Within slightly more than a month Vinitaly will open its doors in 2015 to wine professionals coming from all over the world. The event is set to occur from March 22nd to March 25th, 2015. Vinitaly is Italy’s biggest and by far most important wine tradeshow. Traditionally based in Verona, and organised by VeronaFiere (a major Italian and European exhibition centre with international status since 1977 and operations abroad since 1998).
Vinitaly has always been at the forefront of trends, advances and trade in Italian and international wine markets. Last year, Vinitaly inaugurated two new shows: Vininternational (bringing all international exhibitors together under one roof) and Vinitalybio (an exhibition focusing on certified organic wines). In 2104 it also set up the International Buyers’ Lounge dedicated to professional business meetings. Moreover, it begun to build awareness and appreciation of Italian wines worldwide through “Vinitaly International Academy”, a wine educational body supervised by Ian D’Agata, a respected wine journalist and an Italian wine specialist.
Numbers for Vinitaly last year were as follows: 4,111 exhibitors from 22 countries, 155,109 trade operators of which 36.41% from 119 countries, 1,597 journalists from all over the world, exhibition space of 91,140 square metres, joined by facilities dedicated to wine tasting amounting to over of 100,000 square meters.
In 2013 Vinitaly International was created to act as ambassador and partner of Italian wine business in foreign markets, while Vinitaly Wine Club saw the light to act as innovative promotional and online sales platform for the best Italian labels and selected collections of premium wine. Moreover, in the same year, Vinitaly and the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGCB) signed an agreement whereby the dates of their respective events will be coordinated for four years to allow buyers and media from all over the world to optimise attendance at these two important international wine exhibitions. Hence, future dates for Vinitaly will be as follows: 22-25 March 2015, 10-13 April 2016, 26-29 March 2017.
Another relevant feature was added back in 2012, placing limelight on products from organic and biodynamic viticulture. This new event received the name of “ViViT-Wines, Winegrowers and Terroirs”.
Let us now see in greater detail what Vinitaly has in store for 2015.
Promotional activities on the go also in 2015 will be: Vinitaly International, Opera Wine, Vinitaly International Academy and Vinitaly Wine Club. All this will be set off by competitions designed to reward and promote quality. The International Packaging Competition, open to all types of spirits (liqueurs, whisky, rum, gin), the Extra Virgin Olive Oil Competition and the International Wine Competition, which in 2015 will exceptionally take place after Vinitaly (12- 16 April) will be structured as a preview for Milan’s Expo.
Organisers have decided to increase synergy between Vinitaly, Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech exhibitions, aiming to offer wine professionals a comprehensive overview of Italian produce including quality wine and olive oil, food traditions and innovative technologies and technical equipment; a uniqueness that hallmarks the differences between Italy and the rest of the world.
The declared aim is to support the wine sector, and the Italian food industry in general, by ensuring new impetus for exports which, despite enjoying positive results in recent years, must still find new outlets to ensure growth and keep ahead of competitors. In nearly half a century of history, Vinitaly has promoted this mission by evolving from merely being a showcase to become a service platform for companies active throughout the year, as well as by creating Enolitech and Sol&Agrifood to ensure even better visibility for the Italian gastronomy traditions and the know-how behind the quality of Made in Italy.
“International competition is increasingly stiff,” said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere presenting the 2015 edition, “but Vinitaly’s experience ensures tangible commercial results.” Corroboration comes from a survey of customer satisfaction conducted at the end of Vinitaly 2014: it emerges that, over the four days of last year’s event, 68% of foreign operators (53,000 coming from 120 countries, out of a total audience of 155,000 professionals) placed purchase orders, while 73% found new suppliers. The same survey indicates that 97% of exhibitors intend to repeat attendance this year.
Registrations are already open and seem set to confirm the trend emerging over the last two years, whereby a growing number of companies is investing resources in stands rather than merely continuing to share collective institutional spaces in order to ensure better visibility and expand contacts with buyers in Italy and abroad. Veronafiere aims to enhance attendance by qualified operators from the most important and interesting international markets. Investments in this area are also being strengthened combined with close collaboration with companies and trade associations, such as the Expo universal world fair held in Milan this year.
In fact, Vinitaly has been appointed to create and manage the Wine Pavilion at Expo Milano 2015 (“Vino – A Taste of Italy”). Italian Agriculture Minister Maurizio Martina commented the agreement saying that: “Vinitaly is a choice based on competence, experience and expertise, ensuring relevant and appropriate representation of Italian wine within the framework of Expo Milan 2015.”
Diana Bracco, President of Expo 2015 S.p.A. and Commissioner for the Italy Pavilion, added: “This agreement is crucial because another fundamental item in Italian culture and production joins the great mosaic of the Italian Pavilion at Expo 2015. In particular, wine is one of the central elements of our history and our identity. Vineyards characterise the entire peninsula and make the Italian wine sector unique in the world in terms of variety and quality. The Italy Pavilion will be the heart of the entire Expo, and the fact that the European Union has decided to locate its own exhibition space inside it, close to Italian wine, is a further opportunity enhance its appeal: consequently, wine will certainly be in the limelight it deserves.”
“Given Veronafiere’s far-reaching knowledge of the agro-food sector, we immediately felt that it was our duty to make our experience available for such an important and strategic opportunity as EXPO 2015” said Ettore Riello, President of Veronafiere.
The Wine Pavilion at Expo Milan 2015 will occupy an area of approximately 2,000 square meters and will located inside the Italy Pavilion, precisely at the intersection of the two “roads (Cardo NE and Decumanus), thereby enjoying maximum visibility in the central square of the entire Expo area.
Implementation and management of the set-up will see Vinitaly work together with the Ministry for Agricultural Policies, Padiglione Italia and Expo 2015 S.p.A with the aim of involving the entire Italian wine sector: from associations to large producer groups, from committees to distribution, and people promoting the culture of wine.
The Italian Wine Pavilion will narrate the story and the cultural tradition of the sector, with an area dedicated to “first approaches” to the world of Italian wine for millions of visitors who do not already know it, education through wine tastings and master classes, as well as the involvement of producers and testimonials. It will also guide the wine&food pairings in the specific area.
Another important focus will be wine tourism, local area culture and the beauties of Italy linked with the world of wine. There will also be a strong technological identity, to the extent of providing full-scale, interactive virtual tours to discover equipment, machinery and products for making wine, bottling and packaging. Visitors can also access the “Italian Wine Store” and its shop for direct sales of packaged products with home delivery, merchandising and wine and EXPO 2015 gadgets.
gourmettino 