Mario Vescovo: The Future of the Vicenza Exhibition District

As the redevelopment of the exhibition district advances, what is the biggest challenge in ensuring that the “boutique show” model continues to meet the expectations and trust—especially of the Vicenzaoro community?

Our goal is to improve both the quality of the spaces and their navigability. This means making the layout more uniform and ensuring easier, more intuitive, and enjoyable connections between pavilions. The idea is to create smoother transitions between areas—unlike the old Pavilion 2, whose very low ceiling hindered visual and physical continuity with the rest of the fairgrounds.

If I had to identify one main challenge, it’s undoubtedly achieving this improvement during a transitional phase—one that must not, under any circumstance, compromise the expectations of our exhibitors, as our President Ermeti and our colleague Matteo Farsura, Head of the Jewellery & Fashion Division, often remind us. Thanks to high-quality temporary tensile structures—which surpass the spatial quality of the former Pavilion 2—we’ve successfully met this goal, while also preserving the segmentation of the Pavilion 2 communities near their respective business areas. The real challenge was managing the entire construction site without impacting the visitor or exhibitor experience—ensuring continuity and quality even during the transitional phases.

What are the real innovations in this project?

Innovation is a “big” word—people often expect cutting-edge technology or radical experimentation. For us, innovation has meant having a long-term vision.
We created an integrated project with a masterplan for the entire exhibition district—one that considers not only the new pavilion, but also the broader context: new road access, a future railway stop near the fairgrounds, and high-speed connections with Venice, Verona, and Milan. So rather than constructing a single building, we are reshaping the identity of the entire area.

In terms of trade show innovation, we brought technology—initially introduced in Pavilion 9—into the very heart of the show, making it an integral part of the visitor journey. The real value lies in connecting communities and making orientation easier, thereby streamlining visits and enhancing networking opportunities. This is the core of the boutique show philosophy, and the new pavilion was designed to embody this vision. We “removed the old heart” and replaced it with a new one—qualitative, connected, and pragmatic.

This isn’t a greenfield intervention—we demolished an existing building and are constructing a new one in its place. So we needed a modular, functional, and well-organized system, which also allowed us to effectively manage the temporary phases—always in close coordination with our colleague Farsura. It’s been a successful experience in terms of internal collaboration within IEG.

Now that the perimeter walls have been announced, what are the next steps?

We have a clear timeline: by the end of June 2025, we’ll begin installing the prefabricated structures—beams, pillars, and floors—within the perimeter walls. By September 2025, the walls will be completed and half of the building assembled. However, this won’t be particularly visible from the outside, as the “box” will be closed.

In August, systems installation will begin in the finished areas. In fall 2025, we’ll move on to the finishes: facades, flooring, bathrooms, lighting. By spring 2026, the building will be fully enclosed and completed. During the summer, we’ll conduct all testing and setup—ready to welcome the public at Vicenzaoro September 2026.