Arte Fiera's Decline Mirrors Italian Democratic Party's Fall

Alberto Fiz draws a parallel between the decline of Arte Fiera in Bologna and the Italian Democratic Party (PD). He criticizes Bologna Fiere for firing director Silvia Evangelisti in 2012 amid a crisis, calling it an unforgivable error. Under Evangelisti, exhibitors dropped from 201 to 153 as international participation waned. Subsequent directors—Claudio Spadoni and Giorgio Verzotti in 2013, then Angela Vettese—failed to reverse the trend. Fiz argues that arrogance and poor choices, such as prioritizing quantity over quality (222 exhibitors in 2016, only 16% foreign), eroded the fair's reputation. Meanwhile, Miart in Milan and ArtVerona gained ground. Bologna's cultural assessor Matteo Lepore warned in July 2018 that without radical change, the fair could close in 2-3 years. New director Simone Menegoi faces a steep challenge. Fiz recommends lowering exhibitor fees by 30% to compete with Verona, focusing on commercial structure, and avoiding international expansion prematurely.