Conferenze e Fiere

🚤 Confindustria Nautica will host the SATEC 2025 Convention on May 15-16, electing its President for 2025-2029 following Piero Formenti's designation on April 28. The event begins at Abbazia della Cervara in Santa Margherita Ligure with the XXXIV "Pionieri della Nautica" award ceremony and moves to Excelsior Palace Portofino Coast in Rapallo on May 16. The Italian nautical sector set records in 2024 with €8.4 billion in production and 32,000 direct jobs. The public session includes discussions on nautical contributions to Italy's economy and future industrial policies.

💐 Ernst Knam, known as the "King of Chocolate" and a judge on Bake Off Italia, teams up with his wife, food blogger Frau Knam, to create a special Mother's Day confectionery collection. The collection includes unique chocolate creations such as the "UniKa" bar, pralines in 4, 6, or 18 pieces, and playful lollipops, all designed to celebrate mothers with innovation and tradition. The "Viva la Mamma" box and the eye-catching Tart Margherita embody sophistication and love. For detailed product information and purchases, visit eknam.com/shop_online and frauknam.com/tutti-prodotti.

🍷 Quartiere Vino Pigneto returns to Rome on Saturday, May 10, 2025, offering a tasting experience of over 400 natural wine labels from 50 selected winemakers across Italy, France, Spain, and Slovenia. Organized by SO2 and Vini Selvaggi, the event extends from 1 PM to 8 PM with ticketing opening an hour earlier. Highlights include free guided tours by Bella Storia and the chance to take home a complimentary wine glass with purchase. Tickets are available at quartierevinopigneto.it.

🍳 TUTTOFOOD MILANO 2025 concluded with 95,000 attendees over four days, involving 10 pavilions at Rho Milano Fiera. The fair confirmed 3,000 international top food buyers from the Buyers Program Fiere di Parma, collaborating with ICE, plus an additional 7,000 representatives from foreign distribution chains and organized restaurants, estimating 25% of entries from international operators. Approximately 70% of exhibiting companies have already scheduled for TUTTOFOOD MILANO 2026 (11-14 May) and Cibus 2027 (4-7 May). Post-fair, a new international roadshow will present at events such as PLMA Amsterdam (20-21 May), Thaifex in Bangkok (27-31 May), Fancy Food in New York (29 June-1 July), and Anuga in Cologne (20-25 October).

🥂 Aperitivo Festival, curated by MWW Group, runs from May 9-11 at Tortona Savona District's Nhow Hotel in Milano. It features 27 international bartenders and over 100 products. The World Aperitivo Day® culminates on May 26, highlighting the cultural heritage of Italian aperitivo. Carrefour returns as the main sponsor, and the event showcases a new non-alcoholic beverage trend. Aperitivo Academy offers educational sessions while Aperitivo Made in Lombardia celebrates regional specialties with a series of tastings and masterclasses from May 15 to June 30.

🍇 Acetaie Aperte, the premier event for balsamic vinegar enthusiasts, gears up for its 23rd edition in Modena from September 26 to October 4, 2025. The week-long celebration will feature over 40 sites open to the public, showcasing the revered Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena DOP and Aceto Balsamico di Modena IGP. With an export rate of 93% to over 130 countries, the IGP variant boasts an annual production of over 90 million liters and a consumption value nearing one billion euros. The DOP, with its artisanal production, reaches 16.5 thousand liters, valued at almost 7 million euros, with 70% exported mainly to the USA, France, Germany, and Japan. Emilia-Romagna, the "Food Valley," prides itself on 44 DOP and IGP productions contributing €3.6 billion to the €8.5 billion national production, with the regional agri-food sector totaling €34 billion, nearly €10 billion of which are exports.

☕ Ditta Artigianale honors mothers with its 100% arabica espresso blend, MammaMia, crafted exclusively with coffee grown by female producers. Francesco Sanapo, the founder, created the blend with medium-low acidity to appeal to traditional tastes, including his mother’s preference for non-acidic coffee. Incorporating beans from Peru, Costa Rica, Ethiopia, and Honduras, the blend offers a complex sensory experience with chocolate, ripe cherry, caramel, and almond notes. Ditta Artigianale, established by Sanapo and Patrick Hoffer, is a leading Italian specialty coffee roastery that exemplifies the third wave coffee movement, focusing on quality from cultivation to artisan roasting in Florence. The brand operates six locations in Florence, promoting the specialty coffee culture and the authentic bar experience combining craftsmanship and quality time spent in the establishment.

🍽 MidNite Chef Pairing Nights welcomes chef Francesco Apreda and mixologist Patrick Pistolesi on May 8 for a food&cocktail pairing event. Apreda, known for his innovative cuisine with Neapolitan roots and influences from London, Japan, and India, offers a unique culinary identity at Idylio by Apreda in Rome's The Pantheon Iconic Hotel. The dinner includes dishes like fried quail egg with Japanese dressing and Milk cocktail made with Glenfiddich 12, lime, rice vinegar, mirin, sesame, and pepper. Other pairings feature Terra e Iodio cream with Naraï cocktail, 36-month Parmigiano cappellotti with KryptoN cocktail, and baccalà with coconut and Shōgun cocktail featuring Glenfiddich 15. The experience costs €90 per person and reservations can be made on the Superb platform. Nite Kong, a spin-off of Drink Kong in Rome, opened in 2023 offering an immersive experience with a rich selection of spirits, champagne, and a curated food menu by chef Francesco Coltella. Drink Kong entered The World's 50 Best Bars in 2024, ranking 33rd and 20th on the Top 500 Bars list.

🍫 Domori won "best sweet packaging" for its Antologia chocolate bars at the 14th DS - Dolci Salati & Consumi Awards during TuttoFood Milan (May 5-8, 2025). The award, judged by a 73-member jury, recognized Domori's marketing efforts in 2024. The Antologia line, which showcases premium Criollo cacao from Venezuela and Ecuador, embodies Domori's bean to bar identity and reinforces its premium brand positioning through distinctive, elegant packaging inspired by the "rosa dei venti.

🍸 "Tiempo de Artesanía", an experiential workshop by Nordés Gin, launched in Milan after its success in Madrid. Held at Mani Lab Milano each Tuesday from May 13 to July 29, the event features crafting a ceramic plate and tasting Nordés Gin Tonic with appetizers for €35. Nordés, a premium Galician gin brand established 13 years ago, is now distributed in over 50 countries. Italy accounts for 12% of its international market, with over 51% of sales being international as of 2024.