MILAN, Italy – In the realm of ice cream and pastry, Italy has no rivals. The industry has a sole reference event in Italy with international relevance: HostMilano, the International Exhibition of the Hospitality Industry, world leader in Ho.Re.Ca. and Retail.
Confirming this is the extremely high satisfaction index registered by the exhibitors with more than 1,300 companies that, less than one year from the ribbon cutting, have already confirmed their participation in the next edition, in fieramilano in Rho from Friday to 23 to Tuesday 27 October 2015, during the six months of the World’s Fair in Milan centred on food related themes.
The more than 1,500 high profile international buyers and the tens of thousands of professional visitors from around the world will meet up with Italian and foreign industry leaders, which include more than 200 companies such as Babbi, Bravo, Carpigiani, Comprital, Crystal Freezers & Coolers, Distillerie Camel, Elenka, Frigomat, Galatea, Ifi, Isa, José Julio Jordão, Krampouz, LacteosIndustrialesAgrupados, La Pavoni Italia, Martellato, Mondial Group Mussana Montapanna Hans KrattMaschinenfabrik, Novacart, Optima, Pomati Group, Pregel, Prodotti Rubicone, Scotton, S.P.M. Drink Systems, Selmi, Telme, Toschi Vignola, Ugolini, and Unigra.
The secret of its amazing leadership? The superior innovation, creativity and international qualities of Host, expressed in a single formula in the trade show landscape that marries the productive contamination between the supply chain with vertical specialisation in dedicated areas, for supply and demand matching that generates increasingly new business opportunities.
At Host 2015, the Ice Cream-Pastry section specifically will create synergy in a single macro-area with Coffee-Tea-Bar-Coffee Machines-Vending. The other two macro areas of Host 2015 will be dedicated to Professional Catering – Bread – Pasta – Pizza and Tableware and Dining.
The presence of some of the leading Italian and international experts make HostMilano a unique opportunity, not only to do business, but also to capture the state of the art of the industry.
“Craft ice cream is quite famously a product that demonstrates peak consumption during the summer. But what happens when the summer is disappointing? What happens when two-thirds of the summer days across Italy are rainy or cold?
Two possible responses: firstly, we have to consider removing the seasonality of the offer, with a view to attracting customers in any season,” explains Franco Cesare Puglisi, Italian production expert and ice cream connoisseur.
“It is no accident that more than 59% of Italian ice cream retailers are bakeries and coffee shops. The trends tell us that soft desserts are popular all year round, followed by products such as crepes, which are also popular in the winter season. Chocolate, which never goes out of style, is served in ice cream parlours all year long.
The watch word is diversify! Secondly, we have to conceive the parlour in a new way, as a pleasant gathering spot, a place for “sweet surrender, “ where we can pamper ourselves with highly “soothing” flavours. We know that ice cream does not have specific scents, since the cold temperature inhibits the release of aromas. Obviate this problem with so called “complementary” products such as warm croissants, steaming chocolate and scented herbal teas to help make the climate pleasant and inviting.”
“We are witnessing a progressive internationalization of taste,” concluded Roberto Lestani, president of FIP –the International Federation of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate and prize winner of ice cream and chocolates.”Italy is a global reference point and is resistant to certain local preferences, such as chocolate in the United States and spicy flavours in Northern Europe. But today, partly thanks to the social media, the global community is beginning to swap new ideas. In this scenario, Host, which is recognized in Italy and around the world as the most international trade fair in the sector, is an increasingly important engagement and will be more so in 2015 thanks to its concurrency with Expo.”
In addition to the exclusive added value of the presence of all segments of Ho.Re.Ca., Host adds the location of its Milan venue, a recognised capital of Italian design, the main economic and financial centre in the country and leader for the Euro-Mediterranean area.
The Italian segment of “ice cream makers” is an undisputed world leader and guides the trends toward internationalisation of food equipment manufacturing.
Figures from ANIMA-Assofoodtec expect to see an increase of 1% for FY 2014 revenue in the entire industry, which is expected to rise to 313 million euro. Nearly three-quarters of the value of production (72%, equal to 226 million euro) is generated by exports, with larger shares from the emerging economies.
It is estimated that the machinery, equipment and ingredients branches have touched nearly one billion euro, adding to the 2.5 billion euro in value of the consumer market, which amounts to 360 thousand tons per year, equal to six kilograms on average per capita in Italy.
That this is the right path to increase business has been confirmed by the industry players.
“HostMilano represents an opportunity to bring the world’s attention to the realm of ‘craft’ technology,” commented Valentina Righi, PR & Communication Manager at Carpigiani Group. “A key factor is its international quality, a feature in which Italian excellence can shine and which is supported by our university, with the museum and with innovations such as e-apps.”
Arnaud Girard, Marketing Director of Unigrà adds: “HostMilano offers an international landscape in which to develop opportunities in niches such as ‘free form’, a segment for investment albeit on a smaller scale.”
“In addition to innovation, we are heavily invested in internationalisation. We earn 75% of our revenue abroad and we are very conscious of the emerging markets,” reiterated Giuseppe Bravo, Managing Director of Bravo. “Especially among foreign customers, which are often large chains, there is considerable attention to the return on investment and our strategies aim to maximise them.”
“ISA operates in more than 100 countries and our exports have reached 70% of the total volume of business, thanks to a continuing trend toward innovation and experimentation. In the present and future strategies of ISA, we aim to become an increasingly innovative, global and eco-sustainable company,” noted Marco Giulietti, CEO of ISA.
“Host will be a meeting point for Italian and international customers: an opportunity to present flavourful and high quality products and especially our newest ideas such as Mr.Donuts”, concludes Elena Montorsi, Marketing Manager of Toschi Vignola.
Babbihas placed a spotlight on wellness with a gluten-free and lactose-free line. The flavours of the local area are one of the focuses of Elenka, which features delicious recipes such as Sicilian Cassata and dark chocolate of Modica.
The well balanced ice cream bases are the speciality of Prodotti Rubicone. The Selmi Group is bringing its innovative tempering and coating machines, which are even more important in achieving synergies with ice cream, while the innovative wrapping technologies are the focus at Scotton and Novacart. Technology, design and tradition come together in coffee makers by La Pavoni.
Rounding out the exhibition offer is an incomparable calendar of events. To name just two examples, Host 2015 will play host to World Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate Trophy and the World Cake Designer Award organised by FIP, which selected Host as the venue for its two most important biennial events.
Thirty-two teamsof professionals from around the world will test their skills on the stage of Host 2015, moving between technological innovation and the creative reinterpretation of classic recipes in the art of pastry. Each of them, through their creations, will represent a true, personalised cultural vision of flavour.
“For EXPO 2015, our Federation and Host aim to capture many different challenges, not only professional but also cultural, which appear and take shape in our sector,” noted Barbara Castiglione, the delegate of FIP Liguria and relationship manager for trade shows and international associations in organizing the Championships.
“In today’s society, characterised by superior cultural exchange,” Castiglione continued, “an international trade show such as Host is the ideal crossroads where tradition and innovation can meet in a balance. Each team must develop the concept to the fullest to convince the competition judges… and the audience.”
In partnership with FIPE- the Italian Federation of Public Services – the show will also include a calendar of original and engaging events. Plus, there will be an area where the leading masters of the art of pastry, ice cream and chocolate and FIPE members will demonstrate their expertise while suggesting flavourful tips and tricks.
The area will be arranged in three corner displays dedicated to Typical Sweets, with special attention to Italian Christmas panettone and local specialities; the art of pastry with special attention to chocolate; and ice cream.
In the year of EXPO, Host2015 aims to consolidate its role of trendsetter, world observatory of Ho.Re.Ca., and Retail and an authentic hub for everything that is innovation in the sector: from products to formats, consumers’ wants and desires to the trends in lifestyle and design.
For the most updated information on Host: www.host.fieramilano.it; twitter: @HostMilano; #Host2015; Facebook: HostMilano.
