The countdown to the 10ᵗʰ edition of GIS Expo in September offers a timely reminder to brands in the lifting and heavy transport sectors that staying visible means staying ahead of the conversation.
As GIS Expo (Giornate Italiane del Sollevamento ‘Italian Lifting Days’) returns to Piacenza, Italy, for its milestone 10th edition, the buzz isn’t just about the numbers. It’s about the direction of travel. What began as a national show for the access, lifting, and heavy transport sectors has evolved into a significant international meetingplace — not just for buyers and sellers, but for ideas. With each edition, GIS has become a mirror to shifting industry priorities: from diesel to electric, analogue to digital, and manual to autonomous.
A more connected, complex world
In 2025, industrial businesses face rising pressure to move smarter, faster, and cleaner. Equipment manufacturers must innovate while navigating evolving safety regulations, supply chain disruptions, and decarbonisation goals. Meanwhile, fleet operators increasingly demand not just machinery, but solutions that are integrated, data-driven, and future-proof.
Trade shows such as GIS have become barometers for this complexity. Yes, it’s still about machines. But it’s also about mindset. The companies that stand out are those that are responding — not reacting — to the shifting landscape.
Why this matters for communication
As the industry evolves, so must the way companies tell their stories. GIS offers a valuable opportunity to bring together technology, thought leadership, and human connection. But it’s not enough to just show up with a shiny product and a branded booth.
Today’s buyers — from rental firms to fleet managers — don’t wait to be sold to. They’re already researching across LinkedIn, trade titles, and peer networks long before the event.
What’s more, in a technical, specification-led industry, the real challenge isn’t just talking about innovation — it’s making the value of that innovation clear, credible, and relevant to buyers across functions: from procurement to operations to sustainability leads.
The most successful exhibitors will:
- Demonstrate insight into their customers’ challenges, not just their own capabilities
- Position their brand as a strategic partner, not just a supplier
- Speak clearly to the themes shaping the future — sustainability, automation, connectivity, safety
They’re connecting their product to the bigger picture. They’re not just saying, “Look at our new crane.” They’re saying, “Here’s how we’re helping contractors meet their decarbonisation targets.” Or, “Here’s how we’re using data to make fleet management safer and more efficient.”
They’re anticipating the questions their customers will ask — and answering them before the first handshake.
What does this look like in practice?
At past editions of GIS, the brands that stood out weren’t necessarily the biggest — they were the ones with a clear message. Their stand design, sales talking points, and media interviews all reinforced the same story. Whether it was a product aligned to a new EU regulation or a case study tailored to the Italian rental market, clarity won.
Of course, executing a joined-up strategy takes more than a good tagline. It requires internal alignment — between marketing, sales, and engineering — to ensure messages land with both credibility and consistency. That’s where preparation pays off.
Looking beyond the show
Three days at GIS can fly by in an instant. But if businesses are ready, this moment in the marketing calendar can catalyse wider engagement over many months. The media coverage, business development conversations, and internal momentum generated at the show can all be harnessed long after the exhibition floor has been packed away. This requires a clear strategy with a strong narrative, a content plan that extends before and beyond the show, and a team empowered to deliver it.
10 editions in and better than ever
The success of GIS also tells a story of its own: when you stay focused, evolve with purpose, and meet your audience where they are, growth follows. That’s just as true for exhibitions as equipment manufacturers.
As GIS prepares for its 10th edition, the real takeaway for industrial brands is this: staying relevant means staying attuned. To customers. To context. To change. And that’s precisely where a specialist communications partner, deeply attuned to both the industry’s shifts and your strategic goals, can make all the difference.
If your business is preparing for GIS 2025 or another major event in the sector and would like support with PR strategy, storytelling, or media engagement — we’d love to hear from you. Get in touch.
Hannah Kitchener
Associate Director
About the author
Hannah is an associate director in the UK, leading strategic campaigns for industrial clients across the EMEA region. A professionally qualified journalist (NCTJ), she combines specialist sectoral knowledge in construction, energy, and materials handling with a strong network of trade media contacts to secure valuable coverage. Her expertise in inter-cultural communication, honed by degrees in modern languages and translation, is key to executing campaigns that succeed across diverse European markets.
