RIMINI, Italy – Welcome back, mighty Sigep! Excitement, business, shows and innovation, the entire dolce foodservice industry has regained its global platform and in terms of visitors, closes in line with the record edition of 2020 (which was then followed by the 2021 digital edition and a 2022 edition postponed until March due to travel restrictions).
The 44th edition of the International Trade Show of Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and Coffee, organised by IEG – Italian Exhibition Group, together with the triennial AB Tech show, generated five days under the banner of concreteness, the encounter between knowledge and first-class training and was brimming with business and networking within a panorama of a solid and innovative offer, ready to support further development.
A Sigep of re-found confidence, with businesses rediscovering the value of relationships and enthusiasm in presenting the innovations produced during the last two extremely difficult years. A Sigep that expressed positive energy that could be felt throughout the Rimini Expo Centre, which was totally sold out with more than 1,000 companies in 28 halls, covering 130,000 square meters of expo space.
A sector characterised by enormous dynamism, innovation and export propensity. The made-in-Italy dolce food service spreads technology and talent around the world. An effective appeal concretely found at Sigep: foreign visitors arrived in Rimini from 155 countries.
In terms of provenance: 77% from Europe with Germany, Spain, Greece, France and Great Britain first and foremost; 12% from Asia and the Middle East mostly from Israel, Lebanon, India, Korea and the countries of the Gulf Area; 7% from the Americas mainly from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Argentina; and 4% from Africa, primarily Morocco, Algeria, Egypt, Libya and Nigeria.
Inaugurated by the national president of Confcommercio, Carlo Sangalli, together with local authorities and with the remote intervention, on the second day, of Minister Francesco Lollobrigida (Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry), IEG welcomed 450 top buyers from 78 countries around the world thanks to the strategic partnership with ITA – Italian Trade Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, with the support of IEG’s international network of regional advisors operating in 60 countries.
SIGEP 2023 thus marked the complete return to its dimension as the world’s leading show for artisan gelato and among the very first for the pastry, bakery and coffee sectors. Along with the numerical data, it is above all, the general satisfaction of exhibitors and visitors that decreed its success.
An all-sold-out programme of daily events at Vision Plaza, the veritable heart of content regarding trends and economic information for the dolce food service world, a key player in the ‘out of home’ sector that, in Italy alone, is worth about 60 billion euros.
The NPD Group reported a substantial recovery after the standstill and restrictions of the pandemic period with +3% in turnover. Growing familiarity with travel will help further growth. Deloitte, a worldwide Foodservice Market Monitor, reported global values of 2,525 billion euros (+14% compared to 2021). Italy is Europe’s number one country in terms of market value for Full Service restaurants, with a total share of 36 billion euros in 2022.
The Gelato, Pastry, Choco, Coffee and Bakery sectors were all represented at the show, the latter supply chain enhanced by the simultaneous staging of AB Tech Expo. Shows, content and competitions in the six Arenas: Dolce, Gelato, Pastry, Choco, Bakery and Coffee, with the Start-Up Area and Digital Talks.
A programme enriched by more than 100 talks and 200 speakers, including 50 international, more than 20 competitions with 30 participating countries. Over 1,000 events organized by exhibitors. All the great masters of made-in-Italy dolce food products were in attendance at the show. Spotlights were on four international competitions: the Gelato Europe Cup, which selected the European nations for the World Cup to be held at Sigep 2024, Bread in the City-Bakery World Cup, The Pastry Queen women’s pastry world championship and the Junior World Pastry Championship.
Sigep and AB Tech attracted the attention of Italian and international media, which produced an audience of 439 million gross contacts. The press room saw 655 accreditations of which 70 were foreign.
Social profiles reached 137,000 followers, and during the days of the show, professional operators viewed 280,000 exhibitor profiles on the B2B platform TEO The Eating Out Hub.
The 45th edition of Sigep is scheduled for 20th – 24th January 2024 at Rimini Expo Centre.
But before that, Sigep, the dolce foodservice community’s platform and the Italian way of experiencing it, is preparing for an ambitious new event: Sigep China. Held from 10th to 12th May 2023, it will be organized by EAGLE, a wholly owned subsidiary of IEG, in partnership with Cologne Expo, at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Centre in conjunction with Anufood China
IEG’s next appointment with the food&beverage sector will be at Rimini Expo Centre with Beer&Food Attraction, from 19th to 22nd February 2023.
