THE 48TH EDITION OF HOSPITALITY – IL SALONE DELL’ACCOGLIENZA ENDS ON A HIGH: AN AMAZING EDITION

The 48th edition of Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza ends on a high: an amazing edition. A showcase of quality and variety.

Operators’ active participation and strong involvement shows a willingness to invest in the innovation and renewal of facilities and services

The 48th edition of Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza, Italy’s leading international exhibition dedicated to the Ho.Re.Ca industry, closes today with an important result: with a turnout of almost 20,000 professionals –  up 8% with respect to last year – from all over Italy plus another 15 countries, the exhibition brought together the entire hospitality industry with 861 exhibitors (+35% compared with 2023), wide-scale participation and a continuous flow of visitors every day.

Internationalisation, innovation and vision: characteristics that appealed to the Ho.Re.Ca. community, which showed a strong interest in the content, quality and variety of the offerings on display.

“This result confirms Hospitality’s market leadership thanks to a series of strategic choices and the hard work invested in putting together this edition. We will continue to invest in the uniqueness of our offering, in terms of both the product and services and the nature of the enterprises present, working to consolidate our long-standing national and international partnerships in the interests of professional operators”, stated Roberto Pellegrini, Chairman of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi.

The exhibition, with its complete range of services and products, demonstrated its ability to respond to visitor needs and preferences, attracting an important number of entrepreneurs in the restaurant, hotel, and retail and catering industries, in addition to non-hotel operators.

Alessandra Albarelli, Managing Director of Riva del Garda Fierecongressi, commented: “At every edition, we aim to offer a complete overview of all the latest industry trends and amaze visitors with ever-new contents, ideas and real solutions for their business. This is demonstrated by the enthusiasm of the operators who visited the exhibition, certain that they would find the right solution and perfect partner. This edition attracted a new and highly purchase-oriented audience.”

This year’s new features included the launch of the collaboration with Village for All – V4A and Lombardini22, culminating in the FOR ALL area dedicated to accessible hospitality, which will be re-presented in upcoming editions with newly designed spaces.

“FOR ALL enabled visitors and exhibitors alike to enjoy an immersive and emotional experience, helping them to understand that their facility can be made accessible ‘for all’ without necessarily needing to make huge investments. It was rewarding to see the utility of a project on accessible tourism, confirming the exhibition’s role as a provider of ideas and useful suggestions to operators looking to evolve their business, catering to the needs of one of the market’s most significant segments”, stated Giovanna Voltolini, Exhibition Manager of Hospitality.

Satisfaction for the 50 international buyers who attended this edition, thanks to the scouting activities conducted by the organisers in collaboration with ICE (ITA - Italian Trade Agency). The buyers came from selected countries including Slovenia, Eastern Europe, Scandinavia, Spain, Portugal, UK, German-speaking countries, as well as Kenya and Central and South America. Hospitality’s rich and comprehensive format, offering numerous inspirations and ideas, left a positive impression on all who attended and enabled them to find the right partners for their purchases.

Paulo Occhialini Mancio, Global Vice President Hospitality, DAMAC Properties (Dubai), “The main reason I attended Hospitality was to see all the latest industry innovations and get a feel for the quality of the suppliers. What I found was competence, solutions and a range of different ideas to innovate hotels and make facilities more than just a place to sleep, but rather locations in which to create a unique hospitality experience. This is what I was looking for and what I found.”

Boris Mihaljević, F&B Manager Hotel Hilton Podgorica (Montenegro) “I came to Hospitality to get an insight into the latest global hotel trends and see the latest innovations. Specifically, I wanted to understand how we could improve the visual appeal of our hotel, make it more beautiful. I found lots of innovation for both the product and service offering, and an important focus on design. The experience totally satisfied my expectations.”

This year too, Hospitality dedicated ample space to training through its Academy. Between educational workshops, seminars and interactive itineraries, the exhibition was transformed into a rich and multidisciplinary stage, recording a sold-out on the main stage, in the Theatre and the five themed areas - Beer Arena, Outdoor Boom Arena, RPM Arena, Winescape Arena and the new Restaurant Arena.

The 49th edition of Hospitality – Il Salone dell’Accoglienza is set to take place in Riva del Garda from 3 to 6 February 2025.

The voice of exhibitors 

Hot Spring Italia srl – Alessandro Gianotti, Chairman BoD and Sales Director Italy 
“This edition went extremely well for us. We were fully satisfied with both the turnout and the nature of the negotiations, and also the quality of the contracts. It was definitely a very positive experience that we plan to repeat next year.”

Bonfante Interior Contractor – Matteo Bonfante, Founder & CEO 
“This is an exhibition we have been doing for the past 25 years. Our perception this year in particular, is that it is growing. The logistics have improved, but so has the selection of companies, and the layout of the areas – both for us as exhibitors and for potential clients – was very positive.  There was a lot of enthusiasm, or at least that’s what we perceived, which means the exhibition is heading in this direction.”

Barilla – Roberto Nuzzoli, Area Manager North-East Italy
“This fair is traditionally a great opportunity to get to know the products on offer, but above all, to exchange ideas with other suppliers, working together on the common areas in which to propose increasingly effective solutions. It definitely left me with a positive impression.”

San Felici srl -  Franco San Felici, Founder 
“Just like every other year, the Riva del Garda exhibition offers us an incredible opportunity for visibility, with utmost professionalism. The turnout was excellent. We will definitely be returning next year.”

Viander – Giancarlo Natalini, Managing Director
“It went really well, even better than past years. The turnout was excellent, especially on the Tuesday and Wednesday, but even the opening day was very positive. Our expectations were fully met.”