About SAIE
SAIE is one of Italy's long-established trade fairs for the construction sector, covering building, installations, design and the digital tools that increasingly link them. The Bologna show is held at BolognaFiere and organised by Senaf in collaboration with Tecniche Nuove and BolognaFiere. A separate SAIE event has also been held in Bari, with a focus that includes urban regeneration.
The exhibition is arranged by sector. Building and construction products sit alongside systems and installations, design and digitalisation, and services and media, with additional focus areas for concrete, windows and frames, and machinery and equipment. This structure makes it possible to see much of the construction supply chain in a single visit.
Visitors are businesses, professionals and trade associations from across the industry: contractors, engineers, architects, surveyors, installers and specifiers, together with representatives of the bodies that shape standards and practice. The audience is overwhelmingly Italian, which makes the show particularly relevant for manufacturers and distributors that already sell in Italy or plan to enter the market.
A distinctive feature is the weight given to training. SAIE runs an extensive seminar programme and works with a large number of partner associations, and its content is organised around themes such as infrastructure, sustainability, innovation and people-centred design. That focus draws professionals who are keeping their technical knowledge up to date, and it gives exhibitors a chance to position themselves as experts as well as suppliers.
Next edition
SAIE 2028: what to expect
SAIE now alternates between Bari and Bologna, and organiser Senaf has confirmed that the fair returns to BolognaFiere in 2028. Dates are to be confirmed. The 2026 Bologna edition drew 40,723 professional visitors and 567 exhibitors, according to BolognaFiere.
Exhibitors wanting to keep momentum in the meantime can consider SAIE Bari, at the Fiera del Levante from 21 to 23 October 2027, which has a strong southern Italian audience and a focus on urban regeneration.
Show recap
How SAIE 2026 went
SAIE celebrated its 60th edition at BolognaFiere from 7 to 10 October 2026. In its closing release of 13 October 2026, BolognaFiere reported 40,723 professional visitors and 567 exhibiting companies, supported by 68 partner associations and a record 235 training conferences.
Housing policy set the tone. The opening conference, attended by Transport Minister Matteo Salvini, centred on the government's Piano Casa, and the commissioners for post-earthquake reconstruction, the 2023 flood areas and the Piano Casa itself all took part. Federcostruzioni presented its annual report, valuing the Italian construction supply chain at 648.7 billion euros with 3.4 million workers.
New SAIE Lab Live arenas covered urban regeneration, seismic prevention, comfort and finishes, AI and BIM, infrastructure, and paving and waterproofing. The Italian Army exhibited for the first time, and a dedicated SAIE 60 area marked the anniversary. Formedil staged the Ediltrophy masonry contest and a crane operator of the year competition.
Organiser Senaf confirmed that SAIE moves to the Fiera del Levante in Bari from 21 to 23 October 2027, returning to Bologna in 2028.