Vespa’s large-scale events as a socio-economic tool to promote Italian spirit around the world: an analysis on Vespa Club Ponte San Pietro history and members’ perception.

Vespa parades and large-scale events have been established since the early 50s, under the patronage of Piaggio and then, of Vespa Clubs. Born as an occasion for the promotion of Piaggio’s motorcycles, soon such events became an iconic occasion of interconnection among Vespa enthusiasts. Accompanied by the spirit of the mass society of economic boom, the dimension of those parades involved thousands of participants every following decade, crossing the continental borders. Born as “Eurovespas” and nowadays called “Vespa World Days”, those events emphasize the uniqueness of the Italian style embraced by Vespa, becoming a sociological phenomenon. They blend elements of tribal marketing, of large-scale sportive events with the logic of strengthening the image of Italian excellent productions worldwide. This study aims to outline historically such a path, focusing on the case of Vespa Club Ponte San Pietro because of the opportunity to manage its archive. Moreover, involving its members in an online survey, the authors conducted a descriptive analysis of the role of Vespa’s heritage and the connected large-scale events. The results underline how the history of such large-scale Vespa events strengthens today’s willingness to participate in and promote Italian style worldwide.