Fedon, a company in the production of bags and cases that is 100 years old this year, has been exhibiting at MIDO since its first edition.
Dr. Callisto Fedon, President and CEO of Giorgio Fedon & Sons, describes the fair’s role as a catalyst for the Cadore District, and the event’s international importance.
Could you tell us about your company’s experience at the first edition of MIDO in 1970?
I don’t think other fairs in other sectors have had the same appeal as MIDO over time.
Ever since the first edition, it has been a great opportunity to break into the international scene and acquire new customers. For Fedon, it has been the opportunity to present the most innovative models, establish important relationships with new stakeholders, and form partnerships.
I remember that MIDO represented a moment of the year when, especially the valley - the Eyewear District - prepared to present the best of itself.
The Milan Fair was the time when the result of the completion of a year of work was presented through new models, samples and innovative ideas. Enthusiasm and passion filled the air. There was no shortage of work, and people went to the salon to sell as much as possible.
What has MIDO signified for Fedon?
The company operated in a world that was rapidly opening up to globalization, as if transported by a powerful, unstoppable wave that swept over everything and transformed it. Foreign markets - until then closed or protected by licences, duties, bureaucracy and all kinds of obstacles that were intended to limit the exchange of non-essential goods as far as possible - opened up to international traffic, boosting sales and turnover to levels previously unimagined. The fact is that Fedon was ready to face the great changes taking place in the eyewear sector, and thanks to MIDO, found itself projected out into the world, forging ahead of the competition that was, to a large extent, unprepared.
What has MIDO’s role been from the Seventies to the present?
Over the years, MIDO has established itself as the most international fair in the world, a privileged point from which to observe the innovation in the sector, and above all, a stage and catwalk that have launched trends in both fashion and eyewear design.
Will you be attending the 2020 edition: what are the elements that generated your loyalty?
Until recently, presenting your products in a trade fair was the only way of making yourself known to a wide audience.
These days, all this can be done remotely thanks to the internet. The reasons that generated our loyalty to MIDO are the possibilities for genuine networking, taking advantage of the opportunity to meet people interested in our business; the chance to exchange knowledge and know-how; and the ability to get in touch with new markets and improve our brand identity.
What is MIDO’s current role in the sector today?
As with all fairs, the time of the sale transaction has become a relationship system. However, MIDO’s attachment has not diminished. If I look around, I seem to find the same sentiment in both older colleagues and younger people.