We don’t need to go back to the Romans to realize that places and their spirit influence people and the products they create. “Made in Italy” is what it is because it stems from the idea of beauty, artistic tradition, and inventiveness—which are among the most evident characteristics of Italy and its people. The people themselves are part of—and help create— the genius loci. The cultural and entrepreneurial fabric of the Veneto region differs from that of Piedmont or Emilia, and it has given rise to the Sportsystem industrial district—one that could likely have emerged and flourished only in the province of Treviso, like a small fire that is constantly fed with fresh wood.
However, the relationship with the local area is something deeper than a mere concept. It is a mission, one that carries great responsibility. This is even more true today, despite some signs of a crisis in the globalization model. I was reflecting on this a little over a month ago when CMP organized a two-day event in Bassano del Grappa to present the SS 27 collections. “What are you celebrating?” asked a former schoolmate of CEO Fabio Campagnolo upon seeing the cloister of the Civic Museum transformed into a runway for the fashion show and the Ponte degli Alpini turned into a spectacle of lights and water fountains. “Nothing—we’re just presenting the new collections,” came the calm reply. What better place to showcase new products than the very place where a brand—which has surpassed 200 million in revenue—was born and grew? Because that know-how was forged right there, starting from a market stall right on the square just outside the cloister, and it grew thanks to the hard work of the people of Bassano. And at the same time, it helped Bassano grow. Because that distinctive look has its origins amid the beauty of one of the most charming small towns in the Italian province. There is an unbreakable bond between a brand’s success and the place where it has its roots.
What would Ziano di Fiemme be without La Sportiva, which has chosen to resist the allure of the globalized economy once again in order to build a new future at the foot of the Dolomites? Starting July 1, 2023, La Sportiva launched a shuttle bus service connecting Trento and Val di Fassa to its Ziano di Fiemme plant via three dedicated routes. This service is used daily by over 110 employees. It’s exactly what a visionary entrepreneur like Adriano Olivetti did—the man to whom we owe the fact that entire Piedmontese valleys weren’t depopulated. And what would C.A.M.P. be without Premana? What would OUTDOOR & ORBDAYS and European Outdoor Week be without Riva del Garda? The history of the trade show organized by our publishing house goes back a long way and, after several attempts, has finally found its home on the shores of Lake Garda. And it will remain there at least until 2029, as the agreement between MagNet and the European Outdoor Group has just been renewed. Finally, what would the UTMB Mont Blanc be without Chamonix and Mont Blanc? Only in the world capital of mountaineering could a race—initially considered impossible—have come into being. Clearly not in Zermatt or even in Courmayeur.
Included with this issue, in addition to the SS 27 product guide, is the trail running special. We decided to publish it right now because this issue coincides with the UTMB. August and the summer break lie in between, but the event is less than a month away, and at the foot of Mont Blanc—as has been the case for the past few years—some of the major new products will be unveiled. Yes, the genius loci—just like that of the many places we discuss in this issue, such as the Pollino National Park or the Mont Fallère area in the Aosta Valley, two stops on our “Active Travel” column. We traveled there with a light, brisk step and minimal gear, striving to leave as few traces of our passage as possible and to get to know the nature and the people who live in these idyllic corners of Italy—as travelers first, rather than tourists. Have a great vacation.
