Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. Impressions and considerations.

In this article, I want to recap all my visits to the various trade fairs and events I attended between 2023 and 2025, starting with MSP Day 2023 on June 8 and 9, 2023, and ending with Forum ICT Security 2025 on November 19 and 20, 2025.

In almost all cases, there are two articles for each event: one in which I announced the visit, entitled “I'll be at...” or "I will be visiting..." and then a post-event article entitled “...Impressions and considerations", written after visiting the event.

Here you will find a list of my blog posts in chronological order of all the events I have attended:

There is no announcement article for the Attiva Incontra 2024 event, and I have not written any articles for the Eroi Digitali 2023 event or the two Aria di Innovazioni 2023 and Aria di Innovazioni 2024 events.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The organizers.

The events were organized by private companies operating directly or indirectly in the IT sector:

• The MSP Day and IT Pancernik Security Show events were organised directly by partners hosting the relevant vendors, but were also open to other companies.
• The Forum ICT Security events were organised by industry media and are highly focused.
• The CLOUDFEST and MSP GLOBAL events were organised by a company specialising in events and, in the case of MSP GLOBAL, there is a major sponsor. Many companies are present that are in some way connected to or partners of the main sponsor, but again, they are open to the presence of other companies.
• The Eroi Digitali events were organised by a company that develops open source products and in which there is the presence, the “meeting place”, of a large and strong community. Again, they are open to the participation of different companies.
• The it-sa Congress&Expo events were organised by a trade fair organisation that organises many other trade fair events.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The most engaging event.

The most engaging and exciting event was definitely MSP Day 2023; as they say, you never forget your first event!

Why was it the most engaging? For a number of reasons:

• Obviously because it was the first, which at the time I didn't imagine would be the first of a long series
• Then because, in the case of this event, I was directly involved in supporting the organization of the presence of one of the sponsors thanks to (or because of?) the stubbornness of Massimo Iannilli, CEO of Aretek
• Thirdly, but no less importantly, because of the lively yet professional atmosphere and the people I had the opportunity to meet.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The least engaging event.

The least engaging event was most likely CLOUDFEST 2025, and I list a couple of reasons:

• I wasn't very convinced by the layout and size, perhaps too distracting.
• The atmosphere seemed a little “cold” to me, perhaps because it took place in March in Germany?

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The topics.

The events I participated in and listed above were all in the IT field, so, as you can imagine, the topics are closely related to this area.

Among the most interesting topics I list:

• MSP world: in all its facets, situation, prospects, tools/platforms/ecosystems, scalability, etc.
• Cybersecurity: evolution of threats, including those combined with the use of AI, tools to combat threats and increase the offering available to MSPs (endpoint protection, email protection, EDR/MDR systems, NDR, SOC, vulnerability management)
• Cloud: data centers, data sovereignty, data integrity/immutability, secure user access, traceability, costs, evolution, tools, and platforms.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): both as a potential tool for the evolution of threats, but also as a potential tool for product evolution or workflow improvement or to provide secure and compliant solutions.
• GDPR/NIS2/DORA/AI Act and other regulations: relevant to IT, present and future, compliance, issues, opportunities.
• Quantum Computing
• Biocomputers: based on bioprocessors that are powered by sugar...
• Budget/Strategic plans/Company sale and acquisition

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The places.

As you can imagine, it is always interesting to visit other places, even though this type of event takes place in somewhat "cold" and anonymous locations rather than in villas, parks, or other more beautiful or natural settings.

Sometimes I managed to make a short visit to the city where the event was held, or in almost all cases, I went out the evening before or during the event to have dinner, with or without friends or acquaintances, and thus I was able, even if only a little, to “breathe and capture” the atmosphere of the place.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The people.

People are, in my opinion, the most important part of all these events: exchanging ideas, asking questions, (trying to) get answers, listening to and acquiring new terms, attending workshops and presentations, and why not, relaxing, making jokes, and smiling.

Everything, in the end, is created or organized by people, at least until the moment when these events will be organized by Artificial Intelligence (?!).

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The curiosities.

Among the curiosities I’ve encountered at events is certainly the “Server Throwing”, which, as has become tradition, takes place during the CLOUDFEST and MSP GLOBAL events.

It is a show/competition also nicknamed “Naked Metal vs. Raw Power”, in which some volunteers compete in throwing decommissioned servers.

An association called the World Server Throwing Association (WSTA) has even been founded, which is responsible for organizing and managing this special “world championship”.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. Catering and social events.

Catering is one of those things I particularly value, for personal and origin-related reasons... There have been some events, such as MSP Day and Eroi Digitali, where the catering was of very high quality; in others, the catering left something to be desired, or was even absent.

Sometimes there were convivial moments at the stands of some sponsors that favored general relaxation.

Regarding social events, I note that, for example, at MSP GLOBAL and CLOUDFEST there were live music concerts that I greatly enjoyed.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. Impressions.

What can I say... First of all, I would like to offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the organisers of the events I attended.

The choice of venues for some events was very apt, for others less so, but in any case, the atmosphere, the solutions proposed and the organisation were always good, if not excellent.

At all the events listed, presentations were held on a wide variety of topics (which I mentioned above), and I was able to attend some of them.

I would like to point out that at some events, such as CLOUDFEST and MSP GLOBAL, the organiser offered some free services that I particularly appreciated, such as a free shuttle bus, a dedicated app and social events.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. Considerations.

As I have already reiterated in my post-event articles, during these two years I have had the opportunity to learn new things, meet familiar faces and make new acquaintances, both on a personal and professional level, almost always in relaxed and convivial environments that have encouraged the sharing of knowledge and the exchange of opinions.

I have learned many things over the past two years. For example, I knew little or nothing about the MSP environment (partners, types of solutions, opportunities, etc.), the Cloud in all its forms, the evolution of AI (functionality, threats, opportunities, etc.).

I must, of course, thank all the people I have met, with whom I have exchanged ideas and opinions, who have helped me understand and learn new things, with some of whom I have shared convivial moments and even a few moments of tension or stress.

Attending trade fairs and events 2023-2025. The year 2026, a break?

For the year 2026, I’m thinking of taking a break, or perhaps just a break from attending IT/tech events.

I could perhaps visit other types of events, for example, I am very attracted to events that deal with food (healthy food, natural wines, etc.), or I could attend more targeted events, such as those organized by some partners I know with their partners, or even visit the premises of some partners...

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