The history of Assoprovider events, from "Pionieri della Rete" in 2017 to APRO21: the appointment with the podcasts "Pionieri della Rete" continues, created with the contribution of Sicetelecom, TP-Link, and AVM and the editorial support of Radio IT.
«For more than 20 years, we were expected to disappear overnight, yet for more than 20 years, we have continued to find new opportunities to grow and fight.».
These words from the president of Assoprovider, Dino Bortolotto, perfectly describe the history of the association. A history that took a decisive turn in 2017 and culminated in the last live event organized, APRO21, a success in terms of numbers and feedback. And which in turn represents a new beginning.
A story we continue to tell with our APodcast: here is the summary of the latest episode.
Pioneers of the Network: at the roots of an intuition
“For Assoprovider, there is a before and after 2017”, says Marcello Cama, vice president of Assoprovider. Despite having 17 years of activity behind it, the association of ®Proximity Operators (https://www.operatoridiprossimita.it/) in 2017, in fact, it opens up to new frontiers by organizing the first national event in Naples, aptly titled "Pionieri della Rete," dedicated to those who contributed to the birth and spread of the Internet in Italy and worldwide.
From that moment,everything starts to change: we begin to make ourselves known and people start to understand that, behind the spread of the Internet in Italy, there has often been Assoprovider. And it was a fundamental intervention”, explains Cama.
Since then, over the past four years, apart from the unfortunate Covid hiatus, which interrupted in-person events in 2020, it has been "everything building up to APRO21, the event on December 10, 2021, where we had to decline registrations and significant partnerships because it was already sold out.
Bortolotto echoes Cama, stating:
«Marcello's fervent mind was the origin of the event in Naples: an experience that opened the minds of many of us. It made us understand that, beyond the rightful in-depth analysis of the technological and regulatory aspects of the sector, it was necessary to create a team, a group, a unity of purpose among the thousands of Operators scattered throughout Italy.».
To listen to the full episode, visit the page: https://www.radioit.it/apro-21-roma-evento-assoprovider/
The success of APRO21
Matteo Fici, founder and treasurer, also praises the "new course" of recent years, which has seen Assoprovider embrace new challenges, not only through events but also by using new communication tools to promote various activities and initiatives, and the launch of projects not strictly related to the telecommunications sector, such as "experiential tourism, training activities, and sustainable mobility”.
Fici then emphasizes APRO21:
«It was a great success – continues Fici – also thanks to the decision to focus on the PNRR, a more general topic compared to the specificities of TLC, which allowed us to look "beyond our nose," providing useful and practical information on many opportunities: from broadband to digitalization, from tax credit to tourism and culture 4.0».
It is on this concreteness that Cama also returns: today those who approach Assoprovider can discover "to deal with an extremely concrete reality, which implements projects and wins battles before narrating them”. Tangibility that more and more entrepreneurs in the sector are beginning to appreciate: “"In the following years," continues the vice president of Assoprovider,we will need to choose a location that is even more spacious and comfortable for our events and create two appointments, not just one anymore.
In addition to celebrating APRO21, Antonella Oliviero, a member of the Assoprovider board of directors, recalls that despite the challenges of the past two years, the association's activities have not stopped and have indeed multiplied (even if not in person), recalling “the battle over the costs of licensed frequencies, podcasts, the spread of Smart Working with Van Working Tour, the print newspaper Open TLC”.
In conclusion, Oliviero then outlines the "good intentions" for the new year. In addition to the two national events, he recalls the opening of the new territorial offices of Assoprovider:
«After the opening in Campania, the initiative was halted due to Covid. Today we are ready to restart with Sicily, aiming to establish a regional office in each Italian region: "proximity," meaning presence in the territories, characterizes us not only as entrepreneurs but also as an association, bringing us closer to the needs of each member.».
