Eccellenze d’Impresa in Vicenza to reflect on the future of Italian SMEs

Entrepreneurship and family business the focuses of “Waiting for the Vicenza Festival” scheduled for Monday, Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at the Roi Theater in Cavazzale

From Son to Bottom: Laying the Groundwork for a Brighter Future. On Monday, October 14, at 6 p.m., the Roi Theater in Cavazzale (Vicenza) will host "Waiting for the Vicenza Festival," the second of three preview events leading up to the Festival of the Future, which will take place at Veronafiere from November 27 to 30.

The theme for this Vicenza preview, with Eccellenze d'Impresa as the protagonist, is "From Son to Bottom: Restructuring for a New Generation."

Currently, there are about 760,000 Italian SMEs, making up over 75% of our entrepreneurial landscape. This percentage becomes even more prominent in the Vicenza area, where SMEs employ approximately 80% of the local workforce.

Family businesses represent 85% of Italy’s productive Made in Italy sector, a heritage of expertise and entrepreneurial tradition strongly identified with our country—particularly in the province of Vicenza.

This heritage increasingly attracts the attention of large international investment funds. More frequently, capital from family businesses in our province is transferred to private equity. However, many companies have successfully navigated generational transitions—from father to son—ensuring the continuation of their family businesses.

Key speakers include Professor Alfredo De Massis, Professor of Entrepreneurship and Family Business Management; Elena Terribile, Head of Recruiting & Selection at Bicego HR Srl; Paolo Masotti, CEO and Partner at Adacta Advisory; Eugenio Adamo, General Manager at Banca delle Terre Venete Credito Cooperativo; Otello Dalla Rosa, General Manager at Ferretto Group and Vice President of Confindustria Vicenza; Roberto Spezzapria; and Luigi Consiglio, CEO of Eccellenze d'Impresa.

The in-person event is free to attend but requires registration, which can be done through the Il Giornale di Vicenza website or the Festival website.

Waiting for the Festival Vicenza is sponsored by Athesis Publishing Group, Eccellenze d'Impresa, and MIT Sloan Management Review Italia, under the patronage of the City of Vicenza and the Vicenza Chamber of Commerce. Institutional partner: Confindustria Vicenza. Main partner: Pastificio Rana. Local platinum partners: Banca delle Terre Venete Credito Cooperativo and Bicego HR Srl. Media partner: ANSA. Digital partner: Zeep!Agency.

The third Waiting for the Festival will be held in Mantua. The inaugural event in Mantua is scheduled for Monday, October 21, at 5:30 p.m. at the MaMu Mantova Multicentre Auditorium, focusing on “The Mantova Territory as a Laboratory for Integrated Supply Chain Competitiveness in Agribusiness.”

The Waiting for the Festival events precede the Festival in Verona, which will be held at Veronafiere from November 27 to 30, for the first time in synergy with JOB&Orienta, the exhibition dedicated to orientation, education, training, and labor. The goal is to provide young people with a clear vision of their professional and personal futures.

The Festival, organized by Eccellenze d'Impresa, MIT Sloan Management Review Italia, and Athesis Publishing Group, will focus on the centrality of humanity in “Society 5.0: Building a Human-Centric World.” Over four days of discussions, young people, businesses, and investors will explore technological, social, and environmental challenges and their impact on organizations, in partnership with MIT Sloan Management Review Italia.