Expo Riva Schuh: where to stay, and how close is close
For exhibitors and buyers: the real walking distance from the exhibition centre, breakfast before the doors open, a quiet room to work in at night, parking and charging.
The short answer is to sleep in the centre of Riva del Garda, on foot from the pavilion. Expo Riva Schuh & Gardabags returns to the exhibition centre on January 16–19, 2027: four days in which there is no parking to be found in town, and the only logistics that work are the ones you do in your shoes.
From via Negrelli to the exhibition centre you walk. The car stays in our car park for the whole fair, and in the morning you leave the house and walk into the hall.
What it is, in numbers.
Expo Riva Schuh is the international trade fair for volume footwear; Gardabags, held at the same time, is its bags and leather goods half. Exhibitors from over forty countries, visitors from more than a hundred.
The quarter has eleven pavilions across nearly fifty thousand square metres, arranged in four connected blocks. Admission is free and restricted to the trade: you register in advance on the website and the pass arrives by email.
Hours run nine to six on the opening days, closing earlier on the last. Worth checking on the official site before you book the flight home.
What close actually means.
In a resort town, "near the fair" can mean ten minutes of driving and twenty of parking. Here it means a walk.
You feel the difference most in the middle of the day: anyone with a stand can come back, change, drop the samples, take a breath and return — which nobody does when a car is involved.
The three things trade-fair people ask for.
Breakfast before the doors open. Served at the table, and you can sit down early. During the fair it is the only part of the day that belongs to whoever uses it.
A room you can actually work in. Ten keys mean a quiet house: in the evening you come back, sit down, write up the day and prepare tomorrow’s appointments without noise through the wall.
Parking and charging. The car space is on site, and anyone arriving electric has somewhere to plug in.
In the evening, the town is open.
Riva del Garda in January is not shut: the old town is alive, the Christmas markets in the squares run to the sixth of January, and dinner is something you walk out to find.
Anyone staying for the weekend has everything else within half an hour — the Arco crags, the Ponale, the lake in winter. All the dates are in the calendar.
For groups and exhibitor enquiries, write to us from the Business Hub page.
Common questions.
When is Expo Riva Schuh 2027?
From 16 to 19 January 2027 at the Riva del Garda exhibition centre, together with Gardabags. That is the winter edition: the second of the year is held in June.
Where should you stay for Expo Riva Schuh?
In the centre of Riva del Garda, within walking distance of the exhibition centre. During the fair, parking in town is the main problem: staying in the centre means leaving the car where it is and walking to the pavilion.
How do you get into Expo Riva Schuh? Is there a ticket?
Admission is free but restricted to trade professionals. You register in advance on the official website and the entry pass is sent to you by email.
How many times a year is Expo Riva Schuh held?
Twice: one edition in January and one in June, both at the Riva del Garda exhibition centre. They cover different commercial seasons.
