TUTTOFOOD RETURNS

PAOLA SARCO, EXHIBITION MANAGER, TUTTOFOOD

TUTTOFOOD is a highly anticipated B2B exhibition that caters to the entire agri-food ecosystem. This globally recognised event is known for its innovative approach. It serves as a reference point for producers and distributors of high-quality food and beverage products across the supply chain. During the exhibition, buyers from various industries, such as distributors, importers, gourmet stores, food service providers, chefs, and more, converge to discuss business opportunities. TUTTOFOOD is a future-prospecting event dedicated to developing innovation that aligns with consumer trends and market dynamics. It is a crucial business and content platform for the global food community, where traditional food meets innovation. The exhibition is a hub of knowledge and expertise that serves as a national and international reference point for sector development and the identification, planning, and steering of a food sector relaunch.

Paola Sarco, Exhibition Manager at TUTTOFOOD, gives us some insight into the upcoming show.

Paola has been TUTTOFOOD’s exhibition manager since December 2018, after a 10-year collaboration with Reed Exhibitions and previous experiences in Sales and Marketing positions in trade show industry. His role includes coordinating and supervising all the activities that contribute to the exhibition, from buyer scouting to sales, to the events program during the exhibition and the roadshows in the run-up. He adds, “TUTTOFOOD has grown exponentially since its first edition, and it has positioned itself in a short span of time as the reference food & beverage exhibition in Italy and among the most relevant ones in Europe. This wouldn’t have been possible if we weren’t working as a tight-knit and passionate team.”

TUTTOFOOD 2023, scheduled to take place at Fiera Milano from May 8 to 11 2023, is set to restart with a focus on sustainability. The show will be the first edition held in pre-pandemic conditions and is expected to draw significant numbers. Thousands of brands from many countries have already confirmed their participation, making it an international platform for meeting supply and demand and a moment of training, sharing, and reflection. The event offers a rich schedule of events and authoritative partnerships that provide quality content to attendees. With sustainability at its core, TUTTOFOOD 2023 aims to foster meaningful discussions and inspire positive change in the agri-food industry.

“We are gathering very positive feedback for this year’s edition. Almost all the halls are near to sold-out and organised in a dense layout, to accommodate our exhibitors’ many requests. As of today, we have over 2,000 brands from 42 countries already confirmed, that will meet with more than 700 hosted buyers from 81 countries, along with thousands of other professionals from all over the world. We’re confident that we’ll be reaching numbers in the range of pre-Covid highs. Most of all, we are very satisfied with the quality and contents of this year’s edition. These show a high rate of product and process innovation both in the offer across the exhibition layout, and in the events program.”

What to expect from TUTTOFOOD MILANO

“The common factor that sets our events apart is a strong focus on sustainable innovation. The Better Future Award translates it into a contest dedicated to the food excellence showcased at the exhibition, in three categories. The Innovation Award is intended to recognize companies that have developed new products ensuring a competitive edge; the Ethics and Sustainability Award aims at raising awareness among all stakeholders about ESG topics; the Packaging Award acknowledges the evolution of packaging in line with sustainable change in manufacturing, supply chains and consumption. Evolution Plaza will be the stage to talk about e-commerce, food delivery, apps, technological innovation and solutions related to traceability, but also innovation habits and even consumer psychology. The Taste Arena, in collaboration with the Italian Association of Taste Ambassadors, will be the place where an international perspective will allow every visitor to expand their horizons. A destination to meet the great protagonists of the best Italian cuisine in a dialog with the rest of the world, the beginning of a journey of most authentic awareness, with a penchant for constant innovation.”

Under the banner of sustainability

“We’ve been adopting and implementing a sustainability strategy for years. More recently, we felt the need to go beyond a ‘plain’ sustainable approach and aim at a more comprehensive ESG approach. We embrace an Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) point of view, because we want to be socially conscious and we work to raise awareness among our stakeholders along the value chain, according to a ‘farm to fork’ concept. In terms of Environment, we’re working to make the next edition carbon neutral. As to Governance, we have already adopted policies and practices aimed at making our exhibitions increasingly sustainable, as we also support our partners, and especially exhibitors, in adopting their own sustainable exhibition practices. In the Social field, a good example is the TUTTOGOOD initiative that we’ve been carrying on for various editions with a number of local NGOs. At the end of the show, we gather the food that our exhibitors wish to donate, through non-profit organizations, thus we ensure it arrives to people in need and avoid food waste.

Food wastage in the UAE and globally

“A recent report released by FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, estimates GCC countries produce approximately 11 million tons of food waste every year. The main reasons are likely a growing population, ever-changing consumer habits and, in more recent times, possible supply chain disruptions that have been happening globally. At the global level, again according to UN estimates, around 14 percent of food produced is lost between harvest and retail, while an estimated 17 percent of total global food production is wasted (11 percent in households, 5 percent in the food service and 2 percent in retail). TUTTOFOOD has been committed to fighting food waste since the very first edition. We have upped the ante in recent years because we do believe a reference exhibition like TUTTOFOOD has a responsibility towards the whole value chain. The TUTTOGOOD initiative I mentioned is a good example. Recently, we’ve organized a convention with FAO on food waste prevention in Milan and we are increasingly implementing sustainable practices in organising our events. Another interesting initiative is the Green Trail, a dedicated pathway across the exhibition layout that will help visitors discover natural, sustainable, healthy, or free-from and rich-in products, and many more.”

Paola concludes, “We look forward to further consolidating the amazing achievements of the recent editions, thanks to our unique concept that combines large producers and niche companies of excellence, from Italy and beyond. Especially those that share the same commitment towards innovation and sustainability. We are confident that we are already offering the best food & beverage marketplace in Italy for both Italian and international exhibitors and buyers. However, ours is a mindset of continuous improvement and we will keep working on new features for the upcoming editions, always in anticipation of the most innovative trends and the most promising in terms of business development for our stakeholders.”