Carlo Costa Appointed EMECA Vice-President as Industry Leaders Convene in Milan
The European Major Exhibition Centres Association (EMECA) recently held its General Assembly in Milan, where significant leadership changes were announced. Carlo Costa, who serves as the Chief Corporate Officer at Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), was appointed as the new Vice-President of the association's Board of Directors. At IEG, Costa holds a comprehensive leadership role, overseeing critical functions including operations, finance, human resources, IT, legal and compliance, as well as managing the corporate activities of the group's various subsidiaries.
EMECA, a Brussels-based organisation founded in 1992 and currently chaired by Elżbieta Roeske, plays a pivotal role in the European exhibition industry. It unites 25 of Europe's foremost exhibition venues, notably including Italian Exhibition Group's prominent sites in Rimini and Vicenza. Collectively, EMECA members orchestrate an impressive 2,000 trade fairs annually, attracting 400,000 exhibitors and 38.5 million visitors across a vast 38 million square metres of exhibition space. Europe currently stands as a global hub for leading international trade fairs across diverse sectors, accounting for nearly half of the worldwide market. A core mission of EMECA is to champion its members at both European and global levels through strategic industry alliances with key governmental institutions.
Carlo Costa, born in Turin in 1968, has resided in Fano for 26 years, where he is actively involved in local voluntary work. A graduate in Economics and Commerce from the University of Turin, he is married with two children. His distinguished career commenced in the finance division of Lavazza S.p.A. before he transitioned to the IFAS Group in Turin, a major automotive dealership at the time. In 2001, Costa joined what was then the Ente Autonomo Fiera di Rimini, playing an instrumental role in its transformation into a joint-stock company (SpA) and spearheading major transactions. These included M&A activities both domestically and internationally, the crucial integration with Fiera di Vicenza that led to the formation of Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A., and its subsequent stock market listing. After a period in 2022 at the Consorzio Tutela Grana Padano, dedicated to protecting the world’s most consumed PDO product, Costa made his return to Italian Exhibition Group in 2024 to assume his current position as CCO.
The recent EMECA General Assembly brought together members from across Europe to deliberate on critical issues shaping the future of the exhibition industry. Key discussions centered on developing strategic planning scenarios, analysing the robust sales growth recorded in 2025, and forecasting the outlook for 2026. The agenda also comprehensively addressed challenges stemming from the uncertain geopolitical landscape, the imperative for investments in decarbonisation, the ongoing refurbishment of exhibition venues, and the innovative development of new multifunctional spaces. Furthermore, significant attention was directed towards advancements in digitalisation, the provision of personalised services, and enhancing both security and cybersecurity measures within the industry.
Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), a major player in the global exhibition landscape, is listed on the main market of Euronext Milan. It stands as one of the world’s leading exhibition organisers, boasting a portfolio of 60 trade fairs and 150 events annually. The group employs over 700 professionals across Italy and globally, maintaining a widespread presence with offices in Rimini, Vicenza, Milan, Arezzo, Dubai, São Paulo, New York, and Singapore, alongside operations in China, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico. Financially, IEG demonstrated strong performance in the first nine months of the 2025 financial year, ending September 30, generating revenues of €190.8 million, an increase of over 6%. Adjusted EBITDA also saw a healthy rise of 5.3% to €45.1 million, representing a robust margin equal to 23.6% of its total revenue.
