Innovation and sustainability placed at the core of Sigep’s 46th edition
Sustainability is at the heart of the Sigep event in Rimini this week. Pic: Ines Coutinho
Innovation, consumer experience, and sustainability, have been placed at the heart of this year’s Sigep World event, including featuring a number of confectionery sector businesses, writes Ines Coutinho.
As Flavia Morelli, Group Exhibition Manager of IEG’s Food & Beverage Division, explains, for the 46th edition of the show being held this week in Rimini, Italy, there has been a marked shift in how enterprises across the industry are engaging with the market.
Confectionery Production is on hand at this year’s event in Italy, which has been rebranded under its Sigep World title, reflecting its ambitions to draw in a truly international audience.
“This year, we’re witnessing how companies are presenting products, technologies, and services to ensure a 360-degree experience for consumers,” Morelli explained.
According to a research conducted by Kantar Profiles/Mintel in October 2024 (https://www.mintel.com/insights/consumer-research/global-consumer-trends/) , 50% of respondents choose to eat out to indulge in a moment of pleasure and 46% to live new experiences. Dining out is no longer solely about the food. Mintel suggests that companies capitalise on consumers’ desire to experience a ” special treatment “, offering seasonal ingredients and innovative combinations.
At the same time, sustainability proves to remain in the spotlight gaining its area at the show, under the umbrella SIGEP Vision. Welcoming mainly the coffee and cocoa sectors, the “Sustainability District” is dedicated to three specific projects “Bean to Bar, where you can see the process from the cocoa bean to the chocolate bar, the Micro Roaster Village, where micro-roasters can present their unique blends, and the super automatic coffee machines, focused on advanced technology and AI” announces Flavia Morelli.
SIGEP Vision comes as an all-year-round solution for companies to stay updated about market developments and industry evolution. “This is thanks to the communication that we keep with the community and the cooperation with companies such as Circana, Mindel, and Deloitte, that can monitor and interpret consumer preferences.” says Morelli.
Innovation welcomes guest country
This year the tradeshow saw as well the welcoming of Saudia Arabia as the guest country, aligning with its Vision 2030 strategy (https://www.vision2030.gov.sa/en/explore/projects).
Exhibitors at the show will have the opportunity to network with potential buyers, whilst visitors have the opportunity to learn more about the offers and innovation of the companies showcasing at SIGEP World. “With Saudi Arabia’s significant investment in tourism over the past six years, we selected the country as we’re aiming to attract top buyers not only from Europe but overseas markets.” commented Flavia Morelli.
Meanwhile, the gelato market in China remains largely untapped, presenting significant potential believes Morelli . “It has a lot of potential – it can be inserted into the foodservice sector such as hotels and restaurants”. Returning for its third edition, SIGEP China will be held from 24–26 April 2025.