Its football team is not the only Italian group celebrating today. BTC - the Italian trade show - also scored a goal or two with its 2012 event in Rimini.

According to officials, in attendance were 250 exhibiting companies, 214 Italian and international hosted buyers and 40 journalists, and overall 5,436 meetings between hosted buyers and exhibitors were held.

Initial 2012 figures showed that 71 per cent of attendees were satisfied with the event, with 97 per cent saying that they found useful its networking opportunities; 92 per cent for meeting new clients; 77 per cent for receiving updates on industry developments, and 71 per cent for its education.

Next year the event will be held in Florence’s Fortezza da Basso Exhibition Centre on 12-13 November, and as the 2012 show was, according to BTC, “a transitional one whose aim was to restructure and reposition the show with wider institutional, political and industry partnerships and a new business model closer to the demands of a changing market,”  its officials were in jubilant, Mario Balotelli-style mood.

Paolo Audino, chief executive of Exmedia, which organises the show, said: “We are overall satisfied. Now we are starting to work on BTC 2013, which, with the support of the region of Tuscany and the contribution of an enlarged technical committee that includes the leading institutional and market players, will be able to cement its position as the key exhibition in Italy for the meetings and events industry.”