The first three months of Expo 2020 Dubai have passed and just a few days before the official turnaround of the event, the San Marino Pavilion exceeds 110 thousand visitors, proving to be one of the most appreciated Thematic District Pavilions for both its attractions and for the enthusiasm of the volunteers, the beating heart of a small -but rich in content- pavilion.
Moreover, there has been a significant interest and increase in sales in the shop area in recent weeks, within the shop having finally reached full capacity and being presented in the best possible way by the second group of young volunteers from San Marino who recently landed in Dubai
to live the Expo experience, which -thanks to the training program carried out in San Marino on the products selected for sale and reserved for all volunteers- have also picked up the role of shop assistants from the previous group.
Unlike other states’, the San Marino shop area boasts a sample of articles that are very diversified with a high percentage of products "Made in San Marino".This very peculiar aspect, has surely the primary objective of valorizing the productive realities of the territory and giving them an opportunity to present themselves to the whole world as the pride of the Republic.
The very first items to be sold-out in the shop were the magnets and the handmade mugs/cups by the cooperative Barbò Ceramica, an important San Marino reality committed to the social inclusion of its workers. The use of the coat of arms of San Marino, together with the history and the aims of the cooperative, encouraged visitors to choose these objects as a souvenir to take with them.
The protagonist of Barbò's collection is the official pitcher dedicated to Expo 2020 Dubai, entirely decorated by hand and produced in limited edition, as it is an exemplary reproduction of the jug made in San Marino at the beginning of the thirties of the twentieth century by E. Casali and chosen as a trait d'union between Expo Milano 2015 and Expo Dubai 2020.
As a prime example of typical product and symbol of craftsmanship of San Marino craftsmanship, the jug has been donated as a special gift to illustrious guests of the Pavilion.
Sales of pieces of San Marino craftsmanship also found success in the
small handmade furnishing objects by carpenter Paolo Zonzini with discarded materials from damaged furniture and recovered fragments. In each project the challenge is to create a unique and authentic piece while maintaining the color and nuance of the wood in its natural state.
Part of the shop is also dedicated to clothing: on sale are sweatshirts, t-shirts and caps, both official ones of the San Marino Pavilion -made by Pielle Italia according to sustainable production processes- as well as those created ad hoc by the Grand Hotel San Marino with a completely new and contemporary style. Visitors can also find the official uniform of the San Marino national football team (Federazione Sammarinese Giuoco Calcio) especially appreciated by football fans who do not want to miss the opportunity to have the uniform of the team of one of the smallest states in the world to participate the UEFA Champions League.
One success is certainly the San Marino-based brand Marlù Gioielli, which -thanks to its constantly changing collections- anticipates trends and stylishly tells stories with their jewels, proving to be able to touch the sensibilities of the Arab world.
The most appreciated articles are bracelets, earrings, charms, necklaces with the presence of crystals and the collections adorned with sun and moon, symbols related to the Arab world.
As in every Expo, the curiosity and appreciation for San Marino Philately and Numismatics is maintained. The Philatelic and Numismatic Office -after the emissions for the for Expo Shanghai 2010 and Milan 2015- has in fact created a philatelic emission dedicated to Expo Dubai 2020, in particular to the emblem of the San Marino Pavilion, that is an illustration in gold foil inspired by the eagle-shaped fibula, the masterpiece of Gothic jewellery belonging to the Treasure of Domagnano and found in San Marino in 1893. Present inside the shop as well are types of coins such as those dedicated to the Institute for Social Security during the first year of the pandemic, coins dedicated to the Anniversary of the first man on the Moon, to biodiversity, and to Earth and its resources. Other pieces of great value presented by two historic companies of the Titan are also present In the San Marino pavilion’s shop: the artistic jeweler Klepto, which chose to exhibit in Dubai small sculptures to be worn – specifically made for Expo 2020- made out of pure yellow and white gold enriched with precious gems. Visitors, especially local ones, seem to be very attracted to these pieces. The Arzilli jewellery shop with its elegant creations -one of which is the classic jacket pin with the coat of arms of the Republic of San Marino, handmade in silver, yellow gold and, new for Expo Dubai, in pink gold- represents a perfect purchase for those who want to treat themselves to a little precious souvenir. For those who prefer pearls, the shop of the San Marino Pavilion presents the Seventeen Seconds line titled “Little Constellation” in silver and natural pearls. Little Constellation is a project curated by Pier Paolo Giovagnoli, focused on artistic productions based on contemporary sculpture techniques. This project does not deal exclusively with jewelry but also with works of art, books, catalogs and a project room in the castle of Serravalle in which exhibitions are organized and linked to various initiatives of the network.
In the section of the shop dedicated to food, the culinary delights of the Terra di San Marino Consortium are a must. The 100% organic oil and honey are certainly the most sold items at the moment, but there is also growing interest and curiosity for the cream of zucchini, the pasta of Lab.301 produced with local grains, and the essential oils of Ghenea Essentials. As enogastronomic testimony of the territory, the shop would not be complete without the delicacies of the Serenissima, particularly the irreplaceable chocolate-flavored Torta Tre Monti. Not to be underestimated the new pistachio version that has resulted to be very successful, especially during the moments of meeting and tasting with guests in the VIP lounge of the Pavilion. In the food area, sales are also on the rise for coffee blends produced by Magikaffé, all in different formats and packaging and all strictly eco-sustainable. The Magikaffé company is based in Acquaviva Castle and makes and distributes coffee and beverages in capsules, pods and personalized packaging.
Certainly arousing a fair amount of interest were the creations of Rubigo, another cooperative that makes hand-printed fabrics using ancient techniques typical of San Marino artistic craftsmanship.
Sara Conti, the Pavilion's sales manager says: "Despite a difficult start, due to problems related to the clearance of some goods in the Emirates, we can still see a significant recovery in sales. The first quarter thus ends with a positive balance and even the brands that arrived later have already registered several sold-out products. This edition of Expo 2020 Dubai, compared to previous editions, has detected ever since its beginning a considerably higher number of visitors, both overall and in context with our Pavilion. Consequently, our shop has also recorded numerous presences and the sales appear to be in constant growth. Furthermore, it should be pointed out that, despite the distance between San Marino and Dubai, we managed to have more items in our shop overall, also thanks to the call for selection issued by the Commissariat in October 2020, which made it possible to discover new and interesting start-ups and to confirm the presence of the historical companies of the territory. In light of all this, we can only look forward with enthusiasm to the coming months:
The prospect is to keep sales growing and to allow thousands of visitors, coming from all over the world, to discover and appreciate our Republic - also through the typical products that represent it- aiming to leave a good memory of us and of the experience spent at the San Marino Pavilion at Expo 2020 Dubai".
