Bologna Delivers

What an amazing show! We want to start by commending the ABMA, the FEIBP, BolognaFiere and all of the individuals in those organizations that worked to launch the World Brush Expo on such a short timeline. In particular, I do want to especially thank Beatrice Monetti and Giulia Notari from BolognaFiere for their pre-show assistance in assuring that our magazines actually made it to the show floor and our booth was set up properly.

The city of Bologna was fantastic. Italy was wonderful to visit and the show itself was well beyond expectations. Congratulations and thank you for getting this new global event launched — providing connection and inspiration to everyone across the brushware industry!

Susan and I both found the Expo to be an absolute eye-opener. For the first time, we saw the industry as I expected it back when we were exploring the purchase of the magazine in 2018. We certainly knew the machine companies would have a big presence, but I was truly surprised at how many of the filament and component suppliers had professional top-of-the-line booths, covering way more square footage than I predicted. The show significantly adjusted my perspective on the scale of the brush industry. And despite concerns about the world economy, the enthusiasm and optimism we saw from both exhibitors and attendees was uplifting, creating a sense of opportunity and growth ahead.

From the magazine perspective, we were extremely grateful to have the chance to connect with so many brushware manufacturers. It was awesome to hear firsthand feedback about what we’ve been doing with the magazine, e-newsletter, online directory and social channels and how the industry has embraced the changes we’ve made. We were particularly surprised to run out of magazines along with all of our rate cards, media kits and business cards. For everyone that we were able to see at the event, it was a pleasure to meet you and I greatly appreciate learning about your expectations, business goals and the industry in general. Please know that I’m still working through our show follow-ups as we had to jump into production of this issue straight away after our return. If I haven’t followed up yet, you can be confident that I will … and feel free to email me at the address below.

Outside of the show, I will note that the short trip to Venice on our first day in Italy was wonderful and the experience of a lifetime. We followed that by exploring Bologna on the second day and Mama Mia! We were blown away … what a beautiful city! The Quadrilatero lived up to the billing as a top destination for foodies. Our time visiting the district and restaurants across the entire Bologna downtown even converted this lifetime beer drinker to become a Prosecco fan for the week. Learning about the history of the city and taking in the magnificent architecture with the 28 towers was unforgettable. If the World Brush Expo returns to Bologna in 2028, we will definitely be happy to return and explore more of the region. Ciao!

Dylan Goodwin | Publisher dylan.goodwin@goodwinworldmedia.com