Italy | Fairs

Preparing for expo 2015, Cibus showcases the whole food industry

Main Italian food fair programme launched in Milan. Internationalisation and new commercial strategies for the Italian market.

4/25/2014

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The 17th edition of Cibus, in Parma from the 5th to the 8th May, has reached a new record amount of exhibitors, including many comebacks after years of absence and a wide range of new products that will be exhibited for the first time.

Its popularity has increased thanks to the international activities promoted by Fiere di Parma in the last four years, which raised interest among Italian food companies and made of Cibus the largest Italian fair on food made in Italy and the third largest food fair in the world.

The press conference that took place in Milan was an occasion to launch the Cibus 2014 programme and to talk about the pavilion that Federalimentare (Italian food industry association) and Fiere di Parma will create for EXPO 2015 (the World's Fair to be held in Milan from May to October 2015).

The opening of the 17th edition of Cibus will include Maurizio Martina, Italian Minister for Agricultural Politics and Carlo Calenda, Italian Deputy Minister for the Economic Development. It is expected that thousand top buyers from hundred countries as well as about 10 thousand foreign trade operators will join the fair, with an overall amount of 60 thousand buyers and trade operators.

The interest for Cibus 2014 has increased thanks to its proximity to EXPO 2015 and thanks to the Italian food industry's commitment to overcome the recession in the Italian market and to conquer new markets abroad.

"After the five events of Cibus Market Check that led Italian companies to meet large distributors in three continents and after the success of the Italian exhibition hall at the Food Fair in Bangkok, we have started a cooperation with the Anuga Food Fair in Cologne, which will allow us to work together with the key international fair operators." said Antonio Cellie, CEO of Fiere di Parma.

The internationalisation boost is also a consequence of the recession in the Italian market, as underlined by Filippo Ferrua, Director of Fiere di Parma. "Cibus is more important than ever: 2013 turned out the worst year since the beginning of the Italian recession, where export growth (+5.8%) couldn't make it up for internal losses (-4 points in a year, -14 points in 5 years). The trend is weakening in 2014, but is still continuing. Right now, the potential marketing and image boost of Cibus can be vital. We are positive that it will lead us to the path to exit recession.

His enthousiasm is shared by the Director of Fiere di Parma, Franco Boni, who stated: "We have prepared an edition of Cibus that we wanted to be truly extraordinary in anticipation of EXPO 2015."

Elda Ghiretti, Cibus Brand Manager, explaned that there will be several novelties: "i.e. the new layout for a better, coherent route for visiting buyers and the multichannel profile of this edition that tries to include each and every reality around food made in Italy".

As a result, retail will be represented as well as large distribution, food service as well as out of home catering, organic products as well as gluten free, halal and kosher products, regional small and medium enterprises for dedicated buyers, confectionary as well as grocery, and catering with the sponsorship of ALMA (the Italian cuisine school).

Workshops, conferences, competitions and events of any kind make Cibus 2014 an event not to miss. The first day will start with the traditional opening conference where Federalimentare (that will also host its annual conference during Cibus) will present an analysis of current trends in the Italian food sector with the most updated data on production and export/import. Barilla (Italian key player in the food industry) will host a conference on the "Milan Protocol" (with the cooperation of Guido Barilla, Carlo Petrini and Paolo De Castro).

The conference "Promuovere il Made in Italy: lezioni dall'estero" (Promoting food made in Italy: lessons from abroad), realised in cooperation with Gruppo Food, will provide an analysis of the way foreign large distributors present Italian food and present the Cibus award to foreign distributors that best marketed and promoted food Made in Italy.


Last but not least, the event dedicated to Food Service and Duty-free: Cibus and Gruppo Edifis will present the market for Italian food in travel areas such as duty-free and share best practices.

Not to miss are the renewed fringe activities: Cibus Land, taking place in the streets of Parma, will showcase food tasting and events and include a large "After Cibus" lounge in the Palazzo del Governatore, exclusively for the fair's visitors and exhibitors. The fifth edition of "Pianeta Nutrizione & Integrazione" (Nutrition & Supplements Planet) will take place at the same time. The conference will offer an interdisciplinar forum on healthy nutrition with seminars by doctors and scientific companies and an exhibiting area on healthy food.