Cardinal Wang

Holly_cn@163.com

THE third edition of SIGEP China, a B2B food service trade fair focusing on gelato, baked products, and coffee, opened at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Futian District on Thursday and runs through Saturday.

“China is one of the most promising markets we see internationally, and Shenzhen is definitely an ideal gateway to enter the Chinese market,” Marco Carniello, chief business officer of Italian Exhibition Group S.p.A. (IEG), one of the organizers of the trade fair, told Shenzhen Daily.

According to Carniello, this year’s SIGEP China is “richer” than the previous edition. “We have participation from more countries than before, and the fair has expanded in terms of categories, events, and sideline competitions,” he said.

Marking a historic debut, this year’s fair featured a dedicated Italian national pavilion showcasing food service enterprises and highlighting culinary specialties such as coffee beans, pizza, truffles, and ice cream cones.

Among the inaugural participants, the True Neapolitan Pizza Association delegation stood out as a crowd favorite. Attendees eagerly lined up for samples of freshly baked pizzas made in traditional kilns, while professional chefs offered free masterclasses showcasing authentic pizza-making techniques.

“We are building a vast international platform that enables us to bring our large community of exhibitors into different markets around the world,” Carniello said. “China represents a big market, and we view it with great interest. At the same time, we are working to adapt our offerings to the market’s rapid development and evolving trends.”

Carniello encouraged Italian firms interested in entering the Chinese market to consider launching their overseas ventures in Shenzhen, citing the city’s vibrant consumer base and its status as a regional technology hub.

Held concurrently with the F&B trade fair Anuga Select China, SIGEP China, launched in 2023, is one of the flagship events in IEG’s global SIGEP network, alongside the SIGEP World trade show in Italy and SIGEP Asia in Singapore.