REAS 2026, the 25th International Emergency Exhibition, which closes this evening at the Centro Fiera Montichiari fairground, has achieved positive results. The three-day event brought together 310 exhibitors from Italy and 24 other countries, including Germany, France, Spain, Sweden, Poland, the United Kingdom, Ukraine, the United States, Canada, China and South Korea.
According to preliminary figures, the number of managers and professionals operating in the fields of rescue services, firefighting and civil protection increased by 4%, attracting visitors from across Europe and several countries worldwide.“This is a very positive sign,” said Ezio Zorzi, General Manager of Centro Fiera Montichiari. “It confirms our decision to move the opening day of REAS to Thursday and the closing day to Saturday for the first time this year. The change was designed to better meet the needs of the many professional visitors who attend our exhibition to discover the latest technological innovations, meet potential business partners and conclude agreements and contracts. As always, our exhibition halls also welcomed thousands of volunteers from all over Italy, who have long regarded REAS as an important opportunity for networking and professional updating. Building on these results, we will immediately begin preparations for the next edition, already scheduled to take place from 7 to 9 October 2027.”
REAS 2026 was officially opened on Thursday, 8 October, in the presence of civil and military authorities, including the Regional Councillors for Civil Protection of Lombardy and Veneto, Romano La Russa and Elisa Venturini. Both highlighted that the event is a source of pride for Italy and an essential opportunity for meeting and discussion for the national civil protection system. The organisers also received a message from Italy’s Minister for Civil Protection and Sea Policies, Nello Musumeci, who expressed his appreciation for this important initiative and extended his greetings to emergency operators and volunteers for their daily commitment carried out in a genuine spirit of service.
The exhibition halls in Montichiari showcased vehicles and equipment for operations in areas affected by wildfires and natural disasters, as well as boats and rescue devices for water emergencies, special vehicles capable of operating in flooded or earthquake-hit areas, and drones for aerial monitoring. Visitors were also able to discover ambulances equipped with life-saving technologies for first response operations, communication systems linking command centres and rescue teams, technical clothing for emergency personnel and innovative assistive devices for people with disabilities. The exhibition programme was complemented by 25 conferences and seminars, together with practical exercises and live demonstrations aimed at supporting the training of professionals and volunteers.
REAS is organised by Centro Fiera Montichiari in partnership with Hannover Fairs International GmbH and the specialised Interschutz exhibition, which takes place every four years and whose next edition will be held in Hanover, Germany, from 20 to 25 May 2030.
“REAS has further consolidated its international reputation and once again this year provided a leading platform for knowledge exchange and networking across the rescue and civil protection sectors,” commented Andreas Züge, Managing Director of Hannover Fairs International, the Italian Branch of Deutsche Messe AG. “The exhibition offers opportunities for high-level exchange of experience on an international scale, information on the latest technologies and products, and an attractive meeting point that is ideal for networking.”
Three German organisations took part in REAS again also this year: the Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW), the German Fire Protection Association (vfdb) and the German Firefighters’ Association (DFV).