RIMINI, Italy – “The excellent results of the last edition were confirmed with visitors arriving from 160 countries. Internationality, vision, craftsmanship, innovation, territorial identities that go global and blend in with the world. This and much more was expressed at the 45th edition of Sigep”.
And this was what Maurizio Ermeti, President of Italian Exhibition Group, had to say yesterday at Rimini Expo Centre at the conclusion of the International Artisan Gelato, Pastry, Bakery, Coffee and Chocolate Show.
“The event confirms its role as a reference point for the dolce foodservice industry,” Ermeti said, “offering increasingly cutting-edge and technological challenges. A unique business event that has found enormous added value in Rimini, where innovation is second nature.”
Foreign attendance was high from Europe (Spain, Germany, Romania, France, Greece), the Balkan area (Croatia, Serbia, Albania), the Middle East (Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Lebanon), Africa (Morocco, Egypt, Tunisia), North America (USA, Canada), Central South America (Brazil, Argentina, Mexico), Asia and South East Asia (China, South Korea, Japan, India).
A full programme of events over the five days of the show featured no less than three international competitions with 25 countries taking part in the Gelato World Cup, Junior Pastry World Cup and European Gelato Challenge.
More than 5,000 business meetings took place at the stands of the 1,200 exhibiting brands thanks to an incoming of over 500 top buyers from 84 countries around the world through the valuable collaboration with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, ITA – Italian Trade Agency and IEG’s network of regional advisors.
Online and media success
A trade show that achieved great visibility both in the media and on the social networks. The latter registered a community of 161,000 professionals, with 2 million viewings of online content and 780,000 viewings on the TEO app – The eating out Hub, which also drew interest due to the new “Job Offers” function dedicated to matching supply and demand, particularly for young people. Total media contacts to date exceed 561 million gross with 660 accredited journalists of which 56 from abroad.
Sigep 2024: Focus on the new generations of professionals
The last day of Sigep also saw the participation of 3,250 students from 70 hotel and catering schools and professional institutes for an educational tour that combined practical training with interaction with companies. The initiative is part of the Sigep Academy project that incorporates Sigep Giovani and Sigep for schools.
An all-round overview
Sigep 2024 gathered together the main proposals from the world of dolce foodservice, including meetings on product innovations, new consumer trends and show-cooking with the great Masters of artisan pastry, involving distributors, restaurant chains, and public establishments. Leading companies in machinery and ingredients for gelato and pastry, bakery and pizza, chocolate and coffee, were all exhibiting.
The Big Sustainability Trend
Sustainability was the leitmotif of this edition. And although the green economy has already landed in the gelato parlour, it has now also crept into the pastry industry, which is looking at vegetables and exploring new frontiers, including artificial intelligence. Chocolate has also shown an inclination towards conscious production processes, while the coffee sector is appealing to an increasingly attentive consumer who prefers the most sustainable companies.
Between innovation and internationality
The spotlights shone on ingenuity and start-ups in the Innovation District: the big, new project in the heart of the Expo Centre’s Vision Plaza, with the Innovation Award that rewarded exhibitors’ and start-ups’ best business ideas.
This 2024 edition of Sigep enjoyed the patronage of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry and the Ministry of Enterprise and Made in Italy. And, on drawing to a close, opens up new dialogues thanks to the virtuous relations interwoven with sector associations, an enormous strong point.
The next appointments at Sigep
Italian Exhibition Group has fixed the next appointment with Sigep 2025 from 18th to 22nd January, again at Rimini Expo Centre. In the meantime, it is preparing for Sigep China, to be held from 24th to 26th April in Shenzhen and the debut of Sigep Asia, scheduled in Singapore from 26th to 28th June. However, another IEG-branded Food & Beverage event is just around the corner: from 18th to 20th February, Rimini Expo Centre will be hosting Beer&Food Attraction.
