The 50th edition of Veronafiere's International Exhibition dedicated to wines and spirits (10-13 April) was presented yesterday in Rome, together with the 42 companies that have attended all 50 Vinitaly shows. Participants included Maurizio Danese, President of Veronafiere, Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere, Maurizio Martina, Minister for Agriculture, Domenico Zonin, President of the Italian Wine Union, Sandro Boscaini, President of Federvini, Giovanni Sacchi, Coordinating Director/ICE-Agency Made In Italy Promotion, and Flavio Tosi, Mayor of Verona.
The President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, will inaugurate the 50th edition on Sunday 10 April.
Prime Minister Matteo Renzi will visit the Show on Monday 11.
Roma, 17 March 2016 – Fifty years and still looking to the future. In addition to a new record - with more than 4100 exhibitors and 100,000 square meters of net exhibition space – figures that confirm it as the world's leading trade fair in the wine sector – in Rome yesterday, on the occasion of the presentation of 50th edition (Verona, 10-13 April), Vinitaly launched the "road map" for maintaining its leadership in coming decades.
In 2015, Italian wine exports came to more than 5.4 billion euros, up by 5.4% over 2014. This is a new milestone for the sector that must be maintained and consolidated with a view to the goal of 7.5 billion euros in exports by 2020, as indicated by Premier Renzi during Vinitaly 2014. "And to achieve this result," explained Maurizio Danese, President of VeronaFiere, "all actors must work within a networking logic. Veronafiere has built such a logic over the years at the service of international business to the extent that the Italian Government recognized Vinitaly as a strategic b2b platform for the Italian wine sector through inclusion in Special Made in Italy Promotion Plan." Now at its 50th edition, Vinitaly has established itself as one of the best-known international trade fair brands; it embodies 50 years of Italian history, that precisely through wine came to be known and appreciated around the world.
"It is consequently a very great honour to receive the visit this year for the inaugural ceremony by the President of the Republic, Sergio Mattarella, as well as the equally appreciated and important visit by Prime Minister Renzi during the event," Danese added. We are well aware of our great responsibility and this is why we are already working hard to build the next 50 years as of today."
A commitment that already gets going with this edition of Vinitaly, thanks to many important innovations: there is a clear distinction between b2b and b2c initiatives, special emphasis on the internationalisation of foreign visitors, as well as improvements to infrastructures and services in the Exhibition Centre to improve usability on the part of companies and professional operators. These include.
"For 2016, Veronafiere has invested 8 million euros to increase Vinitaly's already high level of internationality," said Giovanni Mantovani, CEO & Director General of Veronafiere, "with 55 thousand foreign operators from 141 countries in 2015, accounting for 37% of the total. This year we will welcome 1000 additional selected buyers from abroad thanks to the upgrading of incoming activities, especially from target countries such as Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Scandinavia, Poland, USA and Canada, Russia, Japan and China. These operations involve us in joint activities with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Economic Development and ICE-Agency. This will 3.0 edition of Vinitaly thanks to action implemented by the Ministry of Agriculture that also envisage attendance by Jack Ma of Alibaba."
At the Press Conference in Rome, Maurizio Martina, the Minister of Agriculture, said: "I am delighted to be able to attend the 50th Vinitaly. We must acknowledge that this experience has also been extraordinary for Italy as a whole. Vinitaly is the landmark capable of illustrating the power of the Italian wine-growing experience. We now celebrate these 50 years not only looking to the past of this astonishing story but especially with the future in mind. The major challenge is how to combine our oenological excellence with the great digital frontier... and it is this context that we seek to provide new tools for young people in our wine cellars to ensure a stronger presence worldwide. The theme of Vinitaly," Minister Martina went on, "is also rather like being a vital workout place for many young people who would like to do business in this sector. We experienced marvellous collaboration with Veronafiere during Expo, where the Wine Pavilion was implemented, and we must now move forwards in the awareness that internationalization and expanding exports is the main key for the reorganization and success of the sector. Verona has always been the par excellence showcase for the world of wine and the investments that the Government has made in Vinitaly over the last two years as a key event for the country as a whole are evident and unequivocal."
The guideline role is further emphasised this year by the Forum of Ministers of Agriculture of the main European wine producer countries, called to Vinitaly by Minister Martina.
The 2016 edition will also see attendance by more international exhibitors, both in the Vininternational Hall which hosts the most important producer countries such as Spain, Georgia, Azerbaijan, Australia, Serbia, Switzerland, Great Britain, France, China, Portugal and Argentina, as well as the Vinitalybio and Vivit halls.
In addition, to ensure even more professional attendance at the trade fair, this year introduces new and more stringent entrance registration systems, while wine lovers are offered four days of dedicated tastings and events in the city through the Off-Show event Vinitaly and the City (8-11 April).
"Vinitaly and the City this year in Verona - the third tourist destination in Italy - will involve many related events before and during the exhibition itself. This is a marvellous bonus that only our city can offer," said Flavio Tosi, Mayor of Verona.
"The goal of fifty editions of Vinitaly," said Domenico Zonin, President of UIV, "is an opportunity for working towards a system horizon, beginning with the Ministry and the Regions, which we urge to ensure rapid approval of the new CMO promotion decree providing effective support for companies in their promotional efforts in other countries and thereby support our exports. The aim is to reach all other institutional and other players involved in the world of wine and to seek a new strategic synthesis where Vinitaly is a landmark for promotion and internationalization issues. In a system horizon," Zonin continued, "the Italian Wine Union is determined to play an important role with two integration projects: the Wine Observatory, which will share a path together with Vinitaly to come forward as a reference point for institutions and companies in the sector by providing precise statistics, market and supply chain analysis, thereby ensuring the reliability of economic data, and UNIVIR 2020, which aims to reorganize the system for research and innovation in wine-making."
"Already a services hub," added Mantovani, "Vinitaly will now also look with great interest to the development of an effective Wine Observatory by sharing the goals inspiring the initiative in this direction by the Italian Wine Union. With professional associations, tutelage consortia, cooperation, wine territories and above all by our most demanding clients - wine cellars and national and international buyers - we seek to create a platform capable of providing robust support for a further leap forward by Italian wine on world markets."
"Vinitaly," said Sandro Boscaini, President of Federvini, “is by now accredited internationally as a tool supporting production and high quality of wine in Italy and the rest of the world. At the same time, it has managed to expand thanks to the importance and commitment of the sector as a whole in a context of impressively harmonious synergy. This is why the Vinitaly model must continue to be sustained and to become the ideal channel for highlighting on every market the strength of our production, an image of high quality, the synergy of wine, spirits, related and collateral products - in a word, a ‘Made in Italy’ winner."
The role of ICE-Agency in the internationalization of Italian wine is very important: "The project for strengthening Italian trade fairs has strong backing and financial support by the Ministry of Economic Development," said Giovanni Sacchi, coordination Director of the ICE-Agency Made in Italy Promotion. "It offers ICE-Agency the chance to contribute even more incisively and vitally to the international success of Vinitaly by implementing support actions with high added value and unprecedented collaboration activity. These include the involvement of 36 ICE offices abroad who mobilized to invite 300 professionals from 40 countries."
"There are more than 4 thousand reasons for taking part in the 50th Vinitaly," said Gianni Bruno, Wine&Food Area Manager at Veronafiere, "as many as the companies which attend the show every year. Together with Vinitaly, as ever, the programme includes specialist events Sol&Agrifood and Enolitech in a synergy that enhances the international trade fair in a business context as the only one capable of providing a comprehensive overview of the entire sector. We have also improved Exhibition Centre logistics with the 1500 square meters
In addition to bringing buyers to the show from all over the world, Vinitaly has been active for a quarter of a century throughout the year on the most important international markets with educational, networking and business initiatives supporting companies thanks to the activities of Vinitaly International as the international operations arm.
"Observation and exploration of overseas markets are increasingly vital for Italian wine," added Stevie Kim, Managing Director of Vinitaly International. Over the years, we have built a bridge between Italy and the rest of the world by encouraging communication and collaboration between Italian wine producers and representatives of the main markets, especially in China, the USA and Russia. Vinitaly International events are now joined in Italy by wine2wine, designed as a platform for meetings and training for all the various operators in the supply chain, and the Vinitaly Wine Club for e-commerce. Three different but perfectly integrated and complementary initiatives supporting Vinitaly client companies in their global wine promotion."
Another addition to these events is the Vinitaly International Academy since - even when the market focused on international varities - Vinitaly has always believed in the expressive power of Vineyard Italy and its more than 500 grape varieties and helped to promote it on all markets. "The most amazing bio-diversity in the world, however, must also be explained to avoid creating confusion for international importers or consumers. In this context, business cannot be separated from product culture and it was for this reason that VIA-Vinitaly International Academy was founded in 2014. To date, "as explained by Ian D'Agata, Scientific Director of VIA, "our courses have certified three Italian wine experts and 29 ambassadors, who will help create a true global community around Vinitaly," that in turn will promote awareness of Italian wine everywhere in the world.
While Vinitaly looks to the future, its history must not be forgotten. Angelo Betti has the intuitive idea of launching Vinitaly in 1967. As of this year, Veronafiere will name the Merit in Wine-Growing Award after him having been assigned since 1973 to the great interpreters of the Italian wine world. The 48 companies that have always attended Vinitaly since its first edition, during the press conference in Rome, were awarded with a "50 Vinitalys Together" diploma (see below for the full list).
Photos of the press conference are available on www.fotoveronafiere.com – user: photogallery – password: vin5016
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AN AWARD FOR COMPANIES ATTENDING ALL FIFTY VINITALYS
Agricoltori del Chianti Geografico Eugenio Collavini Viticoltori
Aldegheri F.lli Tedeschi
Allegrini - Poggio al Tesoro - San Polo Famiglia Cecchi
Antica Azienda Agricola Vitivinicola Leone de Castris Fraccaroli
Azienda Agricola Poggi Giorgio Giorgio Lungarotti
Barbi Guerrieri Rizzardi
Bersano Vini Spa Marchesi di Barolo
Bertani Domains Srl Marchesi Frescobaldi
Bortolomiol Spa Masi Agricola S.p.a.
Braida di Giacomo Bologna Srl Montresor Giacomo
Candido Francesco Spa Pasqua Vigneti e Cantine Spa
Cantina Bolla Ruffino
Cantina Colli del Soligo Ruggeri & C. Srl
Cantina di Castelnuovo del Garda Terre del Barolo
Cantina di Soave Umani Ronchi
Cantina Montelliana e dei Colli Asolani Villadoria
Casa Vinicola Sartori Vini Fabiano Verona
Castelli del Grevepesa Vini La Delizia
Cavit Sc Zardetto Spumanti
Chiarli – Modena Zenato Azienda Vitivinicola
Donelli Vini Spa Zonin 1821
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WINE OBSERVATORY FACTS AND FIGURES
Italian wine sector data supplied by the Wine Observatory - promoted by the Italian Wine Union with top-level institutional partners (ISMEA, CREAT and others) under the auspices of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forestry policies.
- Italian wine-making companies: about 310,000, 21% of all agricultural companies
- Employment: 1 million 250 thousand employees throughout the supply chain
- 2015 production: 47 million hl of wine (+12% compared to 2014)
- Hectares of vineyards: 637,634 (4% of UAA, Utilised Agricultural Area) – of which 334,000 (52%) DOCG and DOC
and 156,000 (24%) IGT
- Denominations of origin: 73 DOCG, 332 DOC and 118 IGT wines
- Total value of production (2014): 3.9 billion euros (1.9 DOCG and DOC - 0.8 IGT - 1.2
table wines)
- Total turnover by wine-making companies (2014): 12.4 billion euros (9.4% of revenues
- in the agro-food industry and 7.2% of agricultural revenue)
- Total exports in 2015 (with variations compared to 2014):
- 5.4 billion euros (+5.4%) - a new record
- 20.1 million hectolitres (-1.8%)
