(Finance) – With the ribbon cutting entrusted to the Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Francis Lollobrigidathe 46th edition of was inaugurated on Saturday 18 January at the Rimini fair SIGEP World – The World Expo for Foodservice Excellencethe great event dedicated to ice cream, pastry, bread making, coffee, chocolate and pizza Italian Exhibition Group (IEG). The largest edition ever, confirming SIGEP’s leadership in the foodservice sector, with an exhibition area of 138,000 square meters, 1,300 exhibiting brands and the participation of over 3,000 international buyers.
The president Maurice Hermesin his greeting, underlined the growth of the event and its international reach: “Forty-six editions are a great source of pride for us, because they tell the story of how IEG is evolving. SIGEP was founded in 1980 with the aim of supporting the artisan category for summer activity: at the time there were 180 exhibitors and the fair occupied a space as large as just one of our current pavilions. Today, SIGEP World is an international fair that places Rimini at the center of a global network, a network that we have brought to the world thanks to our companies: SIGEP Asia in Singapore and SIGEP China in Shenzen. And we won’t stop here. This centrality of Rimini is further confirmed by the new Guest Country project, which from this year will give particular emphasis in each edition to a foreign country with which to develop relations and commercial relationships. For this edition we have chosen Saudi Arabia, present with a large delegation of institutions and buyers, who will have the opportunity to delve deeper into the offer and innovation of the companies present at SIGEP World. Which is no longer just a fair, but is also a hub of professional and sector culture. With our investment in the SIGEP Vision observatory, we want to support the entire industrial sector and its communities, offering constant research and innovation to the various supply chains.”
The mayor of Rimini Jamil Sadegholvaad underlined the value of SIGEP: “SIGEP World combines the excellence of Italian craftsmanship and creativity with organizational excellence, as is IEG, within a city that is a point of reference every day of the year for hospitality, services, opportunities for leisure, entertainment, cultural interest. The Italian way to conquer customers, tourism and promotion based on the best values we can show to the world. For the food sector, one of the main sectors of our economy, SIGEP represents an opportunity to send a positive message to the markets and abroad: we are here, with our best capabilities”.
“This year too – he added for his part Roberta FrisiansCouncilor for Tourism of the Emilia-Romagna Region – SIGEP World brings together the news and excellence of the agri-food sector of Emilia-Romagna in Rimini. A fundamental fair to also promote and enhance the work and products of our ‘food network’ made up of artisans and trade operators who, with their knowledge, make our land something unique. As a Region we are therefore happy to host this event which, in addition to being a global point of reference in a sector, that of food, which has an identity and is present in the daily lives of each of us, is increasingly aiming to attract international visitors by also investing in connections and services dedicated to foreign customers”.
A national and international value, as he explained Linen StoppaniPresident of the Italian Federation of Public Businesses (FIPE). “SIGEP World represents a moment of extraordinary importance for the entire foodservice sector. The 46th edition, with its international expansion and focus on sustainability and innovation, is not only a celebration of Italian excellence, but a unique opportunity to look to the future of our sector. The dessert segment, the undisputed protagonist of this event, symbolizes an authentically Italian lifestyle. Ice cream, in particular, is among the most extraordinary expressions of Made in Italy, with a market that represents 30% of the world market. SIGEP allows us to grasp the complexity and richness that lie behind an ice cream or a brioche; apparently simple products, but which in reality are the result of a long and complex path in which public businesses are the last mile of a production chain that expresses companies, people, skills, capacity for innovation and commercial vision”.
Matthew Zoppaspresident of the ICE Agency: “The Italian confectionery sector reached a turnover of 9.3 billion euros in 2023, with a growth of 9% compared to 2022. Compared to 2019, we increased by 47%, despite the difficulties associated to the Covid pandemic. Even in 2024 the numbers are confirmed as positive: from January to October we recorded 8.7 billion euros, with an increase of 14.5% compared to the same period of the previous year. Agri-food exports in particular represent one of the strategic sectors to focus on. This is why we are making a significant contribution to the SIGEP fair, with the aim of consolidating and increasing its role as a global point of reference. for all categories represented, including technologies and machinery, the reasonable objective is to reach 100 billion euros in exports in a few years in the agri-food sector, which is growing by 8.6% in the period January November 2024. As an ICE Agency we support this growth and work to help entrepreneurs create ever better products. For this year’s SIGEP edition, ICE organized the incoming of 74 buyers from countries considered strategic for the sector: Australia, United States, Canada, Japan, China, Israel, Kuwait, Qatar and 18 African cooperatives”.
“SIGEP – concluded the Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry Francis Lollobrigida -represents a showcase of excellence for one of the most dynamic sectors of Italian agri-food. It is essential to consolidate the internationalization path we have undertaken, strengthening our presence on foreign markets and identifying new commercial outlets. We continue with determination to boost exports and affirm Italy’s leadership in these sectors. Investing in Italian excellence means increasing the competitiveness of our companies and promoting our agri-food model, one of the economic pillars of the Italian system”.
A distinctive element of this edition is the presence ofSaudi Arabia as Guest Country. The country, which will host Expo 2030, is emerging as a strategic market in the hospitality and catering sector. For this reason, and thanks to its economic growth and demand for innovative technologies, SIGEP World offers hosted companies and its exhibiting brands a unique opportunity to build partnerships with key players in the Saudi market. A delegation of top Saudi buyers, including big names such as Barn’s, a coffee shop chain with over 800 points of sale, Elite Hospitality/Al-Nahla Group, one of the main hospitality companies and Al Tazaj, a quick service restaurant chain with more than 120 venues, enriches the event, opening new perspectives for the global foodservice industry.