RIMINI, Italy – The 45th edition of Sigep, Italian Exhibition Group´s (IEG) major International Gelato, Pastry, Bakery and Coffee Show, opened Saturday morning at Rimini Expo Centre. The opening ceremony was attended by Vice President of the Senate, Gian Marco Centinaio, Emilia-Romagna Regional President, Stefano Bonaccini, Rimini Mayor, Jamil Sadegholvaad and Italian Exhibition Group President, Maurizio Ermeti. Francesco Lollobrigida, Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, attend the event yesterday, Sunday 21st.
A particularly heartfelt moment will be the commemoration of President Lorenzo Cagnoni, who passed away last September and after whom the South Hall Dome has been named in memory of his tireless and valuable commitment to the growth and success of Italian Exhibition Group´s trade show events.
´We wanted to tie the name of our beloved President, Lorenzo Cagnoni, to Rimini Expo Centre forever,´ the current president, Maurizio Ermeti, began, ´due to the extraordinary dedication he gave to this trade show, creating an excellence that produces enormous added value for the entire Rimini area. Indeed, if Italian Exhibition Group´s leadership has been won through the organization of national and international trade fairs, it is also thanks to the support of our lively and participatory territory. More than 500 top buyers from 84 countries in Europe and the rest of the world are here for Sigep today. We are already in China and, as of this year, we will also be in Singapore.´
Jamil Sadegholvaad, Mayor of Rimini, highlighted the city´s strong connection with the event: ´Sigep is Rimini. Rimini is Sigep. The evolution of this world-class trade show event runs parallel with the charm of this city, its international appeal and, above all, its vocation as a continuously open and hospitable city. The year 2024, which opens with a Sigep whose numbers already make it a record-breaker, is the best demonstration of how this area, in spite of everything, has the ability, every year, to relaunch itself and grow, not only by virtue of the numbers but first and foremost, by the quality and excellence of its offer.´
´The agrifood supply chain,´ Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, underlined, ´is one of the pillars of Emilia-Romagna´s economy: our business card in the world due to products and brands known for their exceptional quality, as well as an extraordinary heritage of skills and passion. Sigep has long been a part of this thanks to its ability to consistently open up to international markets more and more each year and to invest in the quality and innovation of its products. As a region, we are proud to host this event, a world reference point for a sector that is so relevant to the lives of all of us.´
To conclude, Gian Marco Centinaio, Vice President of the Senate, reiterated the uniqueness of made in Italy´s dolce foodservice excellences, starting from the know-how of Italian professionals for which our country is known throughout the world: ´Sigep is an extraordinary showcase for the Italian and international dolce foodservice art. Here in Rimini, our artisans and gelato, chocolate, bakery and coffee supply chains will have the chance to demonstrate the quality of their products, both those to be eaten and the machinery and equipment needed to produce and sell them. Unlike any other country, our professionals are able to combine tradition and innovation, creativity and technical capacity, territoriality and international vision. Thanks to them, Italy plays a leading role in the world, especially in the gelato sector, and can aspire to conquering new markets with significant impact on the economy for the whole country.´
Sigep 2024: A trade show full of new ideas
During the five days of Sigep, Rimini Expo Centre´s 28 halls will gather together all the top proposals from the dolce foodservice world, including product innovations, new consumer trends and show-cooking with the most authoritative Masters of artisan production.
New pastry and gelato trends include the return of fruit among the main ingredients to meet health-promoting needs. Sugar-free gelato is also on the increase in this respect. But there are even those who have decided to break the mould by offering savoury versions of gelato.
Big surprises from the world of chocolate with the emergence of cuvées made from chocolate of different origins. From snacks to ingredients to create aperitif platters for vegans, to new flavours of butter, aromatized with salmon or curry, and to coffee produced from the outer skin of the beans, the atmosphere in the halls is linked to the future of consumption evolution and to those new ideas that can offer original contexts and scenarios.
Contexts that range from product to packaging, more modern technology for machinery and attention to environmental sustainability, starting with some of Sigep´s stands: recyclable, designed to last for several years and to reduce waste production by 50%.
