WELCOME ITALIA 2014 ANNOUNCES TRADE PROGRAMME FOR BUYERS
TRADE DAY: Friday 26 September 1 pm to 5 pm
CONSUMER DAYS: Saturday 27 10.30 am to 7 pm
Sunday 28 September 10.30 am to 5 pm
Royal Horticultural Halls
The Lindley Hall, Elverton Street, London SW1P 2QW
WELCOME ITALIA, the only show that brings together food, wine and the excellence of Italian cuisine under one roof, announces an action-packed trade programme specifically for buyers and food & beverage professionals on Friday 26 September. Buyers looking for new, quality food and drink in the run up to Christmas will have the chance to meet over 60 exhibitors from all over Italy and taste the many regional specialities on show.
With entrance from 1.00 pm, WELCOME ITALIA will be formally opened at 1.15 pm by the President of the Italian Chamber for Commerce & Industry for the UK Leonardo Simonelli-Santi, who will briefly greet exhibitors, trade guests, VIP’s, and top chefs who will be demonstrating at the Cookery Theatre.
Simonelli-Santi comments: ‘We continue to invest heavily in a ‘made in Italy’ strategy to increase consumer loyalty here in the UK. This year, WELCOME ITALIA offers the right trade environment to showcase this strategy, focusing on the ‘high quality’ of those products with specific geographical roots. In addition, WELCOME ITALIA now has a dedicated e-commerce platform through which trade visitors will be able to continue to buy products of interest online’.
At 1.30 pm the Ospitalità Italiana Award ceremony will take place, recognising those who stand out in valorising the image of the Italian restaurants abroad, guaranteeing the high standards of the Italian hospitality, and enhancing the Italian gastronomic culture. Past UK winners have included L’Anima, Etrusca Restaurants, Latium all based in London; PaneVino in Glasgow, Locanda Dei Gusti in Edinburgh, Due Amici in Chislehurst, Via Veneto in Enniscorthy and La Lanterna in Scarborough and this year over 10 are in line for an award.
The day continues with a series of short, yet highly targeted educational events to appeal to a wide and different trade audience, from liqueur tastings to coffee masterclasses. There will also be plenty of time in between demonstrations for trade buyers to visit the stands, meet the producers, sample the products on offer, and pursue business opportunities in an un-hurried, professional and dedicated trade environment.
WELCOME ITALIA 2014 ANNOUNCES TRADE PROGRAMME FOR BUYERS… contd/2
At 2.30 pm Amaro Montenegro, one of Italy’s most fascinating drinks, made from over 40 aromatic herbs and distilled in Bologna, will hold an educational tasting to show the versatility of this aperitif-digestif, as it makes its debut on the UK market.
At 3.30 pm Lavazza Coffee will hold a Coffee Tasting Masterclass. This will be followed at 4.15pm, by the highlight of the day, the first and much awaited cookery demonstration, featuring celebrity chef Francesco Mazzei from l’Anima Restaurant, who will inform and entertain, providing tips and secrets from his kitchen.
The trade day will conclude with a Welcome buffet for buyers and invited journalists, offered by The Lazio Region, before the trade day closes at 5 pm.
Over 4,000 visitors attended the inaugural WELCOME ITALIA last year, of which 67% were English, 24% Italian, 9% others, and although it was billed as purely a consumer show, 20% of all attendees were trade buyers. This year, with a dedicated trade day added, the number of trade buyers is expected to dramatically increase.
Trade visitors should register on http://www.welcome-italia.co.uk/index.php/it/progetto-buyer/programma-buyer.
Journalists are invited to register on http://www.welcome-italia.co.uk/index.php/2014-01-10-09-52-08/press-accreditation.
For the two consumer days, tickets are £10 per person, available from the website, with £1 for each ticket sold going to support the international Charity Action Against Hunger.
Ends
For Immediate Release September 2014
Media information, interviews requests from: Luisa Welch, i-Mage Communications Tel 020 7387 0828 M 07774 234 899. Marketing enquiries: SagitterOne Tel 020 8144 3085
Key Sponsors:
AMARO MONTENEGRO – Official wine tasting sponsor
FERRARELLE – Official Water of Welcome Italia
ARANCINA – Cafeteria Sponsor
LAVAZZA – Official coffee sponsor
Notes to editors.
This event is organised by the Italian Chamber of Commerce & Industry for the UK with the collaboration of Sagitter One, Hospitality Consultancy Company. Welcome Italia is also supported by FIC-UK, Federazione Italiana Cuochi UK Delegation (Italian Chefs Federation).
UK MARKET FIGURES
£2bn: export value of Italian food and beverages to the UK in 2013 (+0.8% compared to 2012)
Organic Food: sales have grown 10 times in the past decade. In 2012, organic food sales were equivalent to £1.64m
The UK is ranked in the Top 5 worldwide market destinations for Italian food and beverage exports.
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