MILAN, Italy – For HostMilano, the leading worldwide show when it comes to Equipment, Coffee and Food, 2016 is off to a head start with a boom in confirmations from repeat exhibitors. Almost two years from the show, more than 700 exhibitors (42% from abroad) have already been won over by the unique concept that is to be even more feature-rich for 2017.
This is no surprise given the record numbers in terms of exhibitor satisfaction. They were almost unanimous in recognising that HostMilano is the industry event in Italy that is most international in nature and with a focus on business.
Specifically, 98% see it as extremely or very important for doing business and 95% see the constant growth in internationalisation as being extremely important.
Furthermore, 91% strongly agrees that HostMilano is the best place to meetnew qualified professionals, 92% for meeting international professionals and 90% for opening up to new international markets.
These numbers are the result of the selective nature of the show and the great focus put on scouting: in fact, 97% say they are extremely satisfied in terms of the quality of contacts. Which are in line with orexceeded expectations for 98%, while an impressive 92% of exhibitors say they made new contacts.
An exceptional showing of appreciation, which truly reflects the record-breaking participation of professional visitors, who in 2015 exceeded the historic 150,000 number, reaching 150,968.There was an exponential increase in foreign visitors – 60,383 visitors from 172 countries, 40% of the total with 17% growth.
“HostMilano is on the forefront of our internationalisation strategy among our directly organised shows, which focus on other industries where Made in Italy is the worldwide leader. – says Fiera Milano CEO Corrado Peraboni – Thanks to the recent increase in capital, with shareholders contributing 66.8 million euros, and with Host2017 on the horizon, we can count on new resources that will allow us to expand incoming buyer programmes, advertising abroad, workshops and events. This will also increase the number of qualified visitors, especially international ones, and allow us to continue with the fruitful collaboration ICE Agenzia”.
The Gelato/Pastry area is to be an important part of this winning strategy. For this next edition, the area is growing and will offer a new layout, designed to make for greater synergy among like industries and to increase the number of gelato makers and the artisanal gelato industry in general.
There is to be an effective mix of players, with the inclusion of soft gelato and buyers from big international and Italian companies.
Another boost will come from once again holding important high-level international events, such as Cake Designers World Championship and World Trophy of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate in collaboration with FIPGC – the International Pastry, Gelato and Chocolate Federation.
The selection process has already begun for these exciting “challenges down to the last ingredient,” which in 2015 saw more than 30 national teams compete from all over the world, with participation as well by great masters from Italy and abroad.
An unparalleled line-up of key players is to include, among others: Babbi, Carpigiani, Cartoprint, Comprital, Condorelli IDB, Distillerie Camel, Elenka, Fabbri 1905, Forno d’Asolo, F.lli Branca Distillerie, Galatea, Gelato Club, Geldue, IFI, ISA, Lucano 1894, Martellato, Mec3, Mondial Group, Olibar, Pavoni Italia, Pernigotti, Pregel, Prodotti Rubicone, Service Gel, Telme, Toschi Vignola, Ugolini, Unigel and Unigrà.
These big names from the industry were the stars of the show with innovations that dictate the trends, from technologies able to bring the simplicity of the soft gelato process to artisanal gelato while maintaining a high level of quality, all the way to new, delectable flavours, such as panettone or the more than 120 flavours of chocolate that also garnered an official Guinness World Record.
The Coffee/Tea area also played a fundamental role. What stood out was the huge impact made by the success of SIC – Salone Internazionale del Caffè. In 2015, it increased its exhibition space by +40% with more than 500 companies,taking its historic leading international edge to an even more global level.
This was a success not just for the number of companies, variety of products and focus on the trends – from specialty coffee, to single-origin coffee, to organic and fair trade – with the involvement of international stakeholders and partners to offer training sessions with participation by the biggest experts in the world and with exclusive data and research presented.
The Baked Goods area is also seeing growth. At HostMilano, technologies and quality ingredients, which are being exclusively previewed, go beyond just seeking out cutting-edge products and services – they make the show a business facilitator that anticipates and accompanies socio-gastronomic phenomena, stimulating and favouring creative expression with new formats that meet the continuously evolving needs of consumers.
The show also explores important niches that are seeing particular growth.
This is all thanks to the undisputed international role played by HostMilano, which highlights “Made in Italy” products on the international scene.
And that’s not all. It acts as a permanent observatory on the industry, thanks to an unparalleled line-up of training sessions and informational events.
The partnership with Identità Golose is also to continue, making for the most important meeting in Italy of Italian and international top chefs.
This time the concept is being completely revamped. Also to return are APCI – Professional Italian Chef Association, which played a key role in 2015 with live lessons in the Network del Gusto; and ALTOGA – the Association of Lombardy coffee roasters, coffee importers and wholesale food retailers.
Also in the coffee area – beyond the much appreciated Coffee District organised by Host, CPC and UCIMAC – there are to be new formats for events and training sessions to stay up-to-date, with SCAE – Specialty Coffee Association Europe and champion baristas from World Coffee Events.
The third edition of Smart Label – the Fiera Milano and HostMilano contest, in collaboration with POLI.Design, the Consortium from Politecnico University in Milan, and with support from ADI, the Italian Industrial Design Association – is already on the calendar.
All you need to do now is to tune in to all of Host’s channels, which are already active today and ready to offer all of the latest news on the show and industry trends.
