Vicenza Show Begins Despite Pandemic

RAPAPORT... The VicenzaOro International Community Event (VOICE) takes place in Italy this week under strict health guidelines, with organizers expecting more than 370 exhibitors to attend despite the pandemic.The fair began Saturday and runs through Monday under strict health guidelines, the Italian Exhibition Group (IEG) said last week. The show will be one of the few to occur in physical form this year, as Covid-19 has forced organizers to postpone or cancel in-person events.IEG is managing the flow of people to ensure visitors keep 1 meter apart, it said. It's selling tickets online to avoid crowding at the entrance, is requiring participants to wear face masks, and is barring entry to anyone with a high temperature. Provisions are also in place to avoid spreading the virus via surfaces.Participants can tune in through a streaming service on the event's website, as well as on YouTube and Facebook, enabling them to attend the show and its scheduled talks without traveling. Sentiment is improving in the Italian jewelry sector after a 35% month-on-month increase in exports in May, IEG pointed out. The sector's shipments out of the country slumped in the first four months of the year, it added, citing data from the Italian National Institute of Statistics."There are those who are actively striving to relaunch the industry's business and exports," IEG said. Image: The 2020 VicenzaOro show. (Italian Exhibition Group)