SaMoTer 2026: Veronafiere & Unacea Sign a Strategic Agreement

Construction machinery: Italian exports growing. The Italian market will maintain the high sales volumes achieved also in 2024

Advertisement

Joining forces again to support the national construction machinery and equipment market. Veronafiere, one of the main European trade fair players, and Unacea, the Italian Construction Machinery Union, have renewed their partnership for the promotion of the next edition of Samoter, the three-yearly international exhibition for earthmoving, site and construction machinery.

The event is scheduled at the Verona Exhibition Centre 6-9 May 2026. The run-up begins with the Samoter Day appointment on 15 March, the first meeting with sector companies to find out more about data, trends and market opportunities in Italy and around the world.

The agreement between Veronafiere, the organizers of Samoter, and Unacea aims to continue supporting an industrial sector that is itself an important segment of Italian manufacturing, with 85 employees and 6 billion euros in turnover.

With reference to the latest available ISTAT data analysed by Unacea and Cer, exports in 2023 as a whole came to more than 3.5 billion euros, posting growth of 13.7% compared to the same period in 2022. Imports also grew by 9% with 2.3 billion euros. The balance of trade continues to post a surplus of 1.2 million euros and growth of 23.5%.

As regards sales of construction machinery (earthmoving, road-building, concrete, telehandlers), the Italian market, following the historic record posted in 2022 with more than 29,000 units, fell back by 3% in 2023 and, according to Unacea and Cer estimates, it is expected to see another downturn of 5% in 2024. Nevertheless, these are still very significant sales levels and can be viewed as physiological fluctuations.

Against this background, Samoter is the most effective promotional tool: since 1963, Samoter has been the only exhibition in Italy to cover the entire construction, site and building machinery sector.

"The very positive results achieved by the last edition of Samoter, with 40,000 operators arriving from 91 countries, are proof that the sector has understood the value of being part of this trade fair community," said Federico Bricolo, President of Veronafiere. We must now capitalize on these results and to achieve this, the entire industrial, economic, association and political system must join forces. Renewing the agreement with Unacea is the first and most important step in this direction."

"We have supported Samoter with conviction since our association was founded in 2010 and will continue to do so in coming years," said Michele Vitulano, President of Unacea. We believe we can do a fine job together that is useful for the sector and the supply chain by selecting discussion and business platforms in line with the times and the technological challenges of the future."