A RECORD EDITION, WITH DOUBLE FIGURE GROWTH
The 14th edition Cosmofarma Exhibition, which was held in the new fairground area in Rome, boasted record numbers.
Cosmofarma Exhibition, organized by SoGeCos, the SpA owned by BolognaFiere, is the trade show representing the most important professional, commercial and cultural gathering of Italian pharmacists. The leading category Associations participating in it at an institutional level were: F.O.F.I. (Federazione degli Ordini dei Farmacisti Italiani, Federation of Italian Pharmacist Associations), Federfarma (Federazione Nazionale dei Titolari di Farmacia Italiani, National Federation of Italian Pharmacy Owners), UTIFAR (Unione Tecnica Italiana Farmacisti, Italian Technical Union of Pharmacists) in addition to Anifa (Associazione nazionale dell’industria farmaceutica dell’automedicazione, National Association in the Pharmaceutical Industry of Self-medication), Fenagifar (Federazione Nazionale Giovani Farmacisti, National Federation of Young Pharmacists), S.I.Fa.P. (Società Italiana Farmacisti Preparatori, Italian Society of Pharmacists Preparators), A.F.I. (Associazione Farmacisti Industria, Industrial Pharmacist Association), Assofarm (Aziende e Servizi Socio-farmaceutici, Federation of Companies and Social-pharmaceutical Services), FederSalus (Federazione Nazionale dei Produttori dei Prodotti salutistici, National Federation of Producers of Health Products), Assobiomedica (Bio-medical Association), Gruppo Cosmetici in Farmacia (Cosmetics in Pharmacy Group) of Unipro.
These are the record numbers of Cosmofarma Exhibition 2010 respect to any other edition.
The first striking data concerns public attendance: 21,017, i.e. +18,9 % with respect to the 2008 Roman edition, 1.585 of which were foreigners (+ 25,9%). Attending pharmacists were 13.656, +33,8%, 7.024 of which Italian owners of pharmacies (+11,5%). There was also noted an exponential growth in the number of pharmacy students: 1.787, with an increase of 87,3%.
512 Italian and international exhibitors (+0,78%), distributed over a gross surface of 30.200 square meters (+ 0,34%) shared by the three industries in which Cosmofarma Exhibition is traditionally divided: pharmaceutical, para-pharmaceutical and health, dermocosmetic, dietetic and natural and services for the pharmacy.
“Three editions of Cosmofarma in Rome, 2006, 2008 and 2010 boast an attendance growth of +41,7 % with as many as 6.191 visitors more. It definitely is an excellent result, despite the cloud of the Icelandic volcano which forced all Italian airports close again” underlines Aureliana De Sanctis, Sole Director of Cosmofarma Srl. “The consolidation of Cosmofarma is now a fact. In the future, we will work to make the exhibition more international in order to create new links with the pharmacy world”.
Cosmofarma Exhibition hence confirms itself as being one of the most important European meetings within the pharma, health care and beauty industries as well as of all services related to the pharmacy world. Hence, not only a mere exhibition but a complete event: more than thirty conferences, ECM courses and presentations that alternated at Cosmofarma made and confirmed this trade show as the most important moment for meetings, cultural exchange and professional updating of the pharmacy world.
Of especially significant importance, the institutional convention held on Saturday 8 in cooperation with Fofi and Federfarma and coordinated by Utifar called “The Pharmacy of Citizens: Research, Analysis, and Reflections”. During the meeting, two important researches were presented, and gave significant pointers on pharmacy development in the future while analyzing the behaviour and customer satisfaction of the pharmaceutical channel users.
The first research, commissioned by Federfarma, revealed the extent to which the “over 65” pharmacy users liked the premises. Pharmacies are an important point of reference for this segment of population who go to them sometimes several times a week. A strong request from the interviewees was to widen the pharmacy role within the National Health Service.
The second research, on the other hand, requested by Fofi to SDA Bocconi, and carried out on a representative sample of Italians, outlines the pharmacy of the future. The goal is to keep the customer’s trust level high: courtesy and know-how seem to be appreciated more than assorted stock or promotions. Hence, purchasing at a pharmacy mainly depends on the trust relationship that forms.
An exceptional moderator, Andrea Vianello, a journalist and the host of the TV show “Mi manda Rai 3”, led the debate with the participation of Annarosa Racca, President of Federfarma, Andrea Mandelli, President of Fofi, Eugenio Leopardi, President of Utifar, Venanzio Gizzi, President of Assofarm and of Paolo Corte, President of Fenagifar. The round table underlined the importance of investing in the future of the profession, by putting side by side scientific knowledge and humanity that seems to be the winning element for the profession.
The discussion on Law 69/2009 was also of paramount interest, which, at this moment of implementation, the ideas for a strategic application can be found in the two works of research, confirming the pharmacy as a service center that fully meets the needs of the masses.
Sunday 9 May the Fenagifar convention was held with the title “Pharmacists in Emergency: the Profession beyond Bureaucracy” during which the fundamental role of pharmacists during natural disasters was analysed. After presenting the experience of volunteer pharmacists from Cuneo province during the Abruzzo earthquake, it was highlighted how sometimes bureaucracy can hamper the carrying out of operations in emergency situations. To answer this point, Senator Luigi D’Ambrosio Lettieri declared the government opening to anyone joining in these activities. The Department for Youth Activities, in line with this opening line, requested FOFI to appoint two members to be integrated into the commission. Sen. Lettieri concluded his speech by underlining that the vocation for servicing should never be set apart in a profession that speaks the verbs of solidarity such as that of the pharmacist.
Numerous events also characterized the Farmashow, a multi-media and privileged stage, inside the exhibition fairground, wherein enterprises could have direct contact with the public, which proved to be qualified and increasingly sensitive to innovations and market dynamics.
During the grand opening gala dinner party of 7 May, in the splendid setting of Santo Spirito in Saxia, prestigious awards were given by Cosmofarma to confirm the important role of networker and observatory on the pharmacy world of Cosmofarma Exhibition.
Lorenzo Verlato, managing editor of Farma Mese and Farma7 magazines awarded the Fenagifar Prize to the best young pharmacist of 2010, given to doctor Tomaso Piaggio, for “his unbridled commitment within European youth associations”; the Banco Farmaceutico Prize was awarded to Doctor Zanardi Landi, Italiana Ambassador at Vatican, “In recognition for the assistance in helping promote the Banco Farmaceutico action during the great art exhibition Il Potere e La Grazia (Power and Grace)”; the Preposito d’Oro was awarded to the Nobile Collegio Chimico Farmaceutico represented by doctor Luca Calcagnile for the important work carried out during the Abruzzo earthquake, hence contributing to promote the role of the Pharmacist.
Professor Enrico Finzi then gave the Care Awards, at their twelfth edition, dedicated to the best business communication campaigns concerning responsible self-medication, disease prevention, and health protection.
• The first prize was awarded to Procter&Gamble for the TV ad campaign Vicks Tosse, conceived by agency Publicis.
• The second prize was given to Sanofi – Aventis for the TV ad campaign Linea automedicazione, also conceived by Publicis.
• The third prize was awarded to Angelini A.C.R.A.F. for their radio campaign Moment Act, created by agency Armando Testa.
The next meeting at the fifteenth edition of Cosmofarma Exhibition to be held in Bologna from 13 to 15 May 2011 aims at making this event once again and increasingly a meeting not-to-be-missed by all the pharmaceutical industry.
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