BIT Milan gets underway

Stretching out for just four days –two for the public and the other two for professionals- the BIT Milan tradeshow was held from February 15 to 18 with a record turnout of 72,000 visitors and 28,600 professionals, compared to 65,350 and 18,500, respectively, back in 2002.

However, the Caribbean was dented by the absence of such regional heavyweights as Colombia, St. Kitts, Jamaica, Aruba, Curacao and Puerto Rico, only to name but a few.

The current crisis has swept over into many countries that had been bound to slash their budgets by not attending the fair.

By and large, the event’s air reeked of uncertainty and tension as the world waits for international developments to unfold, a reason why many companies have put their promotional actions on hold pending the next move.

Talks and colloquiums on the future of the leisure industry, emerging markets, ethics and globalization –the latter topic was broached by economist Robert Mundell, 1999 Nobel Prize winner- were particularly active these days