VINITALY: FEDERVINI AND UNIONE ITALIANA CREATE INTEGRATED SERVICE SYSTEM FOR BUSINESSES

A long-term agreement facilitated by Vinitaly between Veronafiere, Unione Italiana Vini and Federvini will create an integrated system to promote wine on a global level and to aid in training businesses to work internationally. This is an important pact for the development of services in the exposition fair sector and to increase promotional activities on the international market. The joint endeavor, which plans to invest 140 million euros into the project by 2010, was announced recently in Verona, during a Veronafiere convention for its clients and members.

” [This is a] strategic alliance to help Italy win international competition”, proclaimed the Minister of Agriculture and Forestry Policies, Gianni Alemanno, “thus I praise the agreement between Federvini, Unione Italiana Vini and Vinitaly, which will unite interlocutors”.

The president of Veronafiere, Luigi Castelletti, emphasized that, “Fiera di Verona is the number one direct organizer of Italian expositions, with 32 events held in 2005 (5 of which abroad), a 12th place European ranking for areas sold, total earnings of 65 million euros, 14,000 exhibitors (17% of whom were foreign), and over 1 million visitors, of whom 12% were from abroad”.

Castelletti added, ”Veronafiere is a tool that provides service for client enterprises to help develop their businesses, and a means of implementing economic politics at central and regional levels”.

Vinitaly 2006, which runs form April 6 to 10, “will present two new pavilions, expanding to 80,000 square meters (74,000 last year), with 4,104 stands, promoting potential business by 14,000 foreign buyers, and partnerships between distributors, restaurants, international sommeliers, and all of the other actors participating in the wine sector”, according to general manager, Giovanni Mantovani.
Mantovani also pointed out that, “initiatives this year for the [Italian] food and wine system will be geared towards India, Russia, USA, Japan, and China”.

Returning to discussions on the Vinitaly, Unione Italiana Vini, and Federvini agreement, president of the Unione Italiana Vini, Andrea Sartori noted, “Vinitaly is an exposition that has reached maturity, but it also manifests strong dynamism. The agreement represents an element of novelty and the will to unite forces”. The president of Federvini, Piero Mastroberardino, added, “This agreement is a signal to raise awareness in the wine sector for the need to be united in order to make critical mass, as well as a signal for our international institutional interlocutors. In Italy, there is the logic of the productive districts, which must be moved beyond national boundaries, in a network that will recuperate efficiency and competitiveness”.

Notwithstanding the difficulties of recent years, “50% of Italian wine production is exported, and there has be a 2.5% increase in total earnings”; noted Ugo Calzoni, president of ICE (National Institute for Foreign Commerce). And he believes there are now two challenges for the future: “Evaluate the changes in tastes among young consumers among whom the consumption of wine is already consolidated, and to unite forces in order to overcome the undercapitalization of our companies”.

”The National Institute for Foreign Commerce will always assist the entrepreneurs of institutions who, like Veronafiere, confront challenges intelligently”, concluded Calzoni.

On behalf of Buonitalia, President Fabrizio Mottironi, pointed to the role of leadership and the strong partnership with Vinitaly.