MILAN – It’s called infotainment, which means learning while having fun. However, this relatively new buzz word fully describes what will actually be happening, from today until the 24th of October, during the five-day HostMilano event, that will provide inspiration and shed light on the latest trends and techniques.
Most of these informative and engaging events (over 500 this year), begin today, when man and machine will meet to give life to extraordinary dishes and products.
An event programme that enriches the offer of all the sectors featured at HostMilano, with plenty of opportunities to learn about the “hottest” themes of the moment: training and apprenticeships for young people taking their first steps in the sector; competitions between some of the greatest international professionals; sustainable processes and layout; sales and communication techniques, and innovative formats.
Art installations and creative hub
Catering, furniture and design have always been considered forms of art, where creativity is the absolute protagonist and the creators are venerated as lifestyle masters. This is why HostMilano is not just a tradeshow, but an event that’s not to missed.
EXIHS – Excellent Italian Hospitality Services will be presenting an art installation, though-up by Davide Rampello and developed by Studio Dante O. Benini Partners & Architects (Hall 11). This is the first time that they will be presenting an artistic interpretation on the theme of hospitality at the business fair. In EXIHS’s space, water, air, colours and raw, natural materials create a kaleidoscopic play of elements that arouse emotions and reflections in the spectator. A concept completed by a living and relaxation area, where the concept of hospitality is intended as a space that makes room for functionality and conviviality. And it is not by chance that, for the first time ever, EXIHS will also be a guest at the 2018 Art Biennial in Beijing.
But HostMilano is not just about raw materials, enhanced to their highest perfection by chefs, gelato masters, patisserie makers and baristas. In fact, this year, visitors will also have an opportunity to see the birth of a new hospitality design project. The appointment in question is the 3rdHOSThinking design award (Innovation Gallery, Hall 10), a competition created in collaboration with POLI.design, called “10 Designer per 100 Prodotti” (10 Designers for 100 Products) that will culminate in a sort if on-site project laboratory.
During this “work in progress”, which will be carried out during the 5-day tradeshow, the finalists will lead a team of students selected from POLI.design Masters and Higher Education courses, will work on producing the winning designs, which will also the selection of 10 products from the 2,000-plus stands on show.
At Sic, the “new” and multi-faceted world of coffee
The dark and aromatic heart of HostMilano is SIC, the international coffee show, which has always presented appointments on the multi-faceted nature of this ever-changing world that undergoing an enormous evolution.
In fact, the show will feature its very own “Coffee Village”, with demonstrations and tasting sessions organised by ALTOGA – the Lombard Coffee Association of Coffee Roasters, Importers and Food Wholesalers (Hall 10, stand H60 L53). This is also where the 5th Gran Premio della Caffetteria Italiana award (20th and 21st October) will be held, in which 16 baristas will compete for the title of the best Italian coffee shop. The semi-finals will be held on Saturday, while the race to reach the top of the finals is on Sunday.
FIPE – Italian Federation of Commercial Concerns (Hall 10) will be presenting Caffè in tavola e non solo… (Coffee at the dinner table and more…), where coffee becomes the perfect ingredient for both desserts and savoury dishes. During the event, chefs will be showing their skills in show-cooking demos, creating daring culinary experiments to underline how this traditional product can become the protagonist of completely new experiences, especially when combined with spices that enhance its aroma. Alongside the chefs will be a number of students selected by the tutors and the first 5 winners of the “Fantasie al caffè” competition, launched by FIPE, in collaboration with ICA, to highlight the ideas of people who use their creativity to surprise customers every day.
Meanwhile, it’s a journey through time in Cafe Chronology, curated by the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA) andWorld Coffee Events (WCE), in Hall 14, stand L14, L20, M13 and M19. Here, the areas dedicated to the pleasures of coffee are revived in three key moments in the history of coffee and the places it was used: the early 1900s, the fifties and the present day. A full immersion into the materials and culture that surround the world of coffee, including historic machines, ingredients, ancient aromas, crockery and furniture that recreate the aesthetic of each era.
Training and information can be found in the programme conceived by Mixer for Planet One (Hall 18), where they will reveal the magic of mixability through professional workshops and food shows, taking visitors on a discovery of herbs and medicinal plants, new food mixing and food pairing techniques. Ancient ingredients will be used to transform classic flavours into something unusual and completely innovative. The mixology and culinary masters will be looking at tradition to explain and teach sector professionals about the properties of herbs, their benefits, and the aromas and flavours of the Italian territory and how they are used. All in the name of healthy cocktails and sustainable dishes.
At Hub Coffee Science (Hall 24) visitors can learn the scientific principals behind a good cup of coffee. In fact, the two main ingredients of the drink are coffee and water, which will be the key subjects explored on the stand.
Single-origin coffee beans are undergoing a renaissance and getting transformed by the sapient hands of professional baristas: a chance to see the very best coffee masters at work in the Espresso Italiano Champion 2017 competition, organised by INEI, the National Italian Espresso Institute. A race against time in which 15 baristas (but only four will make it to the finals) from Italy, Korea, Japan, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Germany and Bulgaria have just 11 minutes to grind and prepare four espressos and four cappuccinos, under the watchful eyes of the expert judges and tasters of the ILAC (International Coffee Tasters Institute).
The best gelato, pastries and hybrids are put to the test in the ExperienceGallery
At every HostMilano event, as well as the rich aroma of coffee, bread and live cooking demos, there’s also a flood of adrenalin-pumping moments, thanks to the championships and contests that will see talented young people and great professionals put themselves to the test. These events include the finals of the Cake Designers World Championship and The World Trophy of Pastry, Ice Cream and Chocolate (Hall 6), organised by the FIPGC – International Federation of Pastry Ice Cream and Chocolate Makers that sees the participation of pastry makers from across the globe. The theme of the second event that will be held at Host Milano is “On a discovery of the world of chocolate and coffee”. 20 patisserie nationals, composed of three competitors and a coach, will be put to the test in three different categories: Chocolate and Praline Sculpture, Sugar and Modern Cake Sculpture, Sugar Pastillage and Single-portion Gelato. In the cake design segment, the 20 competitors must present two creations: an exhibition cake and a cake that will be made live, which will be taste-tested by the judges.
Mouth-wateringly tasty, but also extremely beautiful, are the pastry creations that meet with the world of food design, which is created to please both the eye and the palate.This year, HostMilano puts the spotlight on two key categories in two, “must-see” exhibition areas Dolcinarte (Hall 6), organised by publishing company Chiriotti Editori, with “Pasticceria Internazionale” and “TuttoGelato”, which just like Cookery Lab shows Italian patisserie makers creating elaborate and exclusive, conceptual, constructions using the skilful techniques of the artistic patisserie sector. Curated by Pastry Magazine, Art Gallery(Hall 6) features over 200 exhibits and live pastry making demos by Italian and international masters. During the five-day event, the chefs will be creating chocolate and sugar pastillage sculptures, vegetable carvings and live dessert making demos, but they’ll also be lessons on chemistry, merchandising, sales, product packaging and the marketing techniques that the pastry maker must use if they want to increase sales.
An ode to Italian ice cream, the ItalianGelatoexhibition/event, organised by Italian Gourmet through its Gelatiere Italiano magazine(Hall 10), gives increased visibility to the four product groups that strengthen the gelato production chain: ingredients, machinery, shop furniture, accessories and service.
