Conferenze e Fiere

🎭 In Paris, the iconic Centre Pompidou, designed by Italian architect Renzo Piano, will have an overseas sibling in Foz do Iguaçu, Brazil, set to open in 2026. With an investment of about 32 million euros, the new architectural marvel will offer a visually striking design and immersive contemporary art experiences, integrating seamlessly into Foz do Iguaçu's natural landscape.

🎶 Casamigos and Don Julio 1942 tequilas celebrate Dìa de los muertos, a traditional Mexican holiday, with high-quality spirits made from Jalisco's blue agave. Don Julio 1942, an ultra-premium tequila aged for at least 24 months, is known for its sophisticated taste and glamorous bottle design. Casamigos, created by George Clooney and Rande Gerber, is featured in the signature cocktail Casa Paloma, a blend of agave syrup, lime, and grapefruit soda, available in Blanco, Reposado, and Añejo varieties.

📍 Originaltour offers a group trip to Vietnam for New Year's Eve, departing from Milan and Rome on December 28 and returning on January 6. In Hanoi, visitors explore the ancient city on foot or by rickshaw, including the famous 36 streets. The trip includes a visit to Hoi Han to witness lantern-making, and to Tra Que, a village renowned for centuries-old aromatic herb cultivation. Travelers can also learn to make traditional Vietnamese dishes like 'Tam Huu' spring rolls and 'Banh Xeo' pancakes. In the Mekong Delta, the tour stops at Ben Tre, famous for its coconut palm plantations, and includes a boat ride and a bicycle journey through peaceful villages. Alternatively, Originaltour offers a combined Vietnam-Cambodia tour from December 28, 2024, to January 10, 2025, featuring a visit to the monumental Angkor complex and a boat cruise through Kampong Kleang, a large floating village on Tonle Sap Lake housing over 20,000 people.

🏗️ The 44th edition of Wtm in London is set to welcome over 40,000 businesses for a trade volume estimated at over £200 million (€240 million). A record-breaking number of exhibitors, up 7% from the previous year, will gather, including over 4,000 entities ranging from hotel chains to tech brands. Deals expected to be signed during the event amount to over £2.2 billion. 40% of visitors plan to stay three days, and a third for a week, in London.

🏆 Royal Air Maroc targets to become a travel hub for three continents by 2030, tying with Morocco hosting the Soccer World Cup. Foreseeing a passenger growth of 5-7% in Italy and a load factor of 76%, they're improving on a record 2023 year. Casablanca, with 30 West African destinations, is pivotal, and a new Casablanca-São Paulo route in December will bridge Latin America. Celebrating 50 years in 2025, the airline will receive 10-15 new planes, part of a 200-aircraft order by 2035.

❄ Universal Air, a Maltese carrier, confirms its winter schedule starting this weekend, maintaining flights to destinations in the European Mediterranean and North Africa, including three weekly flights from Valletta to Palermo. CEO Simon Cook expresses enthusiasm for continuing these popular routes. However, services to Salerno, Corfu, and Ibiza are suspended until the next summer season.

🍕 SIGEP World - The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence, organized by Italian Exhibition Group, will take place at Fiera di Rimini from January 18 to 22, 2025. The 46th edition expands to 138,000 square meters and introduces a new pizza sector, alongside four major industries (gelato, pastry & chocolate, coffee, and bakery). There's a strong international focus, with 520 top buyers from 91 countries, including the United States, South America, Southeast Asia, and Gulf countries, and around 3,000 buyers expected from around the world. The pizza sector, now valued at over $153 billion, and the foodservice sector in Europe, with a growth of 6.4% to over 330 million euros in 2024, are highlighted.

🍰 Cooperativa Sociale In-Presa hosted "EmergentePastry Nord 2025" selecting four finalists to join the April "Selezione Centro-Sud" winners at the final on Thursday, February 27, at CAPAC in Milano. Competitors, all under-30 pastry professionals, crafted dishes judged by renowned chefs and journalists. Special awards went to Sebastiano Catalano Puma for "Best Baked Dessert" and Sophie Varotto for "Best Plated Dessert". Ingredients from partners like Agugiaro & Figna Molini, Frascheri, and Club Kavè were featured.

🍷 Eataly Ostiense will host the Wine Festival on Friday, October 25, and Saturday, October 26, featuring over 50 wineries and more than 150 Italian wines for tasting. The event runs from 6:00 pm to 11:30 pm, offering a tasting kit for €25, which includes admission, wine samples, a glass, a glass holder, and a wine note card. Special coin promos: 14 coins for €26, instead of €28. Entrance is free, wine tastings require the purchase of the kit, and food can be bought with tokens.

🍸 Prohibition of absinthe began in the early 1900s but was legalized again in France in 2000. The spirit lacks an official production regulation, which leads to market confusion, with some products made with artificial colors and without natural herbs. European directive limits thujone to 10 mg/kg in liquors and 35 mg/kg in distilled absinthe. In Milan, Norah Was Drunk spearheaded the absinthe revival, offering a cocktail menu with the "Green Fairy". On October 24, the bar introduced a new drink menu with creative cocktails, pictograms indicating glass type and alcohol strength, and a mini cocktail option at 40% off. The menu includes a selection of Italian, French, and Swiss absinthes (10-14 euros), with authentic absinthe having an alcohol content between 45-70 degrees, distilled, and without added sugar.