The Italian Pavilion is once again the big star at this year’s California show
With the Italian Ambassador to the United States, Armando Varricchio, in attendance, from January 13 to 15, at the Moscone Center in San Francisco, the Italy Pavilion will be the big attraction of Winter Fancy Food 2019, the largest specialty food industry event on the West Coast.
An Italy Pavilion, covering a surface of 7,400 square feet with 52 Italian companies under the banner “The Extraordinary Italian Taste.”
Food companies from nearly every region of Italy will present the bests of Made in Italy products to the large distribution world, to the great names in the retail industry and to the Made in U.S. restaurant world.
The Italy Pavilion at Winter Fancy Food includes a partnership between the Specialty Food Association, the ICE Agency and Universal Marketing, and in cooperation with Federalimentare, Cibus, Tuttofood and Vinitaly.
The Italian food sector is synonymous with excellence. This is confirmed by the success of Italy’s participation in the 2019 Winter Fancy Food show in San Francisco. Quality, tradition, passion and innovation have allowed Italy and its companies to beat the fiercest competition and conquer increasingly wide segments of the market in the U.S. This considerable success in recent years has given even greater prestige to Made in Italy products in the United States,” said the Ambassador of Italy, Armando Varricchio.
“The year 2019 will be truly significant for the Italian system in the Unites States of America,” states Maurizio Forte, Director of the ICE Agency in New York and Coordinator of the USA network.
“In the first 10 months of 2018, according to the data published by the U.S. Department of Commerce,” Forte continues, “overall Italian exports in the food and beverage sector reached 4.274 billion USD with a change of 9.5% compared to the same period in the previous year. Italy has confirmed its leadership position in olive oil, pasta, cheeses, balsamic vinegar and mineral waters.
“We are very happy about the presence of the Italian Ambassador to the U.S., Armando Varricchio, at the 2019 event in San Francisco’s Moscone Center, even more functional following its expansion.
“Winter Fancy Food,” Forte concludes, “is our annual kick-off with the U.S. trade world, and we are very pleased with our collaboration with the Specialty Food Association.
“We have achieved a record number of members for this year’s Winter Fancy Food,” states Phil Kafarakis, President of the Specialty Food Association, the show’s owner and producer.
“The companies that operate in all food industry sectors can’t wait to see, taste and learn about the latest food innovations.
“The huge popularity of the Mediterranean diet,” Kafarakis continues, “and its great success with consumers encourages all Italian producers to show their new products and be ready to do business at this year’s Winter Fancy Food Show 2019!
“At the modern, luxurious and completely renovated building in the Moscone Convention Center, we are also very pleased,” concludes Kafarakis “to offer important events for education and networking.”
“Year after year we work to improve the presence of Italian companies in the Italy Pavilion,” declared Donato Cinelli, CEO of Universal Marketing, the exclusive Italian agent of the Specialty Food Association. “We’ve reviewed the whole design of the stands, we’ve improved the logistics and infrastructure of the work stations and we’ve made the spaces more suited to networking and daily work.
“In 2019 we will continue to work,” Cinelli continues, “to create more and more opportunities for deals for the Italian companies that, with our help, arrive in the U.S. to promote their products.
“Like Universal Marketing, Cinelli concludes, “we are very proud to be an integral part of this process for the development, integration and growth of Italian companies in the United States of America.”