April 8, 2020
Dramatic pictures from Milan, Bergamo or other cities. Italy is one of the countries most affected by the coronavirus worldwide and urgently needs help. Messe München is donating an amount of 10,000 euros to help the country overcome the Corona crisis and in particular to strengthen the health system.
The donation initiative was launched by the Italian Chamber of Commerce, the Italian Consulate General from Munich, HypoVereinsbank and Caritas. The aim is to support Italy in the procurement of medical devices and necessary equipment. The sum raised will then be doubled by HypoVereinsbank and made available to the hospitals “Luigi Sacco” in Milan and “Lazzaro Spallanzani” in Rome.
As an international trade fair organizer and member of the German-Italian Chamber of Commerce, Messe München maintains a particularly close and familiar business relationship with Italy. Every year, over 45,000 visitors and around 1,400 exhibitors come to the events in the trade fair city. This makes Italy one of the most important foreign markets for Messe München. The most recent example of the intensive relationship is the fact that Italy was partner country of f.re.e 2020. There is also a close cultural connection between Munich and Italy. In no other German city do so many Italians live. The northern Italian city of Verona is a twin city and every year more than half a million guests from Rome, Milan or Turin come to the Isar.
“As a strong industrial partner, Italy is of great economic, social and cultural importance for Germany and especially for the Free State of Bavaria. For weeks now, Italy has been devastated by the global raging corona pandemic. That is why Messe München wants to use this donation to send a visible sign of solidarity. It is particularly important right now to support our Italian neighbors in the crisis and to express our solidarity and loyalty,” said Klaus Dittrich, CEO of Messe München.