PUNTOITALY N°2 - July - December 2012

177 SIAL FOOD-AND-DRINK • PASTRY • GELATO The 2012 edition of Sial-The Global Food Marketplace, scheduled for 21 to 25 October, has been structured to offer professionals in the agro-alimentary production chain a pathway through purchasing opportunities from around the world. The objective is to optimise visitors’ time, allowing them to see more things more quickly. The exhibition includes 19 sectors with 130 national and regional displays. Over 6 thousand exhibitors are expected, 80% of them from abroad, representing 106 countries, with a balance between small enterprises and large industrial groups. As for the countries represented, France is the most prominent, followed by Italy, Spain, China, Netherlands, Turkey, Belgium, Germany, USA and Brazil. After Europe, Asia is the second continent in terms of representation, with 41% of the participating countries. The 400 most innovative products, selected by a jury of independent experts, will be showcased in the Sial Innovation space. Sial Innovation is a prestigious event in the course of which the Sial In- novation Grand Prix awards will be presented and promoted throughout the world. The Sial d’Or prizes will also be awarded, to recognise and celebrate the food innovations that have become commercial successes on the national markets of the 29 countries involved. La Cuisine, Sial’s display of culinary art, with its packed programme of attractive events to display the talents and artistry of professional chefs, has exciting new features. To facilitate encounters be- tween those in the catering business, a space for culinary demonstrations is provided, as are a new Vip restaurant, a showroom of “catering and gourmet” products, and a Vip Club. In order to offer a fully exhaustive panorama of all the food channels of the world, Ipa-Global Food Factory, the food processing and packaging exhibition emphasising eco responsibility, and In-Food, dedicated to intermediary food products and ingredients, will run contemporaneously with Sial 2012. FOOD FROM AROUND THE WORLD