Enthusiastic exhibitors: “Excellent job, commercial results exceeding expectations”.
- The Be Italian special area, easily recognizable within the context of the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show, piqued curiosity, attracting a great many food industry members, impressed by the quality of the exhibitors.
- The exhibitors, whether presenting typical products or equipment, made lots of promising business contacts to be further developed in the next few months.
- Be Italian proved to be a very effective marketing tool. Indeed, several Italian companies attending the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show on their own this time, expressed the intention of taking advantage of the special area organized by Lombardia Fiera for the next show.
There were plenty of high hopes for the initial edition, the launching, of Be Italian and by the end of the three-day fair, the results and opinions were definitely positive – in many cases, well beyond even the rosiest expectations.
Qualified fair-goers, eager to discover the examples of Italian excellence
The three days at the fair were intense. The event drew more than 20,000 visitors, all professional members of the food industry. The Be Italian special area was organized by Lombardia Fiere within the overarching context of the International Restaurant and Foodservice Show, one of the most important American fairs serving the professional food sector. Be Italian represented a completely new experience for the fair and this is why it was literally besieged by buyers, many made curious, not only by the excellent food products on display – some of which were being shown for the first time in the United States – but also by the professional equipment.
Not only a marketing tool, but also a promulgator of food culture
“It represented an important opportunity, not only in terms of providing the producers with a new and effective marketing tool, but above all for promoting a style of enjoying food and patrimony of know-how possessed only by Italian producers. We have to raise awareness about food, its preparation and eating, helping American food industry members appreciate the enormous difference between the original products we have brought to Be Italian and the counterfeit junk that has invaded the market there,” underscored Antonio Piva, president of CremonaFiere, the founder of Lombardia Fiere along with Centro Fiera of Montichiari, Ente Fiera Promoberg of Bergamo, and Pro Brixia – Special Company of the Brescia Chamber of Commerce.
With this aim in mind, a large kitchen facility was set up within the Be Italian area for the presentation of cooking shows. Various chefs belonging to the Federazione Italiana Cuochi of New York took turns brandishing their skills at the stoves in this cooking showcase for all three days of the fair, producing traditional Italian dishes that were obviously highly appreciated, given the throngs of people consistently on hand to enjoy the spectacle.
The beginning of a promising journey
Be Italian was the first event organized by Lombardia Fiere. “Convincingly kicking off our professional activity with a success,” explained Corrado Boni, president of Lombardia Fiere, “certainly bodes well for the future. Indeed, Be Italian is only the first step in our journey; numerous other projects are already in the pipeline and this achievement tells us that we are on the right path.”
A commercial success: the unanimous opinion of the exhibitors
“This initial edition managed to exceed all the goals we had set for ourselves,” concluded Corrado Boni. This means that we have done a good job and have succeeded in laying the groundwork for participating here next year, stronger and more numerous than ever. I would like to thank the exhibiting companies who, from the very beginning, believed in Be Italian. It’s very gratifying to realize that the tool we created for them has proven itself to be effective and practical for their business purposes.”
- Leonardo Salvini (Tradizioni Padane): “We made all sorts of business contacts; we will use the next two months to further pursue and develop all of them.”
- Andrea Argento (Bilait): “Being here together with other Italian companies with whom we share the same values and commitment to quality has proven to be a perfect way of breaking into the American market.”
- Tiziano Casillo (Italmill): “We have met all kinds of food sector professionals, both Italian and American, people who are curious and receptive, leading us to believe we may succeed in this market.”
- Andrea Piffari (Minipack-Torre): “The fair went very well and I want to thank the organization that enabled us to achieve such conspicuous visibility within the context of the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show.”
- Erica Grossi (Pentole Agnelli): “I was pleasantly surprised by Be Italian: the fact of putting food and equipment together attracts a lot of people for all of us; plus, the exhibitors were very carefully selected.”
- Phil Marfuggi (Auricchio): “We encountered an enormous number of industry members, top-quality business people.”
- Marco Mazzacani (Carandini): “A very appropriate fair for developing our network on the East Coast of the United States.”
- Antonella Cordella (Pilandro): “This fair was different from other ones where we have exhibited in the past, in terms of both the quality and interest displayed by many of the industry members we met.”
- Neil Bettigole (Giovanni Rana): “This fair was definitely worth the effort, because one is able to meet, not only the retailers, but also a great many chefs and restaurateurs.”