RIMINI, Italy – At the 45th edition of Sigep – the Dolce World Expo, organised by Italian Exhibition Group from 20th to 24th January 2024 at Rimini Expo Centre, great importance will also be given to chocolate, which, according to a report by Global Industrial Chocolate Market, will see exponential growth until 2027, driven by healthy and environmentally friendly products; an approach to sustainability that also fully characterises Sigep.
Choco Arena at Sigep
The main attraction will inevitably be the Choco Arena, located in Hall B1, an area where talks, demonstrations, competitions and training sessions will be held on the current and, above all, future scenarios of the chocolate industry.
Talks and Showcooking
Almost 20 talks and showcooking sessions will be organised in the Choco Arena over the five days. The aim is to promote cocoa in all its dimensions as the leitmotif of the Arena and to present the most interesting combinations. One example is Modica chocolate combined with extra virgin olive oil, or the unfailing link with a chocolate version of the Padina Romagnola Igp along with other combinations with bread and the entire leavened food chain.
Reference will also be made to chocolate´s important role in nutrition, including the question of macroeconomics and sustainability. Worth mentioning is IILA (International Italo-Latin American Organisation), which will be presenting the talk ´Coffee Silver Skin: a food waste turned into an economic opportunity´, a process for obtaining totally Ôgreen´ products to be used in different ways. Guest speaker at the event will be Manuela Rodriquez from the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Naples Federico II.
A packed schedule of interviews and case studies, where companies and operators will be able to learn more about the trends and secrets of the ÔFood of the Gods´ and interact directly with exhibitors. A programme that has been made possible thanks to collaboration with Cna Agroalimentare Nazionale, Igp and Dop Consortia, Fic – Italian Chefs Federation, IILA – Italian Latin American Organisation and the International Institute of Chocolate Tasting.
Competitions
Three important competitions will be staged in the Choco Arena
1- ChocoLOVE (Saturday 20th January): The theme will be Valentine´s Day with five categories being judged: pastry, gelato, bakery, catering and schools with 15 competitors in the race (three per category) and a winner for each category decided by a panel of judges. Prior to the competition, however, a round table with sector experts will be organised to discuss the world of chocolate, also thanks to collaboration with the Chocolate Culture association which organises the competition.
2- Young Bakers Competition (Monday 22nd January): Organised by the Masters of Mother Yeast and Italian Panettone Academy, the Artisan Colomba Team Championship will see under-30 members compete in the first edition of ÔYoung Bakers Competition´. An important promotional opportunity that will gather together Italy´s best young pastry chefs, who can thus make their creations known on a national level. The best artisan Colomba cake of the year will also be awarded in the three categories: Best Traditional Artisan Colomba; Best Chocolate Artisan Colomba and Best Innovative Colomba. A jury of Masters from the Mother Yeast and Italian Panettone Academy will decide.
3- Italian Finals of the Panettone World Cup (Tuesday 23rd and Wednesday 24th January): All the best Italian pastry chefs will be meeting at Sigep in a challenge for the title of Italian Champion in the Panettone World Cup. The event, organised by Maestro Giuseppe Piffaretti, will see two categories of panettone competing: traditional and chocolate. A partnership between Sigep and the Panettone World Cup that inaugurates a joint international project with the aims of making this historic cake known throughout the world through training sessions, master classes, events and national selections. The Italian final will decide which master pastry chefs will have the honour of taking part in the 2024 edition of the World Panettone Championship in Milan.
World Chocolate Masters
In Hall B3, the spotlight will be on the first stage of the 2024/2025 edition of the World Chocolate Masters, the number one global competition dedicated to the creativity of artisans and chefs, which will start its Italian selections at Sigep. The competition, organised by Cacao Barry and Chocolate Academy, will see the candidates engaged in 5 different tests to crown the Italian Chocolate Master, who will thus gain access to the world final scheduled for autumn 2025. The theme, chosen by Barry Callebaut, will be ´Play´, in what promises to be an exciting challenge between the Italian finalists, but also an invitation to artisans to rethink the way they see chocolate, an ingredient that is fun everywhere.
Italian Junior and Senior Chocolate Championships
Lastly, a reminder that, together with the Italian Pastry Chef Championship, the Pastry Arena (Hall B5) will also be staging the Italian Junior and Senior Chocolate Championships respectively for the best Under 24 and Over 24 talents, in collaboration with Conpait (Confederation of Italian Pastry Chefs). The tests will range from single portions and chocolates to chocolate cakes, or related artistic presentations. A prestigious jury of Masters from the APEI associations, Italian Pastry Ambassadors of Excellence, and AMPI, Association of Italian Master Pastry Chefs, will decide.
Choco Arena Sponsors
Platinum: Cocoa Horizons
Technical: Irinox; Selmi; Sirman; Tecnodom
Focus on Sigep 2024
Datesa: 20-24 January 2024; Organizer: Italian Exhibition Group SpA; edition: 45th; frequency: annual; event: international trade show; entry: trade only; info: www.sigep.it
