Vitrum 2015: very special events give the exhibition pulling power

Vitrum always treats its exhibitors and visitors to special events which express the high-level of know how that can be found in glass design and production tradition, even from a cultural and technological perspective: children’s workshops, demonstrations by the Murano glass masters and works of art from leading historical collections.  It has even hosted a retrospective display of the most prestigious Alfa Romeo cars as a particularly striking example of the technological and creative prowess of Italian industry.
The 2015 showcase aims to be even more: a busy program of satellite events that also engage the visitors emotionally to convey and highlight Vitrum’s key themes: technological innovation, design, architecture and special glass. A major conceptual and organizing effort that was also made possible with the active participation and cooperation of the ICE Italian Trade Promotion Agency.

An event for glass and innovation
Vitrum 2015 is hosting the 30th Annual A.T.I.V. Conference. “Advances in Glass Processes: Key innovation topics in hollow and flat glass” at the Fiera Milano exhibition complex in Rho. The event, which focuses on cutting-edge technologies for glass and is planned for Thursday 8 October 2015, is promoted by the Italian Association of Glass Experts in partnership with Vitrum. It will give exhibitors and research centers from around the world an opportunity to present their process and product innovations in flat and hollow glass to an audience of experts.
The exhibitors and research centers also candidate themselves as speakers by visiting the “Call for papers” section on the A.T.I.V. website at

An event for architecture and the history of glass: when art and culture meet technology
This special exhibition layout enables a closer inspection of the creative and industrial processes that led to the most sought-after and intriguing applications of glass in modern architecture. The tour begins with the first theories at the start of the past century with the birth of the “new glass civilization” and the celebration of this “enemy of mystery material”, and then takes the visitor to its latest and near-future developments, describing the potential applications of glass in architecture that are still at an experimental stage. In between the two historical backdrops are the most interesting and also less known examples, from among the thousands of glass applications, now offering home living comforts, design and structural audaciousness, and quality upgrades of existing solutions that were absolutely unheard of until a few years ago.
Moreover, to ennoble glass as an element that has fascinated human beings and driven their creativity for more than 2,000 years, there will be an absolute preview exhibition of a historical piece dating back to the second century A.D. and restored by Vitrum for the occasion. The ideal bridge between the past and present of glass, which has always been the standout feature of Vitrum’s promotional and cultural activities, will also include some design objects that are less known to the public but highly representative of the Italian creative flair during the economic boom of the 60’s and 70’s.

An event for glass in future design
The traditional Vitrum-university working partnership has become even closer this year with courses that focus especially on glass, define new experiments and branch out into research. During the months leading up to the exhibition, Vitrum set up a workshop with the Polytechnic of Milan and the Freiburg University of Applied Sciences and Arts to allow upand- coming creatives and designers to learn about and do in-depth tests on the properties of glass and its industrial processing methods. Students from the two universities will be working on a very stimulating project as part of their coursework: creating and testing new combinations of glass with electronics and IT to transform a sheet, mirror or other glass objects into new-concept products or tools for the home, entertainment, and medical, scientific, professional or sports fields. Something that can also open up new possibilities for the glass processing industry.
Vitrum 2015 will be showcasing the initial concepts and working prototypes created and developed by the students themselves in cooperation with leading glass companies.

The event of the year: Expo 2015
It wasn’t organized by Vitrum, but it coincides with the showcase and is being staged in proximity to the venue: Expo 2015 is something more in this year’s busy schedule of events. All Vitrum exhibitors and visitors will be able to visit the No.1 international event of the year at very special rates. The Ventana Group, which is Fiera Milan’s main tourist services agency and working partner, will offer its precious support in making a stay in Milan more pleasant and comfortable. With Expo expected to attract huge numbers of people from all over the world, a helping hand is a must. This is an unmissable opportunity however and deserves a longer-than-usual stay.