RIMINI, Italy – -A two-year trip round the world, with two different tours. Demanding, stimulating and definitely… “sweet”. The objective: spreading the culture of artisan gelato, one of the symbols of Italian-made food, of which SIGEP and Carpigiani are proud ambassadors.
The former is the expo organized by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG, the company formed by the merger between Rimini Fiera and Fiera di Vicenza), which has been held every year in Rimini for 38 editions: Number 1 for gelato and also world leader for pastry, bakery, chocolate and coffee. The latter is undisputedly the leading manufacturer of machines for making artisan gelato.
The two partners, along with other important allies, launched Gelato World Tour and are the strategic partners of Gelato Festival, both of which have reached an important point.
In fact, in September, Fellini’s birthplace will host (from 8th to 10th) the finals of the second edition of Gelato World Tour, which has lasted three years, while Florence (from 14th to 17th) will play host to the last 2017 European date of Gelato Festival, before it starts off again at the end of September with the official debut of the first American tour.
At the end of the year, no less than 42 appointments will be organized worldwide to promote artisan gelato, in which Italian Exhibition Group is directly involved, on dates of the Gelato World Tour, Challenges of the Gelato World Tour, dates of the Gelato Festival, selections and presentation of the Gelato World Cup.
To date, the events have chalked up over 100 international appointments and stops in over twenty countries, with a total of approximately 9,000 Italian and international press reports.
So it’s time to sum up the situation. Italian Exhibition Group president Lorenzo Cagnoni explains, “For us, the result of this long ride is extremely positive. We have made SIGEP even better known, bringing top gelato makers to the expo, as well as distributors, importers and investors who see possibilities on this continually evolving market for interesting business prospects.
But, above all, thanks to the collaboration of leading companies, we contributed to spreading the culture and consumption of artisan gelato, favouring the internationalization of the product chain. An important activity, which I think is highly original and which no competitor can boast.”
IEG general manager Corrado Facco stresses, “SIGEP once more confirms its role as the best hub for the sector’s business, contributing in a proactive manner to the trade’s growth and the conquest of new markets. We took an icon of things well done in Italy all over the world, favoured the exchange of knowledge and networking between professionals and we are now bringing back to Italy this wealth of relationships, which we cultivate continually, also running the SIGEP Observatory on market trends and prospects. So in September Rimini and Florence will host two great shows celebrating the worldwide artisan gelato trade.”
We mustn’t forget the other important event under the SIGEP banner, i.e. the Gelato World Cup, held every two year in IEG’s Rimini expo centre, on the occasion of the expo. The competition, now at its eighth edition and organized by Gelato e Cultura and SIGEP, addresses the best gelato, pastry, chocolate and haute cuisine professionals, offering them a unique opportunity for confrontation and stimulus in their individual specialities.
In recent months, selections were held for the 12 teams which will compete in this eighth edition in January 2018: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, France, Japan, Morocco, Poland, Spain, Switzerland, United States and the new entry, Ukraine. Italy, the undisputed star of the podium at the last edition, will not take part, since, according to the contest’s regulations, it will miss an edition as it is the current title holder.
In January, when the 38th edition was held of SIGEP, an expo strictly limited to trade members, 161,196 trade visitors attended, with a great increase in foreign visitors, who rose to 30,711 (20% of the total), with visitors from 170 countries. The next appointment, at one of IEG’s two expo centres (Rimini), is from January 20th to 24th 2018.
The Gelato World Tour
Gelato World Tour – 90 events in 22 countries from 2013 to the present day – has the patronage of the Italian Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Economic Development and the Emilia-Romagna Region.
The following are the figures of the second edition, from 2015 to the present day: 82 international stops in 4 continents, including: Singapore, Tokyo, Chicago and Shenzhen; the Italian Challenge with 60 stops between 2015 and 2017; the German Challenge with 3 stops and over 60 German gelato makers involved at SIGEP 2017; the European Challenge with 8 stops in the same number of European countries; 1,800 gelato makers taking part in the selections; 60,000 kg of gelato made; 1,000,000 cups and cones served.
Entering the Gelato World Tour Village, visitors are able to attend courses held by the teachers at Carpigiani Gelato University and watch the “live” creation of gelatos, which they will then be able to taste by purchasing special coupons.
On each date of the Gelato World Tour, a special committee, made up of experts and trade associations, selects the 16 best gelato makers of the host nation. The contestants will fight it out, each preparing just one flavour: his or her speciality.
Ranking is based on the votes of the public and a panel of professional judges. Those placed first at the main dates won the opportunity of taking part as protagonists at the Grand Finale in Rimini (September 2017), where 36 of them – from 18 countries – will compete for the “World’s Best Gelato” trophy.
The Gelato Festival
Now at its VIII edition and ready to celebrate the 60th Festival organized, the Gelato Festival is the first event dedicated to the Italian gelato world. An international contest that gives awards to the best Italian and foreign gelato masters and their unique flavours, created for the occasion.
A festival “on the road” that covers Italy, Europe and America with loads of tastiness, fun, experience and culture… all aboard the legendary food trucks, the real symbol of the Festival. from 14th to 17th September, Florence is hosting the 2017 European finals to elect the next European Champion among the 16 gelato master finalists selected in Italy, England, Germany and Poland.
The main objective pursued thanks to the partnership with SIGEP is to spread of quality artisan gelato’s culture and product chain globally.
