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The Energy Transition Expo KEY was held from 4–6 March at the Rimini Expo Centre.
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Over 1,000 exhibitors, including 320 international companies.
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530 confirmed buyers and delegations from 59 countries reinforced the event’s role as a global energy hub.
Rimini, 6 March 2026 – Three days of major exhibitions, meetings, discussions and dialogue aimed at outlining the new direction of the global energy future.
KEY – The Energy Transition Expo, Italian Exhibition Group’s flagship event for Europe, Africa and the Mediterranean dedicated to energy transition, concluded on 6 March 2026 at the Rimini Expo Centre after another intense edition, full of new developments and results that exceeded expectations.
Overall attendance increased by 10%, while international visitors rose by 9%, with a strong presence of investors.
Covering 125,000 square metres of exhibition space across 24 halls, more than 1,000 exhibiting brands, including 320 from abroad, showcased the most innovative products, solutions and technologies across the seven sectors of the energy transition.
530 hosted buyers and delegations from 59 countries attended thanks to the support of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI). A total of 412 journalists from around the world were accredited.
The event, opened on Wednesday, 4 March, by the Minister of Environment and Energy Security, Gilberto Pichetto Fratin, presented European and international industrial and technological expertise, creating strong enthusiasm throughout the Expo Centre while promoting international cooperation, particularly with the African continent through the new Africa Investment HUB area.
With 160 high-level, science-based conferences, KEY 2026 confirmed its status as one of the most important energy events in Europe, distinguished by the comprehensiveness of both its exhibition and its content. Topics included the importance of energy efficiency for decarbonisation, energy storage, and the use of artificial intelligence to optimise electricity grids, forecast renewable energy production and manage energy flows in real time.
The event served as a platform combining technological innovation and finance, encouraging dialogue between engineers, technology developers, investors and institutions with the aim of making projects bankable and accelerating their implementation, thereby reducing risk. Among the key requests emerging from associations and industries was the need to increase grid flexibility and adopt clear regulatory frameworks that encourage investment and competitiveness, transforming the energy transition from a distant prospect into a tangible reality.
Significant attention was also given to finance, including new financial and investment models, capital for renewable energy projects and innovative tools to control energy costs. These included new financing models, green bonds, sustainability bonds and participation models involving citizens, businesses and communities.
Innovation and green jobs were highlighted in the Innovation District, featuring 32 innovative start-ups and SMEs, and the Green Jobs & Skills initiative, which facilitated connections between job supply and demand in the sustainability sector. The “Lorenzo Cagnoni Innovation Award” was presented to seven start-ups and seven KEY exhibitors for their most innovative projects, one for each product category at the event.
DPE – INTERNATIONAL ELECTRICITY EXPO
Running alongside KEY was the new edition of DPE – International Electricity Expo. This specialised event for the ecosystem of electricity generation, transmission, distribution, safety and automation is organised by Italian Exhibition Group in collaboration with the Distributed Generation Association – Engines, Components and Generator Sets, part of ANIMA Confindustria, and ANIE Federation, which represents companies operating in electrical and electronic supply chains and industrial general contractors within the Confindustria system.
KEY CHOICE – Unlock the Future of PPAs
On Tuesday, 3 March, at the Palacongressi Convention Centre in Rimini, KEY was preceded by a successful new edition of KEY CHOICE – Unlock the Future of PPAs, the Energy Transition Expo’s B2B event dedicated to Power Purchase Agreements, organised by Italian Exhibition Group in collaboration with Elemens.
KEY will return to the Rimini Expo Centre from 10 to 12 March 2027.
This press release contains forward-looking statements and estimates reflecting the current views of management regarding future business performance, investment implementation, cash-flow trends and the evolution of the financial structure. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve a degree of risk and uncertainty, as they depend on future events.
Actual results may differ, even significantly, from those announced due to numerous factors including, for example: trends in the food service market and tourist flows in Italy; trends in the gold and jewellery market; trends in the green economy market; developments in raw material prices; general macroeconomic conditions; geopolitical factors; and changes in the regulatory framework.
Furthermore, the information contained in this release does not claim to be exhaustive and has not been independently verified by third parties. The forecasts, estimates and objectives contained herein are based on information available to the Company at the date of this release.
