On 9 May in Parma, Cibus International, the world’s most famous Italian food fair, will open its doors. All of the biggest Italian food companies will exhibit, bringing together new products from both traditional and emerging sectors. The biggest buyers from all continents are also expected to attend.
An unprecedented number of the largest Italian food companies have signed up for the 18th Cibus exhibition, a showcase uniting the traditional sectors and new trends within the food and beverage industry.
Cibus 2016, the international food exhibition brought to you by Fiere di Parma and Federalimentare, will run from 9 to 12 May in Parma. All sectors of the food industry will be represented: fresh and cured meats, cheese and dairy products, both fresh and frozen prepared foods, pasta, preserves, condiments, confectionery and baked goods, ready-prepared fresh salads, traditional and regional produce, and much more.
Vegetarian and vegan products will also have a big presence at the exhibition, with the organisers creating a VEG signpost for the stands in these categories, along with products that are organic, low-fat, low-salt, gluten-free, etc.
“Cibus 2016 is confirmed as the best-known and most important food fair in Italy and the world,” says Elda Ghiretti, Cibus's brand manager.
“So far, food companies are signing up in high numbers and with great enthusiasm. They recognise Cibus as a platform that reflects the current market, with its demand for both innovation and authentic tradition.
"Our six-month experience of exhibiting at Expo in the Cibus è Italia pavilion, welcoming hundreds of foreign buyers, is also an advantage."
There are four arenas of interest for this year’s events and news: Special Sections, Conferences & Workshops, the Hosted Buyers Programme, and Events in the City.
The special sections and latest products will be housed in Fiere di Parma’s Pavilion 7, a reconstruction of the Cibus è Italia pavilion from Expo, now also renovated with a new western entrance. The special sections will feature a new halal/kosher area, displaying Made in Italy products that are certified halal and kosher.
Seafood Expo is another new area for our exhibitors from the seafood sector. Visitors will not only discover their products, but also have the opportunity to interact and participate in related educational events.
The 18th fair will also shine a light on retail, hosting a conference on private label and its role in developing Italian exports. The theme of retail will be further explored in a workshop area within Pavilion 7, which will host afternoon sessions on analysing product shelving in foreign stores and how Made in Italy products are presented in their main target markets.
The Hosted Buyers Programme for international buyers and importers, organised in collaboration with the ICE/Italian Trade Commission, always plays a key role in the Cibus strategy. This year, it is boosted by an investment of €2 million, allocated as part of the move to promote and sustain Italian food and agriculture using the distinctive ‘Extraordinary Italian Taste’ hallmark.
A supplementary structured programme is laid on for the hosted buyers, including a retail tour, gala dinner, and post-show tour of some local food-production establishments. Hosted buyers' events are reinforced by a busy international roadshow schedule, which brought the Cibus team into contact with San Francisco-sector professionals in January at the Winter Fancy Food Show, followed by the Dubai Gulfood show in February, and the Tokyo Foodex show in March.
International Italian cookery school Alma has also confirmed its attendance, bringing with it the Alma Caseus award for producers and professionals in the dairy sector, as well as the MicroMalto stand in collaboration with Birra Nostra, which will showcase the best of Italy’s artisan beers.
Ways to develop the out-of-home dining industry segment will be explored in a conference on the trends occurring within organised, collective and commercial market supply. The event will bring together managers of out-of-home chains with research company NPD Group and retail leaders, and will provide data on situation and behaviour analysis and consumer trends in out-of-home dining.
The Università degli Studi di Parma and Nielsen’s event on promotional leverage in collaboration with Fiere di Parma also returns to Cibus this year. The conference will focus on the latest sales promotion trends and potential ways out of promotional price saturation for the industry and distribution.
Cibus 2016 welcomes the return of Federalimentare’s Ecotrophelia award for innovation and sustainability in food products, aimed at graduates from Italian universities heading for the food industry. Federalimentare will also be presenting a series of seminars on research, innovation and development programmes, as well as a school and company workshop.
Fuori Salone will also be back for Cibus 2016, offering an expanded programme of events for Parma’s streets and squares, with Cibus in Fabula. Fresh from Expo, it will see the evocative San Tiburzio church transformed with an installation of generative art from Felice Limosani – Il Piatto del Giorno – and the staging of a display at the Ospedale Vecchio in central Parma.
Furthermore, I Love Italian Food has confirmed its participation, promoting Made in Italy food and agricultural production within its own network of international food bloggers, involving them directly and inviting them to follow the latest news and developments on this year’s exhibition.
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