From All Over the World to Boost

Press Release N° 7

FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD TO BOOST THE GREAT GELATO BUSINESS

Leading companies, events, training and business culture - key players at the Rimini Fiera expo

Rimini, 4th December 2013 – SIGEP is the scenario that hosts the great artisan gelato show with the top companies from all over the world proposed by Rimini Fiera (18-22 January 2014). Numerous events are being held as well as the Gelato World Cup and “Il mondo sarà gelato” (A World of gelato). Some selected information follows.

Among the initiatives scheduled, by Babbi and Rimini Fiera’s SIGEP, in collaboration with Centro di Poesia Contemporanea (Contemporary Poetry Centre) and the support of publishers Raffaelli Editore, the “2014 Estro Award”, a poetry contest for writers in Italian or Italian dialects who are not yet 35 years old. Participants will compete for the publication of a collection of their poems. The initiative is a bridge between the art of poetry and the artisan nature of making gelato, an opportunity for discovering new talents, putting oneself to the test and taking one’s passions seriously. A reflection on the relish for life and things. The panel of judges, whose decision is undisputable, will be made up of Davide Rondoni, Antonio Riccardi and Isabella Leardini. Davide Rondoni, director of the Centre of Contemporary Poetry at the University of Bologna states, “The award is called Estro (creativity) because the link between art and artisan skill is that in both cases creativity is required, which in one case must be combined with certain things (such as inspiration, depth of knowledge, etc.) and in the other with an understanding of the context and new technical solutions.” When asked why interest in poetry remains high even in the age of social networks, Rondoni replies, “Man doesn’t change according to the communication media he uses. And with the changing media communicates what doesn’t change in him: amazement and hurt when faced with the mystery of existence. Poetry exists wherever there is a living man or woman, with a pen or an iPad in his or her hands...”. The award ceremony will be held at SIGEP, on Sunday 19th January 2014 at 5:30 pm on the Babbi stand, with the participation of the panel of judges.

The traditional contests organized by SIGA Associazione Italiana Gelatieri (Italian Association of Gelato Makers) will also be held at SIGEP 2014. The program features the Best Pistachio-flavoured gelato and A thousand ideas for a new flavour.

At SIGEP, gelato can also have the taste of solidarity. Rimini’s Banco di Solidarietà Association, bearing in mind the increasingly serious difficulty many people have in procuring the basic necessities, suggested the possibility of using surplus gelato at SIGEP to contribute to solving the problem. Rimini Fiera agreed to the proposal enthusiastically, involving the exhibiting firms. Volunteers from no-profit associations working in the food aid field will undertake to collect unused gelato made available on the last day of the expo (22 nd January 2014) and organize four days of distribution. A very large number of exhibiting firms have already shown keen interest in the initiative. So, at “I Malatesta” Shopping Centre, at Via Emilia 150 (right opposite the south entrance to Rimini Fiera), the gelato will be distributed in exchange for free donations. The proceeds will be used to purchase essential food, which will later be consigned to the more needy through the same no-profit associations (Associazione Banco di Solidarietà, Associazione Papa Giovanni XXIII, l'Opera Sant'Antonio – Mensa dei poveri etc.). To date, the companies that have agreed to participate are: Rimini Fiera, who directly bore the project’s out-of-pocket expenses; “I Malatesta” Shopping Centre, which will host the volunteers on its premises; Domogel and Medac, who donated the isothermal containers for the gelato; Summertrade, who has put its equipment for collecting and storing the gelato at the initiative’s disposal; Automax, who supplied the refrigerated truck; the companies and trade associations, who will offer the surplus gelato on the last day of the expo.

Other key players at SIGEP will be the young gelato artisans competing for the Carlo Pozzi Award, promoted with the “Gelato & Cultura” Association and the Foreign Press Association’s “Gruppo del Gusto”. The competition, reserved for talented under-35 gelato artisans, was held in the autumn, with the aim of highlighting young talents able to combine passion for their work, creative intelligence and care with their production workshops. The jury, made up of Luca Caviezel (veteran gelato artisan and very close friend of Carlo Pozzi), Alfredo Tesio (Chairman of the Foreign Press Association’s Gruppo del Gusto), Giancarlo Timballo (Chairman of the Gelato & Cultura Association and of Co.gel-Fipe) and Luciana Polliotti (famous journalist and curator of the Gelato Museum in Anzola dell’Emilia), selected three lady finalists, who received prizes in November in Rome. All three will be invited to take part in the award ceremony of the sixth edition of the Gelato World Cup, at SIGEP from 19th January 2014. The ladies who will be applauded, confirming how quality artisan gelato production is increasingly “pink”, are winner Ilaria Scarselli, Barbara Bettera and Laura Colombelli Bolis.

At SIGEP “Un gelato può donare un sorriso” (a gelato can make someone smile). Don't Freeze our Smiles is the project that teaches friendship as a value by which bullying can be fought in schools. Realized by CNA Rimini and Confartigianato Rimini, with the patronage of the Province of Rimini, the collaboration of Uni.Rimini, Rimini Chamber of Commerce and Rimini Fiera – SIGEP and the support of Mo.Ca. SpA, the project was held in Rimini schools and at SIGEP, along with teachers, the pupils will create designs, tweets, slogans, stories, videos and comic strips to communicate their experiences. On January 18th, the participants will take part in several initiatives: as the panel of judges, on the Siga stand, to elect the Flavour of Friendship, chosen in the context of the gelato of Italian Regions; as budding journalists, on the stand of publishers Editrade Punto.it, writing their thoughts regarding gelato; as gelato makers at “La salute vien mangiando...gelati!” (Eating (gelato) is good for your health!) on the stand of the Maestros of Italian Gelato-making and on the stand of publishers Chiriotti Editore, where they will be involved in "gelato in sugar paste”.

Artisan gelato at SIGEP was also highlighted during recent months with numerous initiatives. Particularly significant was the Eubiosia Contest, supported by SIGEP, Fabbri 1905 and Il Resto del Carlino Pesaro in favour of ANT. The gelato parlours taking part in the initiative created a flavour that reflected good life, i.e. Eubiosia (from ancient Greek eu/well – bios/life) the cornerstone on which ANT’s work is based, the largest non- profit organization in Italy for free specialist assistance at home for cancer patients. In Milan, SIGEP received an award along with the other partners for this initiative from ANT president, Raffaella Pannuti, among the 134 candidates at the fifth edition of the ANT Eubiosia award, which had the patronage of the Lombardy Region, with the collaboration of a qualified panel of journalists from the national press. The gelato artisans who created the three flavours with the most votes will take part in SIGEP 2014, where they will be made on the Fabbri 1905 stand and judged by a panel of experts, who will elect the winner of the first edition of the Eubiosia Gelato Contest. Among all those who vote, five lucky people be drawn and win a voucher for 10 kg. of gelato in their favourite gelato parlour.

SIGEP 2014 AT A GLANCE Dates: 18 - 22 January 2014; Organizers: Rimini Fiera SpA; edition: 35th; frequency: annual; category: international; admission: trade members only; hours: 9:30 am – 6:00 pm, last day 9:30 am – 3:00 pm (3:00 – 5:00 pm only with online tickets); business unit manager: Patrizia Cecchi; project managers: Gabriella de Girolamo (gelato), Giorgia Maioli (pastry, bakery and coffee); exhibitor info: tel. +39 0541 744521 fax +39 0541 744772; Web site: www.sigep.it

PRESS CONTACTS Rimini Fiera SpA Communication and Media Relations Service +39 0541 744.510 [email protected] manager: Elisabetta Vitali; press office coordinator: Marco Forcellini; press staff: Alessandro Caprio and Nicoletta Evangelisti Mancini; media consultant: Cesare Trevisani ‘Nuova Comunicazione Associati +39 335 7216314 – [email protected]