Rimini, 22 January 2025 – “The international challenge has been won,” said Corrado Peraboni, CEO of Italian Exhibition Group, commenting on the recently concluded SIGEP World at the Rimini Exhibition Centre. “Our strategy to develop leading products abroad and invest in buyer delegations has proven successful in increasing foreign attendance at our flagship events in Italy, including SIGEP World.” This year also saw the launch of a test operation with direct flights from Munich to Rimini, organized in collaboration with Luxwing and the Fellini Airport, bringing SIGEP closer to global markets. “Particularly from Germany,” Peraboni adds, “we saw a 68% growth in visitors, with double-digit increases across all key foodservice markets.” The event, with a 14% total increase in attendance and a 26% rise in international visitors (the highest ever), reaffirmed its position as a global hub for the foodservice industry, offering cutting-edge challenges and technological advancements. The partnership between Rimini, a name synonymous with hospitality, and SIGEP proved to be a winning combination.
SAUDI ARABIA GUEST COUNTRY
A key feature of this edition was Saudi Arabia’s participation as the “Guest Country.” The country, which will host Expo 2030, is emerging as a strategic market for hospitality and catering. Due to its economic growth and demand for innovative technologies, SIGEP World provided exhibiting companies with a unique opportunity to forge partnerships with key players in the Saudi market. The delegation included representatives from the Ministry of Environment and Agriculture, the Culinary Arts Commission, and commercial operators such as importers, restaurant chains, and luxury hotels, opening new prospects for the global foodservice industry.
NUMBERS FROM A GREAT EDITION
SIGEP World – The World Expo for Foodservice Excellence, organized by Italian Exhibition Group (IEG), concluded its 46th edition as a major international reference for the Gelato, Pastry, Chocolate, Coffee, Bakery, and Pizza sectors. This edition featured 1300 brands, 30 dedicated pavilions, and 138,000 square meters of exhibition space.
In addition to reinforcing its leadership in the Gelato market, SIGEP World 2025 saw a 30% increase in espresso and super-automatic coffee machine manufacturers, and the Pizza sector saw a rise of 50 companies, particularly in technologies such as mixers, ovens, flours, toppings, and frozen bases.
Visitor numbers surpassed those of the previous edition, with attendees from 160 countries. Germany saw a 68% increase, followed by Spain at +21%, and other countries such as Romania, France, Greece, and Poland also experienced double-digit growth. The United States increased by 64%, while the Middle East grew by 38%, with notable representation from the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Iraq. Africa also saw a 30% rise, including North African countries like Egypt, Tunisia, Morocco, and Algeria, as well as South Africa, Nigeria, and Senegal. Latin America grew by 10%, driven by Brazil's 48% increase. Asia also saw a notable 34% rise in visitors from India. Among other countries, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Mauritius, the Faroe Islands, and Cape Verde were also represented.
A FOCUS ON TECHNOLOGY AND THE FUTURE
SIGEP World 2025, inaugurated by Minister of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty Francesco Lollobrigida, was recognized for its strong focus on emerging trends in foodservice, showcasing a comprehensive exhibition of the main industry sectors, with a focus on technologies, equipment, and ingredients.
Thanks to SIGEP Vision, IEG’s sector observatory, the event became an important incubator for trends, positioning itself as a global observatory on developments and a key point of reference for operators, companies, and professionals. Important collaborations were initiated with leading research firms. Circana highlighted two specific trends emerging for restaurants: sustainability, as 44% of consumers expressed greater loyalty to establishments investing in sustainability, and innovation, with 66% of European consumers seeking restaurants offering unique experiences. Positive figures showed that foodservice spending in Europe (Italy, France, Germany, Spain, and the UK) has surpassed pre-COVID levels, rising from €309 billion in 2019 to €336 billion (+9%).
Among the key new features of SIGEP World 2025 was the development of the coffee and chocolate sectors with the Sustainability District, a new area dedicated to promoting virtuous practices within the coffee and cocoa supply chains through three vertical projects: the Micro Roaster Village, where micro-roasters showcased their unique blends and the latest trends; Fully Automatic Coffee Machines, representing the future of the coffee industry, aligned with sustainability; and Bean to Bar, focusing on chocolate-making technology.
Another standout was the Taste of Tomorrow installation, a project celebrating innovation in gelato, defining the future frontiers of the ice cream industry. The future of gelato will be increasingly organic, sustainable, and functional, combining classic flavors with innovation. The installation featured new flavors inspired by herbs from alpine landscapes combined with microalgae, demonstrating how innovation and experimentation are at the heart of gelato craftsmanship.
The event also spotlighted pizza, the world’s most exported food product and a symbol of Italian tradition, highlighting all aspects of pizza-making, from the best equipment and technologies to premium ingredients such as selected flours, tomato sauces, oils, and exceptional dairy products. The media’s attention was drawn to sweet pizzas, ranging from simple fried dough with chocolate to new creations where pizzaioli experimented with doughs and ingredients to make innovative dessert pizzas.
FOCUS ON THE NEXT GENERATION OF PROFESSIONALS
The final day of SIGEP featured the participation of 3300 students from 60 hospitality schools and vocational institutes in an educational tour combining practical training with interaction with companies. This initiative is part of the SIGEP Academy project, which includes SIGEP Giovani and SIGEP for Schools.
SIGEP'S MEDIA SUCCESS AND DIGITAL PRESENCE
The fair enjoyed great media and social visibility. Total media contacts reached 488 million, with 737 accredited journalists, including 57 international reporters, from major trade media in focus countries as well as international outlets like France’s Télévision Française 1 and Germany’s Kabel Eins. On social media, SIGEP engaged a community of 161,000 professionals, with over 2 million views on the revamped digital ecosystem at Sigep.it, designed to inform and create business opportunities, as evidenced by the thousands of professional contacts made through the app and the successful “Job Offers” function that matches job seekers with employers, especially benefiting young people.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Italian Exhibition Group invites everyone to the 2026 edition of SIGEP World, scheduled for January 16-21 (with new opening days from Friday to Tuesday) at the Rimini Exhibition Centre. IEG is also preparing for SIGEP China, from April 24-26 in Shenzhen, and SIGEP Asia, from July 16-18 in Singapore. Additionally, another IEG Food & Beverage event, Beer & Food Attraction, will take place at the Rimini Exhibition Centre from February 16-18.
PRESS CONTACT SIGEP ITALIAN EXHIBITION GROUP
head of media relation & corporate communication: Elisabetta Vitali; press office manager: Marco Forcellini, Pier Francesco Bellini; press office coordinator: Luca Paganin; press office specialist: Mirko Malgieri international press office coordinator: Silvia Giorgi; media@iegexpo.it