MCE – Mostra Convegno Expocomfort, the world’s leading biennial exhibition for civil and industrial plant engineering, air conditioning, and renewable energy sources, returns to Fiera Milano from 24 to 27 March 2026 with its 44th edition, featuring a renewed format, layout, and content.
According to forecasts from the Anima Confindustria Research Office, the Italian thermo-hydraulic sector is expected to close 2025 with a -2.2% decline compared to 2024, reaching a total turnover of €16.43 billion.
However, the report by the Energy & Strategy Group of the Polytechnic University of Milan ‘Energy Efficiency in Italy: Current Framework and Outlook in the Industrial, Tertiary and Public Administration Sectors’, highlights several encouraging signals in these areas. First, the Public Administration, which continues to play a pivotal role in promoting energy efficiency—particularly in the school and healthcare sectors, which together account for more than two-thirds of the total public building surface area. Positive trends also emerge in the industrial sector, particularly among small and medium-sized enterprises, where incentive schemes still show significant potential for further enhancement.
Against this dynamic backdrop, brimming with both challenges and opportunities, we are thrilled to announce the upcoming 44th edition of MCE – Mostra Convegno Expocomfort (taking place at Fiera Milano from 24 to 27 March 2026). MCE stands as the premier showcase and global business platform for companies in the HVAC+R, renewable energy, and energy efficiency sectors.
“This edition has been extensively re-invented, fully aligned with market demands,’ says Massimiliano Pierini, Managing Director of RX Italy, the organiser of MCE. ‘Together with Lombardini22, a leading group in the Italian architecture and engineering scenario, we have renewed the exhibition format of several halls to enhance stand visibility and create a more engaging visitor experience thereby increasing the overall effectiveness of the exhibition.”
At the same time, MCE has reaffirmed and strengthened its role as a key meeting point for companies and professionals in the industrial and digitalisation sectors. Throughout 2025, it has developed dedicated events and conferences addressing technological challenges and economic opportunities for SMEs: from the expansion into new emerging markets—particularly Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—to the prospects for improving energy performance in non-residential buildings through the implementation of Building Automation and Control Systems (BACS) and Energy Management Systems (EMS); from the use of AI to support energy transition objectives to the still marginal role Italy plays in the global digital design market.
A must-attend event for networking and forging strategic alliances, as evidenced by the preliminary figures showing 85% of exhibition space already booked, with 1,300 registered companies—more than half from overseas.
To further support the consolidation and economic growth of Italian companies in international markets, the partnership with OpportunItaly has been renewed. This platform—promoted by the Italian Trade Agency (ICE) and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation—aims to connect international demand with Italian supply. In collaboration with RX Italy, the Italian Trade Agency will organise an incoming programme at the trade exhibition for 120 selected foreign operators from 35 countries worldwide, with a particular focus on Japan, which is the Country Partner for the 2026 edition.
Following their successful inaugural edition, the MCE Excellence Awards return to MCE 2026 to celebrate outstanding achievements in technological innovation, design, and sustainability within the fields of heating, cooling, ventilation, and air conditioning.
The Intelligent (use of) Water project also returns, expanding across four halls (Halls 2, 4, 6 and 10). Developed to highlight the importance of water as a resource and the need to minimise waste, the initiative was created in collaboration with ANGAISA, AQUA ITALIA, Assopompe and AVR. Exhibiting companies operating in the fields of water treatment, sanitary technology, pumps and valves will once again act as Water Ambassadors, showcasing the most innovative solutions for the management of primary water for both civil and industrial use.
” A surge of fresh energy is driving MCE, as highlighted by the theme chosen to represent this edition, Energy is Evolving,” Pierini concludes. “This concept also reflects our commitment to the event’s environmental sustainability, through the adoption of innovative measures such as reducing the use of carpeting—cutting 75,000 square meters of flooring—along with recyclable booth materials and giveaways, and new services designed to streamline travel arrangements.”
MCE – MOSTRA CONVEGNO EXPOCOMFORT is built by RX, a global leader in events and exhibitions, leveraging industry expertise, data and technology to build businesses for individuals, communities and organisations. With a presence in 25 countries across 41 industry sectors, RX hosts approximately 350 events annually. RX is committed to creating an inclusive work environment for all our people. RX empowers businesses to thrive by leveraging data-driven insights and digital solutions.
RX is part of RELX, a global provider of information-based analytics and decision tools for professional and business customers. For more information, visit www.rxglobal.com
