Fieramilano is a fairground and exhibition facility in Rho, Italy near Milan. It is operated byFiera Milano SpA and is part of the larger Fiera di Milano - consisting of two sites: Fieramilano and Fieramilanocity. Covering 753,000 m² of total surface, it is the largest exhibition center in Europe. The facility includes Area Expo - Experience, an exhibition and performance venue.
Fiera Milano SpA
Fiera Milano SpA is a trade fair and exhibition organiser headquartered in Milan. The firm is the most important trade fair organiser in Italy and one of the largest in the world. The company started operation on 1 October 2000 and has been listed on Borsa Italiana since 12 December 2002. Fiera Milano mainly operates in the fields of management and organisation of exhibitions, trade fairs and conferences. It hosts about seventy shows and 30,000 exhibitors every year. Most notably, Fiera Milano owns and manages important infrastructures in Milan: Fieramilanocity, MiCo and Fieramilano, the latter being one of the biggest fairground in the world.
History
The first fair ground in Milan was opened in 1906, as the area of a World's fair, and in time for the opening of the Simplon Tunnel. The fairground at that time extended over the current area and the nearby Sempione Park. In 1923 the fairground, at that time Fiera Campionaria, was moved permanently in the historical zone, of which Fieramilanocity now occupies a part. Western wing opened in 1997, in place of the old Alfa Romeo factory at Portello. Since 2000, the infrastructure is managed by the new company Fiera Milano SpA and in 2005 the new Fieramilano opened in Rho. The old fairground in Milan was partially dismantled between 2007 and 2008.
Fieramilano is a fairground located in an area on the border between the towns of Rho and Pero, near the A4 motorway, west of Milan. Opened in 2005 with an investment of €755 million, the complex designed by architect Massimiliano Fuksas includes eight pavilions for a total of of gross covered exhibition space and of outdoor space, making it one of the largest centers in the world. The exhibition area is connected to the city center through Milan Metro Line 1 stop Rho Fiera. A suburban railway station is also present. The vicinity and the interior of the complex was the site of Expo 2015 universal exposition, and will host the Next Generation ATP Finalstennis tournament starting in 2017.
Fieramilanocity
Fieramilanocity is Milan's old trade fair, located near the city center. The current area is only a part of the historic fairground, since a big portion has been dismantled between 2007 and 2008 to make room for the new CityLife residential and business district. The area is served by Milan Metro and by the suburban railway. Even though the big part of the fairground has been moved to Rho, FieraMilanoCity continues to host smaller exhibitions with more limited logistical requirements, in addition to events that cannot be held outside the city.
MiCo
MiCo is currently the largest congress center in Europe, with a capacity of up to 18,000 in 70 different conference rooms.
