Vicenzaoro Opens New Chapter with Inauguration of Hall 2 at Vicenza Expo Centre

Italian Exhibition Group has opened a new two-storey Hall 2 at Vicenza Expo Centre, strengthening the venue’s capacity while bringing T.Gold inside the exhibition complex for the first time.

Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) has inaugurated a new chapter for Vicenzaoro with the opening of a 23,000 sqm, two-storey exhibition hall at Vicenza Expo Centre, coinciding with the September edition of its international B2B jewellery trade show.

Opened on 4 September and running until 8 September, the latest edition brings together 1,300 exhibiting brands from 40 countries, with international exhibitors accounting for 45% of the total. The event has also attracted its largest-ever delegation of hosted buyers, with 910 buyers from 73 countries, an increase of 33% compared with September 2025.

The new Hall 2, designed by Hamburg-based GMP studio, represents a strategic investment in the Expo Centre and is intended to improve circulation between the complex’s exhibition areas while creating new space for jewellery manufacturing companies at the heart of the venue.

The inauguration also marks the tenth anniversary of the company managing the Rimini and Vicenza Expo Centres. For IEG President Maurizio Ermeti, the opening represents the fulfilment of a commitment made to the Vicenza business community two years ago.

"It is not often that an anniversary and a promise kept fall on the same day," began Ermeti, "but that is what is happening here today for IEG. Investing in Vicenza to provide the jewellery industry not only with new facility, but also with a more functional Expo Centre. That was the promise made to this community in 2024. Today we are giving the city a more competitive trade show venue, ready for new exhibitions and further events organised by our conferences division. And I would like to take the title we have chosen for this ceremony – “the future takes shape” – quite literally. Despite geopolitical and economic uncertainties, we have decided to look ahead and build the future."

A new heart for the Expo Centre

Spanning 23,000 sqm across two levels, Hall 2 includes four escalators, new facilities for exhibitors and visitors, a restaurant and three bars. Its position directly connects Halls 1, 3, 4 and 6, with the aim of simplifying routes through the venue and improving the overall visitor experience.

The building is now home to the communities representing Italian and international jewellery manufacturing — Creation — as well as packaging and furnishings, represented by Expression and Elements.

Its opening has also allowed IEG to reorganise the wider exhibition complex. T.Gold, the technology exhibition serving the jewellery manufacturing sector, has moved inside the Expo Centre to Hall 4 and is now located under the same roof as Vicenzaoro for the first time. Until the January edition, T.Gold had been located in Hall 9, outside the main exhibition grounds.

Sustainability has also been incorporated into the new infrastructure, with a 2 MW photovoltaic system designed to contribute to the Expo Centre’s energy self-sufficiency during periods when no events are taking place.

The inauguration was attended by a broad representation of local, regional and national stakeholders. Following Ermeti’s welcome address, speakers included Giacomo Possamai, Mayor of Vicenza; Andrea Nardin, President of the Province of Vicenza; Maria Cristina Squarcialupi, President of Federorafi Confindustria; Fabrizio Lobasso, Deputy Director General for the Promotion of Italy and Economic Internationalization and Central Director for the Italian System and Investments at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation; Matteo Zoppas, President of the Italian Trade Agency; Senator Mara Bizzotto, Under-Secretary of State at the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy; and Marco Zecchinato, Veneto Regional Councillor for Interregional Cooperation, Regional Governance and Infrastructure.

Adolfo Urso, Italy’s Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy, also sent a message highlighting Vicenzaoro’s position across the jewellery value chain and the significance of the new building.

“In a context of elegance and excellence, the hallmarks of Made in Italy, this international B2B hub provides a platform for every segment of the sector: from fine jewellery to unbranded production, precious stones and the most innovative technologies for the industry, confirming Vicenza as the world capital of jewellery. The 2026 edition marks a particularly significant moment with the inauguration of the Expo Centre’s new hall: 23,000 square metres designed to the highest sustainability standards, capable of combining innovation with care for the environment, as has always been the case in the art of Italian goldsmithing.”

An international marketplace

The expanded infrastructure arrives as Vicenzaoro continues to draw a substantial international audience.

According to IEG CEO Corrado Peraboni, the September edition brings together supply from 1,300 brands across 40 countries with demand generated by hosted buyers participating through the incoming programmes of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency, alongside walk-in visitors.

"So, as of today until Tuesday, business for Made in Italy and international exhibitors, who account for 45% of the total, will be generated by the encounter between supply, with 1,300 brands from 40 countries, and demand, driven by buyers hosted under the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and the Italian Trade Agency’s incoming programme as well as walk-in visitors," announced IEG CEO, Corrado Peraboni.

The 910 hosted buyers represent the largest delegation in the event’s history, with 80% participating through partnerships involving the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Italian Trade Agency. The largest hosted delegations come from the United States, followed by the United Kingdom, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia on equal footing, then China and Spain.

The international dimension of the week extends beyond Vicenzaoro itself. The September programme also hosts the centenary congress of CIBJO, the World Jewellery Confederation, chaired by Gaetano Cavalieri. Running from 4 to 7 September, the congress is bringing around 500 international delegates to Vicenza, including senior representatives from manufacturing companies and the global retail sector.

A wider programme across Vicenza

The week also encompasses events beyond the main B2B show. VO Vintage, dedicated to vintage and pre-owned jewellery and watches, opened to the public on 4 September and runs until 7 September. Admission is free following registration, with 53 dealers from Italy and abroad participating in the exhibition and marketplace.

The event reinforces Vicenza’s position as a centre for vintage jewellery and watches, a segment attracting established collectors as well as younger audiences. Its marketplace is complemented by a programme of talks and events.

Meanwhile, VIOFF — Vicenzaoro’s off-show programme — has turned the city and its historic centre into an open-air setting through 6 September. This year’s edition takes the theme Golden Road.

The professional programme at the Expo Centre also includes sessions examining trends, sustainability and the economic outlook for the jewellery sector. Among the events scheduled for 5 September were a presentation of the methodology behind the TRENDVISION Jewellery + Forecasting Jewellery Trendbook; a session examining coral as a model of Italian sustainability, organised by Assogemme; and a Confindustria Federorafi discussion on the jewellery sector’s economic situation, raw materials and the geography of production districts.

The latter session was set to draw on a recent business sentiment survey, Intesa Sanpaolo data on global jewellery production and exports — including Made in Italy products — and developments in precious raw materials.

With the completion of Hall 2, the consolidation of T.Gold within the main Expo Centre and a record international buyer presence, IEG is positioning the 2026 September edition not simply as another edition of Vicenzaoro, but as a demonstration of how the exhibition infrastructure supporting one of Italy’s defining industrial districts can evolve alongside the market it serves.
 

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