The grand opening of the Italian Pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2024 set a striking tone for the event. The ribbon-cutting ceremony, marking the largest stand among international representations, was attended by Erica Di Giovancarlo, Director of the Italian Trade Agency (ITA), Matteo Zoppas, President of ITA, and Donato Cinelli, CEO of Universal Marketing, the exclusive agent of SFA for Italy and organizer of the Italian Pavilion within the Fancy Food Show. Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association (SFA), the fair’s organizing body, announced: “Thanks to our collaboration with Italian Agriculture Minister Francesco Lollobrigida, Italy will be the main partner of Fancy Food from next year’s Las Vegas edition and the 2025 New York edition.”
Matteo Zoppas highlighted the sector’s robust growth: “The participation of over 300 companies is tangible evidence that the Italian agri-food industry has grown by 40% since the pandemic.”
Italian Ambassador to Washington, Mariangela Zappia, praised the assembled companies: “Addressing and resolving various issues over a plate of pasta, prosciutto, or mozzarella significantly eases my work. You are the true ambassadors of Italy worldwide.”
Italy’s Agriculture Minister Lollobrigida echoed this sentiment: “By uniting our efforts, Italy reaches significant milestones globally. The United States remains our most crucial market outside the European Union. Our finest products are showcased here at Fancy Food.”
Notable attendees at the inauguration included Fabrizio Di Michele, Consul General of Italy in New York, Alberto Cirio, President of the Piedmont Region, Stefano Bonaccini, President of the Emilia-Romagna Region, as well as renowned culinary figures Giada De Laurentiis and Lidia Matticchio Bastianich.
