PUNTOITALY N°2 - July - December 2012

Sectors represented: baking, patisserie, pizza, fresh pasta, gelato, bars, cafés, catering and hotels Where: Bari - Fiera del Levante Date of the first Levante Prof expo: 2009 Date of the next Levante Prof expo: 16-20 February 2013 The Levante Prof expo Sectors represented: baking, patisserie, gelato, catering, food, pizza, fresh pasta, beer, wine, bars, cafés, retail outlets and hotels Where: Rome Date of the first Pa.Bo.Gel. expo: 1987 Date of the next Pa.Bo.Gel. expo: 27-30 October 2012 The Pa.Bo.Gel. expo CROSSROADS 11 THE ITALIAN MAGAZINE FOR INTERNATIONAL BUYERS IN GELATO, PASTRY AND TRENDY FOOD-AND-DRINK the next editions will be held in the new pavilions of Fiera di Roma and Fiera del Levante, prestigious trade fair centres in the two cities. What role do the two expos play in a national and inter- national context? For operators throughout the world, one significant aspect is the geographic and cultural context represented by the two cities in which the expos are held. Rome has always been a magnet for professional visitors, since those attending can combine work and pleasure: the cultural and food & wine opportunities offered by the Eternal City are unparalleled in Italy. As for Bari, it is historically the gateway of the East ever since the first Fiera del Levante was inaugurated in 1930, and it is the city where the Mediterranean Diet was first conceived, which greatly lifted the profile of the agricultural products in the region. What initiatives are undertaken to publicise the expos all over the world? Apart from advertising in the various media of numerous countries, we promote our expos drawing on support from the Chambers of Commerce and the Trade Offices of our Em- bassies and Consulates. Besides this, the companies involved in the sector are contacted and kept informed through newslet- ters and press releases. Can you give us some information in advance about the next expos? For both the Rome and Bari expos we have confirmation of the extremely significant presence of the Institute that confers Halal certification to companies intending to produce for Muslim countries. These are geographic areas that have a combined population of more than one billion four hundred million potential consumers. We also plan to set up a series of working labs for demonstrations to be conducted by the best Masters in the categories present at the expos, to offer visitors the chance to catch up on new ideas and compare notes. The conference programme is also very interesting, with nu- merous meetings scheduled on highly topical subjects pro- moted and organised by the category associations. •