Enthusiasm and expectation are sky high for this year’s TuttoFood, which is set to be a record-breaking. The 2015 Food Fair hosted by Fiera Milano opened on Sunday and runs until 6 May 2015, coinciding with Expo 2015 opening week.
The Fair has grown year after year, as may be seen from the figures and everything that goes with them. Paolo Borgio, Exhibition Manager at TUTTOFOOD, confirms: “The figures from this year’s event alone do not do justice to how this event has evolved over the years: 2,838 exhibitors representing 7,000 brands over a total surface area of 180,000 m² gross and 10 pavilions…Companies come back year after year, and turnover is a negligible 8%.
The whole supply chain appreciates the agreements we have forged over the years with trade associations, a chance to hold meetings with companies, and conferences open to people in the industry.”
The 2015 TUTTOFOOD, Europe’s third-largest food fair after rising two positions compared with 2013, attracts industry players to a Fair that spans multiple sectors and fosters dialogue, cross-pollination and innovative crosscutting ideas.
New developments at TUTTOFOOD run alongside long-consolidated sectors and new product areas. The general trend is upwards, with some sectors the size they were in 2013.
Meats and cold cuts is 40% bigger than 2013, desserts and confectionary at Dolce Italia has attracted twice as many exhibitors as last time, Dairy and Frozen are both up, while Multi-product occupies twice as much space as in 2013; in Ho.re.ca. and Beverage, attendance by companies from the mineral water and beer sectors is up by a respective 50% and 130%.
In addition to this, an entire pavilion is dedicated to Vending, with a special edition of Venditalia in partnership with CONFIDA; the Green Food sector is far bigger and stronger, with three times the volume as last time thanks to a dedicated show cooking area.
Lastly, TUTTOFOOD 2015 will also see the debut of a Fish sector, for the first time offering space to one of Italy’s typical products – one that has enormous market potential.
Growth has been impressive in every area: space sold out many months before the event, demonstrating just how far TUTTOFOOD has become a truly acknowledged hub for the industry, in part thanks to the valuable alliances formed over the years with trade associations in various sectors: AIDEPI (pasta and confectionery), ASSICA (meats and cold cuts), ASSOBIRRA (beer industry), CONFIDA (vending), MINERACQUA (water and beverages), QUALIVITA (consortium for certified food quality),UNAPROL (oil and olive growing), and UNIONALIMENTARI (National union of small- and medium-sized food manufacturers).
All of these bodies bring experience to the event and cater to the needs of companies that vary enormously by type and product, tradition and size; they also make the event a must-attend appointment.
As well as trade associations, the Fair attracts institutional delegations from Italian Regions, Consortia, and local enterprises: the event offers a flagship opportunity to present typical products, and is a point of reference for opening up new national and international markets.
In addition to the very-much-local and typically Italian enterprises, the Fair also hosts offerings from non-Italian companies, with 400 exhibitors from 43 nations, up 80% on last time.
TUTTOFOOD commissions and supports surveys and research from major players in the sector like IRI, IPSOS and NOMISMA, who monitor the market and offer an overview that, on a number of occasions during the months running up to the event, has been shared and debated by experts at meetings and conferences for insiders conceived to enhance market approach strategies. People who visit TUTTOFOOD gain access to this specific know-how.
This broad selection of participants – rather than the bare numbers – are why the event is so attractive and unique amongst its peers. The Fair embraces the best of the industry and showcases it to the world, putting Milan and Lombardy – locations steeped in food traditions and studded with food manufacturing companies – front and centre before industry players who come to the event, not to mention visitors to the Universal Exposition interested in the international scope for business TUTTOFOOD opens up.
The 2015 Fair is also unique in terms of its international dimension, given the 20,000 or so buyers contacted: 2,100 of these buyers are top hosted buyers from the most attractive markets selected in partnership with the Italian Trade Agency (ITA) and profiled through Expo Matching Program, Fiera Milano’s matching system for scheduling targeted stand-side meetings.
People coming to Expo 2015 will be intercepted and put in touch with companies at the Fair through the dedicated Expo Business Matching programme promoted by Expo Milano 2015, in partnership with Fiera Milano, the Milan Chamber of Commerce, Promos and PwC.
This business meeting web platform has been developed to encourage and facilitate the internationalization of Italian businesses during the six-month-long Expo.
The partnership between Expo 2015 and TUTTOFOOD features a special event on 3 May, when Fair exhibitors are invited to an evening at the Italia Pavilion, the heart of the Universal Exposition.
TUTTOFOOD is packed with events and meetings designed to benefit the companies in attendance, from conferences to show cooking and company workshops.
Visitors can directly express their preferences in three intriguing competitions, choosing from finalist products pre-selected by the following expert advisors from among hundreds of items: IPSOS and its competence in this area will crown the most innovative product, while QUALIVITA will unveil the highest-quality certified product.
Visitors can also take advantage of conferences and demos organized by TUTTOFOOD Academy.
The three special themes are coordinated respectively by chef Francesco Favorito in the Multi-product sector, Fresco Pesce in Fish, and by Planet One in Ho.Re.Ca and Beverage, offering visitors a chance to learn about the latest developments while building contacts that will be highly strategic for their businesses.
