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The Meeting Place for Family Businesses

, by Davide Ripamonti, translated by Richard Greenslade
Companies with family capital will meet and present themselves to the general public in Bologna on May 18 and 19 at the first Festival dedicated to them, organized by Corriere della Sera, Aidaf and Bocconi


It is the main form of business in Italy, involving 85% of companies and representing about 40% of the GDP. Now, for the first time, family-controlled companies and banks have chosen to become known to a wider public. It is all part of "Family Business, the workshop of family-owned enterprises", which will take place on 18 and 19 May in Bologna, at the Mast Foundation, organized by Corriere della Sera, Italian Association of Family Companies-Aidaf and Bocconi University.

"This is an event created specifically to open the doors of a world that represents a peculiar feature of the Italian economy", says Guido Corbetta, owner of the AIdAF - EY Chair of Strategy of Family Businesses at Bocconi, and director of the Festival together with the Corriere della Sera journalist Maria Silvia Sacchi. "During the two days we will focus on issues such as the opening of capital, the entrance of non-family management, the most suitable governance models to encourage growth paths, the impact of family relationships on business strategies and the techniques to deal with legal and corporate issues. We will also also explore aspects of education aimed particularly at the next generation ". The choice of Bologna is not chance, because, as Corbetta explains, "the capital of Emilia is home to an important part of the benchmark family businesses".

The Festival is in its first edition, but they are already talking about the future: "We would like to make this event a fixed and perhaps itinerant appointment", continues the Bocconi professor, "with Brescia and Milan as possible next steps. We have also thought about going abroad, since in countries like Spain, Great Britain, Germany and France, but also in other more distant countries, such as China, Brazil and India, the presence of family businesses is very important ".

Among those attending this first edition in Bologna are the director of Corriere della Sera Luciano Fontana, the president of Confindustria Vincenzo Boccia, the president of AIdAF Elena Zambon, outstanding entrepreneur Brunello Cucinelli, the Rector of Bocconi University Gianmario Verona , the president of Longanesi Ferruccio De Bortoli and the president of Confindustria Emilia Alberto Vacchi.

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