RIMINI – There is only one appointment for sweet food service professionals that combines business, internationality and specialist training: SIGEP. Patrizia Cecchi, IEG’ Italian Expo Director, explains, “Italian Exhibition Group’s International Trade Show, already a leader in the five product chains represented (artisan gelato, pastry and bakery, chocolate and coffee), continues to improve the quality of its expos and offer trade members an increasingly complete scenario.”
This will be further confirmed by the upcoming edition in January 2020, which will be held simultaneously with A.B. Tech Expo, the Exhibition of technologies and products for bakery, pastry and confectionery.
Therefore, at Fiera di Rimini Expo Centre, from 18th to 22nd January, there will be even more space for international meetings and business opportunities with the most promising markets.
So far, the percentage of foreign exhibitors participating, either directly or through their representatives, is already 20%, i.e. higher than that of the previous editions.
The foreign brands that will be at the expo centre are arriving from over 30 countries and are destined to increase, thanks also to the finalization of agreements currently being drawn up. The countries most represented are Spain, Germany and France.
The interest shown by the world of international associations with which IEG is collaborating is constantly growing. Just as an example, thanks to the World Gelato Cup, SIGEP can boast valuable collaboration with important organizations in the sector: Confédération Nationale des Glaciers de France, Anhcea – Asociación nacional de heladeros artesanos (Spain), Afadhya – Asociación Fabricantes Artesanales de Helados y Afines (Argentina), Uniteis – Association of Italian Gelato Makers in Germany and Singapore Pastry Alliance.
These associations have also organized the selections for the teams of the respective nations.
Also for the gelato product chain, the Russian Ice Cream Association, association of industrial producers of gelato in Russia, will take part in SIGEP with a representative. From Canada the arrival is awaited of the association of Quebec restaurateurs (ARQ – Association Restaurant Quèbec), while producers and buyer groups will also arrive from Romania and Russia.
On the coffee front, the Chairman of the SCA, Specialty Coffee Association (the Association that for 3 years has united the SCAA, European association, and SCAA, American association), Cristina Meinl and Yannis Apostolopoulos, Executive Directors, have confirmed that they will visit the expo with the entire international Board. An SCA presentation is scheduled in the Coffee Arena. Moreover, they will present very important research programs on both new trends in the coffee sector and issues of sustainability.
The large number of buyers is continually growing: to mention a few countries, representatives of large organizations and chains are awaited from South East Asia, the United Arab Emirates, North Africa, all sub-Saharan Africa, the United States and several South American countries.
The initiative is being held under the aegis of the ITA, with which SIGEP and A.B.Tech Expo are collaborating on an important incoming initiative. There will also be senior trade analysts staffing foreign market info desks, providing consultancy to Italian enterprises that intend entering the markets of the most promising countries for their respective trade sectors.
ITA’s support also extends to visibility on some North American trade media, while complementary action to that set up in partnership with ITA is being carried out on foreign markets by the network of IEG regional advisors working in India, North and South Africa, Central/South America, South East Asia, and some European markets such as Great Britain, Germany, France and Benelux, Spain, Poland, Russia and the CSI Republics.
Not to mention the large international competitions, unique opportunities for networking and training for all the world’s professionals.
For the GELATO sector, as has been mentioned, the national teams that will compete in the 9th Gelato World Cup, the most important competition dedicated to artisan gelato are already at work: 12 teams made up of great professionals from Mexico, Singapore, Malaysia, Japan, Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Poland, Argentina, Colombia and Hungary who refined their skills during hard selections held on the various continents.
At stake is the final challenge in the prestigious setting of the Gelato Arena, positioned under the cupola of the South Foyer, the central and crucial point of Rimini expo centre. To support their teams’ lengthy preparation work, Italy and France, the two national team that have so far the most wins to their credit, have founded the first two “Gelato World Cup” clubs, contributions important in terms of culture, savoir faire and experience, made up of top-grade protagonists of the sector who will give who will give an added boost to the competitors of the respective teams.
For the PASTRY sector, while waiting for the Junior and Ladies World Championships, which SIGEP will host in 2021, also following selections on several continents, on Saturday 18th January, the Pastry Arena (Hall B5) will feature the welcome return of The Star of Sugar, the unique spectacular competition involving the realization of splendid sculptures in sugar, with the new addition for 2020 of the ”Travel Cake” test. But the pastry competitions at SIGEP don’t end here, and will also feature the Italian Senior Championships (on Sunday and Monday) and Junior Championships (on Tuesday), as well as SIGEP Giovani (on Wednesday), a contest of excellence for training schools.
The Coffee Arena (Hall D1) will host the seven Italian Barista Championships valid for access to the world championships of the prestigious World Coffee Events: CIBC – Italian Barista Championship, CILA – Italian Latte Art Championship, CICS – Italian Coffee In Good Spirits Championship, Italian Brewers Cup Championship, Italian Cup Tasters Championship, Italian Ibrik Championship and Italian Coffee Roasting Championship.
And, as it is the year of A.B. Tech Expo there just had to be an area for bakery competitions, which here too is without any frontier: the Bakery Arena (Hall D4) will host the international competition dedicated to bakery Bread in the City – International Bakery Contest which, now at it 4th edition, will feature 8 teams, each made up of 2 candidates and 1 coach: Holland, Spain, Peru, Japan, China, Switzerland, Germany and Taiwan.
Therefore, a SIGEP that is a place for international business and growth for the sector’s companies. It’s sufficient to say that the expo centre is already sold out and ready to ensure visitors the best of world production. Combining business, innovation and internationality, it provides a platform at which to highlight excellence and effectively represent the entire sweet food service product chain.
