Conferenze e Fiere

🍺 Acqua Minerale San Benedetto confirms its presence at Vinitaly, occupying Pavilion 4, Stand B7. The non-alcoholic beverage market leader, with a 21.3% market share in the out-of-home channel, showcases exclusive Horeca offerings. San Benedetto has revolutionized its out-of-home portfolio over the last 15 years, now including mineral waters, sparkling drinks, fruit-based beverages, and mixology products. New products feature the Millennium Water in a 0.5L glass format, the PET Mito Collection, and the Extra Sparkling can. Acqua di Nepi, an effervescent natural mineral water from Lazio, is highlighted alongside San Benedetto Bar Specialist fruit-based drinks and teas, including Succoso Zero and the new Green Matcha Tea, available in 0.20L glass bottles. The Premium Tea line caters to mixology trends, with San Benedetto Seltz enhancing cocktails in a sustainable 20L stackable stainless steel keg. Visitors can also explore Schweppes products like Tonic Basil & Sicilian Lemon. San Benedetto, founded in 1956, operates in 100 countries, leading Italy's non-alcoholic beverage segment with a diverse product range, from mineral waters to soft drinks and energy drinks.

🍸 The Udine Cocktail Week returns for its fourth edition from April 25 to May 2, embracing no-alcohol and low-alcohol trends. The event coincides with the Far East Film Festival, offering a fusion of Eastern and Western culture. The previous edition attracted over 400 attendees to masterclasses and involved 15 local venues. Notable mixologists such as Giancarlo Mancino, Salvatore “The Maestro” Calabrese, and others will host masterclasses. A preview of the event is scheduled from April 3 to 6, with special storytelling and tastings focused on Japanese whisky. Jana and Gianmaria Passone of IDEA are the organizers, highlighting the festival's eco-friendly initiatives and diverse audience appeal, including non-alcoholic cocktail enthusiasts.

🏖️ Amalfi hosts the national summit "Destinations and Communities for more sustainable Tourism" on April 3-4, 2025, at the Antico Arsenale, backed by ANCI Campania. Key Italian tourist destinations participate, tackling challenges of balancing tourist flows with local communities' needs. Speakers include State Undersecretary Tullio Ferrante, ENIT President Alessandra Priante, and other prominent officials. The summit, open to the public via registration, will be live-streamed on Amalfi's Facebook page.

📦 Tuttofood Milano's 10th edition, from May 5-8, 2025, at Rho Fiera Milano, will host industry players from over 100 countries. The agri-food sector, a pillar of Italy's production system, saw an 8% increase in exports, surpassing €67 billion in 2024. Aiming to foster business and international relations, the event is backed by Fiere di Parma and Koelnmesse Italia. Over 3,000 exhibitors and more than 90,000 visitors, including 3,000 top international buyers, are expected. ICE/ITA Agenzia supports the event, which in 2024 helped 125 fairs and provided over 65,600 consultancy services. Italy's agri-food exports reached €69 billion in 2024, a 7.5% increase from 2023.

🍴 Special culinary events on April 15 and May 8 at Hub Internazionale della Gastronomia Identità Golose Milano, celebrating S.Pellegrino Young Chef Academy Competition 2024-25 finalists. The first night honors special award winners Josefina Zojza, Lorenzo Manosperti, Alessio Magistro, and the second features Italian winner Edoardo Tizzanini with mentor Giancarlo Perbellini. Tizzanini to compete in the Grand Finale in October 2025 before an international Grand Jury. Bookings: www.identitagolosemilano.it.

📖 Alberto Angela hosts the new season of Ulisse, traveling through the National Park of Abruzzo in search of the Marsican bear, featuring interviews with Luca Zingaretti, Gabry Ponte, and Sarah Toscano. In April 2025, La Freccia magazine suggests a journey to discover art by Piero della Francesca and Donatello, recommends hiking the Sicilian southeast, and notes Frecciarossa as the official train for events like Milan's Salone del Mobile and Rome's tennis Internationals. The Guardia di Finanza ski team celebrates 100 years with Olympic medals. Zingaretti directs "La casa degli sguardi", while Ponte prepares for Eurovision and a June San Siro Dance event. Toscano, the youngest Sanremo singer, anticipates a new album for October lives. Cultural events include an Edvard Munch exhibit in Rome and a Pino Daniele tribute in Naples, marking ten years since his passing, and the 20-year anniversary of La Venaria Reale conservation center near Turin. La Freccia's April issue is available digitally on FS Italiane and in print on Trenitalia trains, lounges, and clubs.

🍷 Vinitaly's 57th edition (Veronafiere, 6-9 April) highlights an "0 Alcohol Cocktail Bar" with a focus on NoLo (No and Low Alcohol) products, featuring 8 companies presenting 14 non-alcoholic wines. Mixology sector exhibits strong growth with 35 exhibitors, doubling from 2024, including entries from Canada and the Netherlands. A rich schedule of masterclasses and workshops begins on 6 April, covering diverse topics from food pairings to sustainable cocktail design. The event reflects the sober curious trend and the increasing quality bartending in the Horeca channel.

🍹 Celebrating Italy's National Made in Italy Day on April 15, Ferrarelle Società Benefit, the fourth largest mineral water company in Italy, launched Ferrarelle Chinotto. The new drink, following Limonata, Aranciata, and Gassosa, contains an infusion of Chinotti from Savona, and is enjoyed by over 20% of Italian families. It features a balance of sweet and bitter flavors, and is produced with natural effervescent water, without artificial colorants. The 250 ml cans are aimed at the Horeca channel, available in bars and restaurants, emphasizing authentic taste and Italian tradition.

🍽 On April 4, 2025, Michelin-starred restaurant Alto from Fiorano Modenese will participate in the Veuve Clicquot Garden Gastronomy event in Paris, alongside international chefs like Domenico Schingaro and Enrico Crippa. Chef Mattia Trabetti will present "Sturgeon, zucchini flowers, tangerine mustard" to pair with Veuve Clicquot's Grande Dame 2018, reflecting his culinary philosophy that combines tradition and innovation. The Paris event is part of the "Alto on Tour" series, which started on March 28 in Cesenatico with a collaboration with Marco Garattoni of Ancòra, and will continue on April 7 in Modena and conclude on May 19 in Fiorano Modenese.

🎲 Live Tourism, an evolving trend, has transformed the tourism industry by shifting focus from traditional hotel services to broader travel experiences. McKinsey's report "The state of tourism and hospitality 2024" highlights this trend, especially among Millennials and Gen. Z, who are 70% more likely to plan trips around special events compared to five years ago. Such events lead to spikes in hotel demand and Average Daily Rate (ADR), significantly benefitting local economies and attracting future infrastructure investments. Taylor Swift's tour exemplifies this, with her Milan show in 2023 and early 2024 causing a 250% increase in bookings compared to the previous year, indicating that Live Tourism is not just a fad but a lasting trend.