This year’s TUTTOFOOD, held from May 3rd to 6th at fieramilano in Rho, has broken every record. UFI-certified industry visitors areup40.8% to 78,493, along with a sharp increase in foreign visitors, up 78.7% and from119 countries. Italian visitors also increased in number by a solid 25.3%.
Business matching registered a veritable boom: around 2,100 select international top buyers met 2,838 exhibitors (433 from outside Italy) representing 7,000 brands at 11,790 meetings scheduled in advance through the online Expo Matching Program calendar.
Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Fiera Milano, says: ”The figures from this edition, especially the number of targeted business appointments, paint a clear picture: TUTTOFOOD is ‘the’ tool par excellence for the next stage of Italian agri-food internationalization.
It is thanks to TUTTOFOOD that a large number of high-quality SMEs have obtained access to markets where it would otherwise be exceedingly difficult for them to earn recognition in any other way. The target of €50 billion in exports is increasingly within reach for Italy’s food system, and we are doing our bit.”
Among traditional markets, the largest number of international buyers came from the USA, Belgium, Canada, Germany, France, Japan, Spain and the United Kingdom. There was also strong buyer interest from the Middle East,India, China, Brazil, and Australia, and from “one-off” countries like Sweden, Lithuania and New Zealand.
These results have also been achieved thanks to a close partnership with ICE / ITA – Italian Trade Agency, which scouted buyers on many international markets, and key support from partner trade associations AIDEPI, ASSICA, AssoBirra, Mineracqua, UNAPROL, UNAS, and UnionAlimentari.
So, what trends are underway? A survey of top international buyers during the event reveals that Italian products are sought around the world not just for the appeal of the country’s food and drink, but because they have a reputation as natural, safe, high-quality products.
Among emerging markets, the Indians and Chinese are the most attentive to the added value of all-Italian ingredients, while Middle Eastern consumers are most appreciative of its natural qualities. Americans and Northern Europeans are particularly keen on seeking out original, relatively unknown specialities.
TUTTOFOOD 2015 introduced new sectors such as Fish and Gluten Free – which held a Universal Championship – to round out its coverage.
Once again, special events demonstrated that as well as being a must-attend business opportunity, TUTTOFOOD is a monitoring post that provides a sneak preview of trends and innovation.
The sixth (and next) edition of TUTTOFOOD is scheduled for 2017, between Sunday 7 and Wednesday 10 May at fieramilano
