The Managing Director of Christeyns Italia has been in charge of the society that runs Expodetergo exhibition and publishes the magazine for few months now and already some important news can be seen: society procedures speeding up, Detergo magazine restyling, first exploratory steps abroad. “Actually, me and the new board of directors are realizing the plans created by those who preceded us with great merit”
EXPOdetergo International, a world leader for over 40 years, has been guided by its new President Livio Bassan, the Managing Director of Christeyns Italia for only few months now, enough however to reveal the signs of radical changes thanks to which it is possible to identify where this exhibition of machines, products, textile and laundry accessories, is going keeping in mind 
- President Bassan, what is your approach to taking this office?
“The sense of responsibility and at the same time, satisfaction of having been appointed on the basis of deep intent shared with other members of Assofornitori. I need to thank them starting from President Felice Mapelli for the trust in me. Another big thank you goes to Luciano Miotto, my predecessor as EXPOdetergo International President and to Claudio Montanari, past-president of Assofornitori. They all have done a great job pushing towards innovation and changes that have become our common primary goal. In this way they left us the heritage that we can only benefit from”.
- How do you think it could be possible to compensate for such important trust?
“By practically completing and following the principles and, consequently an operative strategy over which it has been easy to find a natural union”.
- Including the cha
nges, then.
“Clearly, yes. Given the continuing economic instability in the world today, it is necessary to simplify and reduce wherever possible. As a matter of fact, the first step taken after my appointment consisted in realizing the plan formulated during the previous four years which was unifying EXPOdetergo and Deterservice. Today, there is EXPOdetergo srl that has merged the functions and objectives of both”.
- Through what measures?
“To use sports vocabulary I am fond of, a strong, numerous team representing various production sectors has been appointed to work with the President. There is an enlarged Board of Directors with its ten members. Moreover, there are two newly appointed figures with special powers, Giuseppe Conti, the Executive Director for Detergo magazine, and Alessandro Rolli, the Executive Director for EXPOdetergo International exhibition”.
- The readers can notice that this issue of the magazine is already quite different as far as graphics and contents are concerned. What about the exhibition instead? Can you comment on it two years before its new edition takes place?
“First of all, given the upcoming expiry of the contract with Fiera di Milano, we have already met the new Managing Director Corrado Peraboni and Giuseppe Garri who is in charge of Technology Business Unit . Without doubt, considering the positive results expressed by EXPOdetergo International even during the most critical years of economical crisis, both parties intend to continue working together. We only need to see on what conditions”.
Texcare, another great world exhibition of the sector, through its last edition just taken place in Shanghai, Texcare Asia, brought a bit of Franakfurt into China and generally into Eastern markets. EXPOdetergo International intends to do the same thing. Where would that be?
“We surely cannot aim exclusively at Milan anymore in the global market as ours. It is true however, that we are living in the world full of instability where any sudden political or economical decision can condition short term plans. Therefore, we are orientated towards testing the market by a couple of events we intend to participate in over the next two years with EXPOdetergo International brand. It is still too soon, however to say where that would be and in what way”.
- How can you describe the relationship with Texcare?
“It is complementary more than competitive. Until proven otherwise, it seems to me that our German friends see it in the same way. Actually, all the companies worldwide perceive that we have coexisted in a four-year program during which the two exhibitions take place every two years alternating one with another without stepping on anybody’s toes”.
- In the age of the Net and global interconnection, one of the great news is getting over the old barriers so that the exhibitions do not represent closed and limited sectors anymore but more of a window that everyone can see through their terminal. What does this new picture inspire in the President of EXPOdetergo?
“The awareness that Italy is among world leaders in the sector of machines, products, textile and laundry accessories thanks to its history and identity. The campaign “Notice the difference?” has successfully underlined it supporting the textile made in Italy. I am also talking about the constructors of machines and accessories for dry cleaning. We are number one in the world in this sector. The sector is undergoing deep changes due to the newly spread environment protection awareness, and EXPOdetergo International, today more than ever needs to talk about such important changes happening in the laundries all around the world”.
by Stefano Ferrio
Detergo Magazine – January 2016
