HOSPITALITY, AN INTERNATIONAL HUB OF TRENDS AND PROPOSALS FOR HORECA PROFESSIONALS

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Riva del Garda (TN), 29 December 2022Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, Italy’s leading international trade show in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector, returns to the Riva del Garda Exhibition Centre from 6 to 9 February 2023

A hub of trends and innovations, Hospitality is aimed at a business-oriented public who visit the show to expand their network of suppliers and partners, find new solutions for their business and keep up to date thanks to the Academy and the numerous training activities, workshops, tastings and cooking shows that make up the events programme. The skills acquired in over forty years of experience and the natural vocation for hospitality and tourism of the region it is held in – Garda Trentino, one of Italy's main tourism regions with over 3 million visitors each year – make Hospitality the place to be for industry professionals.

“We are now at the 47th edition of the show, and every year we want to offer exhibitors and visitors innovative solutions and tools to interpret Ho.Re.Ca. trends and stay competitive”, comments Giovanna Voltolini, Exhibition Manager for Hospitality. “This is reflected in the numbers: with just over a month from the opening, over 500 exhibitors have signed up, many have confirmed, and 30% are new companies that have chosen Riva del Garda to break into the market and expand their network". 

The exhibition is divided into four thematic areas – Beverage, Contract & Wellness, Food & Equipment and Renovation & Tech – giving a voice to all segments in the Ho.Re.Ca. sector and into the special areas Solobirra, RPM-Riva Pianeta Mixology and Winescape dedicated to promoting craft beer, mixed drinks and wine and olive oil tourism.

In line with the new trends in hospitality and in order to meet the challenges faced by the sector, Hospitality has expanded its exhibition offer and signed two important partnerships with a special focus on accessibility and open-air tourism. Thanks to the collaboration with Village for all - V4A, Italy’s leading accessible hospitality network, visitors to the show will be able to follow a proper route dedicated to accessibility with a series of activities to promote, support and train companies and professionals in the catering and hotel sectors to address this market segment.

The next edition of Hospitality will also be full of proposals and exclusive content dedicated to open-air tourism, through the agreement signed with FAITA FederCamping. In addition to the presence of companies, suppliers and partners from the outdoor world – glamping, wood houses, nature and sport – in the dedicated Outdoor Boom arena, the show will provide a schedule of meetings on open-air hospitality with a focus on lakes and mountains. 

Open-air tourism and accessibility supplement the three product business tours – smart solutions, sustainable products, made in Italy – and the special itineraries of the food area – organic, vegan, halal, gluten-free, lactose-free, kosher, superfood – that allow visitors to easily identify the product categories most suitable for their business.

The 2023 edition confirms Hospitality's global vocation, thanks to its certification as an international show. Besides being a guarantee of quality and reliability, the certification provides opportunities for exhibitors who can enjoy concessions for participation, as well as giving a further boost to incoming foreign buyer numbers. The Buyer Programme is also part of this framework: operators in the hotel catering sector who sign up for the programme will become part of a restricted group of selected buyers who can enjoy a customised and exclusive visitor experience, benefiting from numerous concessions, both for getting to and staying in Riva del Garda and for managing their trade show experience effectively.

"In addition to the rich exhibition route, Hospitality combines a training programme dedicated to all Ho.Re.Ca. areas," continues Giovanna Voltolini. “Our Hospitality Academy, created in partnership with consulting and hotel management company Teamwork, will offer a complete update programme over the four days of the show in addition to workshops, masterclasses, tastings and cooking shows that cover all Ho.Re.Ca. sectors".

As well as the Academy, there will be many spaces dedicated to events, with industry experts taking turns on the various stages that will bring the exhibition halls to life, from the Theatre that will also host the opening ceremony, to the Beer Arena, Outdoor Boom Arena and Winescape Arena, with numerous themed talks in partnership with hospitality professionals. There will also be a special space in the Food area with professional training for young chefs by FIC – Federazione Italiana Cuochi [Italian Federation of Chefs].

This year, Hospitality will also host a centre of Made in Italy excellence: a space where you can find products and much more, selected thanks to the expertise of Slow Food, the University of Gastronomic Sciences in Pollenzo, the wines of Banca del Vino, as well as a well-stocked bookshop for in-depth information on hospitality, catering and tourism topics in partnership with publisher SlowFood Editore. 


RPM – Riva Pianeta Mixology is dedicated to mixing and presents a training schedule with the stars of international bartending. There is also an important partnership in the art of mixed drinks: this year, Hospitality has signed an agreement with FIBAR VALLADOLID, the Spanish international bartending trade show, to promote and spread the culture of mixology worldwide. “Thanks to this partnership, the prestigious Italian grappa and spirits companies present at the show will have the opportunity to meet with other entities in the mixology sector, the premium beverage sector and hotel industry professionals from the Iberian peninsula and internationally”, concludes Giovanna Voltolini.

The trade show experience does not end in the exhibition halls, but continues with the official Hospitality Digital Space app, which allows you to both organise your visit in advance and maintain contact with exhibitors throughout the year by amplifying networking opportunities.