in the most important international markets for the Meetings Industry with an aggregate offer and with a shared image. An important marketing operation, which involved the main Italian agencies with the presentation of interesting creative projects. Congratulations to Plus 39 Italy for their excellent work”, declared Carlotta Ferrari, CEO Convention Bureau Italy.

“For a Destination Management professional, winning the creative competition for the promotion of the Italian MICE offer overseas is as important as winning the Oscar is for an actor...From today Italy will present itself to the world's MICE professionals through the images, colours and sensations which this campaign succeeds in communicating. I'm extremely proud of this project managed with the invaluable support of KIDO's creative minds and I hope that it will bring benefits to the whole of the Italian MICE system” declared Lorenzo Pignatti, President of +39 Italy.

www.conventionbureauitalia.com