In Riva del Garda, the doors of the Exhibition Centre close following the 42nd edition of Expo Riva Hotel, which took place from Sunday 4th to Wednesday 7th February. This edition resulted in record numbers: 522 companies were present in the four exhibition areas, sub-divided into eight exhibition halls, where around 100 training sessions took place and 27,358 visitors came through the turnstiles, an increase of 5% compared to 2017.
“The last two editions of this fair have demonstrated a constant increase in the number of operators present in Riva del Garda” – confirms a very satisfied Roberto Pellegrini, Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi SpA - “This success confirms the role played by Expo Riva Hotel as one of the three most important and un-missable fairs amongst Italian events in this sector, where people come to do business but also for training updates.”
“Riva del Garda Fierecongressi has invested a great deal in training as the key thread running through all our events” - explains Giovanni Laezza, Managing Director of the company. “This is because we firmly believe that high quality workshops and seminars, led by the very best experts in their sector in Italy, provide added value. Staying up-to-date, abreast of the latest trends, projecting your business into the future is an offer that sets Expo Riva Hotel apart from the rest. Furthermore, we must also remember that the Expo Riva Hotel Academy project enables us to take our event right across Italy throughout the year, covering ten of the most visited tourist areas of the country. Investments of this calibre demonstrate even further how Expo Riva Hotel is a professional platform, so much so that we have seen an increase in the number of sector professionals, i.e. business people, and a reduction in the general public. This is obviously an important result and we will continue along this road.”
Hall B4 saw a great deal of enthusiasm amongst visitors, where the Expo Riva Hotel Academy received 2,200 participants in the 86 seminars held, split into Hotel Management, RPM – Riva Planet Mixology and SOLOBIRRA (Only Beer). The latter two projects in particular saw an increase in the number of exhibiting companies and the workshops sold out of places, underlining how the art of mixology and artisan beers are becoming increasingly important both as a cultural movement, but also in terms of investment potential.
“The sectors providing the greatest satisfaction are those of foodstuffs, coffee & beverage and large installations, thanks to the return of important parent companies” - explains Carla Costa, Manager of the Riva del Garda Fierecongressi Fairs Unit. “We have noted the willingness of the companies present to invest in their stand-fittings, setting themselves apart with really special stands and providing visitors with the wow factor. Why do I mention this? Because it is an indication of an economic reprise and the desire to invest once more in ancillary events, such as trade fairs, where every type of business person can meet, transforming these four days of the fair into a concrete business opportunity. Another aspect I would like to emphasise is how Expo Riva Hotel is a true promoter of an up-to-date hospitality and professional catering culture, to the point that we find seminars and workshops in the programme organised by the exhibitors themselves on their stands or in the Exhibition Centre Meeting Rooms.”
Particular emphasis was also placed on the actions aimed at both environmental and social sustainability during the stand-fitting phase and also the maintenance and dismantling of the stands. Expo Riva Hotel adhered to the Food for Good project for the second year running, a project aimed at avoiding food waste.
There were also a number of “events within the event” such as the ‘Morsi & Sorsi’ food-pairing – a blind-tasting organised by ASPI, the Italian Association for Professional Sommeliers together with the Trentino section of the Italian Union for the Blind and Visually Impaired. Then there was the show-cooking street food contest, Junior Assistant Master Cup and ‘Riso In Rosa’ promoted by the Italian Cooks’ Federation, a contest open to all the pizza makers of Europe, promoted by ‘Pizza&Pasta Italiana,’ competitions for artisan beers, talks by producers, the Shaker&Flamba Flambé event promoted by AMIRA – the Italian Association for restaurant and Hotel Maîtres, previews and much, much more.
The success of Expo Riva Hotel also relies fundamentally on the patronage of Federalberghi and Federturismo Confindustria as well as collaboration with Trade Associations: the Association of Trentino Cooks; the Association of Mantua Cooks; the Italian Cooks’ Federation; ASPI; AMIRA; ConfCommercio Trentino, ASAT, UNAT and IFPA.
Expo Riva Hotel will continue throughout 2018 thanks to its travelling roadshow as Expo Riva Hotel Academy together with Teamwork will travel across the nation, and then return to the Riva del Garda Exhibition Centre from 3rd to 6th February 2019.
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