“Despite the fact that the economic situation is not the best, the companies in the gold sector of Arezzo have certainly not stopped their production. Around 80% of our provincial exports are destined for export to international markets,” he underlines Luca Parrini, national and provincial president of Confartigianato Orafi. “When demand from some countries shows signs of weakness, our production is directed towards new commercial outlets. And for the search for new customers on international markets, trade fair platforms still represent an essential tool”.
These are the words pronounced a few hours after the opening of the 43rd edition of OroArezzo which arrives at a rather difficult economic moment for the gold sector, with the prices of the precious metal which in recent weeks have reached record levels as a consequence of the war conflicts in Middle- East and on the borders of Eastern Europe. After the strong growth experienced in goldsmith sales in 2021 and 2022, in the aftermath of the health emergency, 2023 saw a slowdown in demand which is presumably destined to continue into these first months of 2024.
After the attacks on the companies, the focus is on safety
But the Arezzo goldsmiths are also thinking about security, an even more exposed nerve after the repeated attacks by organized gangs that targeted Arezzo companies.
“During OroArezzo – continues Luca Parrini – we will once again bring the issue of safety to the attention of the political authorities. In recent weeks we have unfortunately had numerous criminal events against our goldsmith businesses and discouragement is starting to spread among entrepreneurs.”
Confartigianato Orafi has always collaborated with the police to raise awareness among associated companies on the topic of prevention, recommending great attention to the verification of the functioning of alarm and video surveillance systems and promoting those good practices that can make the action of the criminals. “However, we ask politicians to do their part. We cannot be treated like a normal province, we are not. In Arezzo, 20 tons of gold are processed every year. We therefore expect an increase in the human resources made available to the top management of the public security authorities”, declares Parrini.
Buyers arriving
The 400 exhibitors coming mostly from Italy but also from other countries such as Turkey, Spain, India and the United States will be able to meet buyers from the main foreign markets of destination for our exports. Trade operators from the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, the United States, Hong Kong and France have already confirmed their presence at the fair.
“At OroArezzo we expect in particular a large presence of those Emirati buyers who did not take part in the last edition of the Istanbul fair due to the storm that hit Dubai airport”, adds Parrini.
Alongside the gold and silver manufacturing companies, manufacturers of innovative machinery will also be present at the exhibition and this year too, Confartigianato Arezzo will host in its stands the associated companies that intend to participate in the gold exhibition at favorable economic conditions. Many members will also be present with their company stands.
“There will be around 100 companies associated with Confartigianato present in the stands of OroArezzo – explains Parrini – “The fair will also be an opportunity to strengthen our collaboration with IEG – declares the president – it is necessary for OroArezzo to become an increasingly international fair, replicating the “excellent work carried out at VicenzaOro, through the strong presence of exhibitors from the main international jewelery production hubs”.
The Arezzo fair also represents an important opportunity for meetings of representatives of the economic categories with local and national institutions.
In conclusion, President Parrini expresses satisfaction with the presence of the schools of the Province at the Business Center on the last day of OroArezzo. It will be an opportunity to illustrate to students and high school teachers the opportunities offered by specialist training for the goldsmith sector: the post-diploma courses of the ITS TAB Foundation and the Jewelery Master’s Degree of the University of Siena.
