Debut for Vinitaly.USA in Chicago 20th-21st October: first edition with 230 companies and 1,650 labels for tastings
The Navy Pier in Chicago welcomed the inauguration of the first edition of Vinitaly.USA – the Italian wine trade fair format in the United States organized by Veronafiere and Fiere Italiane with the support of the ITA Trade Agency and the collaboration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Sovereignty. The two-day event (October 20th-21st, 2024) transforms the famous pier in Chicago into a business center for Made in Italy wine, marking the start of permanent presence by Vinitaly-Veronafiere on the world’s leading outlet market for wine products.
Ribbon cutting at Vinitaly.USA
Vinitaly.USA welcomes more than 1,500 accredited American buyers, 230 Italian companies, five regional group shows (Calabria, Campania, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Latium and Sardinia, alongside institutional attendance by the Veneto and Umbria Regions)- An exhibition area of 13,000 sq.m. hosts 1,650 labels for tasting and a program of 30 b2b events.
“This is a fundamental event for promoting and positioning Made in Italy wine. This relevance is also emphasized by the presence at the inauguration of the Minister of Agriculture & Food Sovereignty, Francesco Lollobrigida, and, on the US side, of the Governor of Illinois, Jay Robert Pritzker,” said the President of Veronafiere S.p.A. Federico Bricolo. “Vinitaly.USA is the outcome of convergence of vision and strategy with all the pertinent institutions, in particular the ITA Trade Agency and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. Our development plan for Vinitaly.USA,” Bricolo concluded, “aims to make it the landmark exhibition for the growth of companies on the world’s top destination market, which closed the second quarter of this year on a positive note.”
Federico Bricolo, president of Veronafiere, presents Vinitaly.USA
The Uiv-Vinitaly Observatory indicates that approximately 3 out of 10 imported bottles come from Italy, generating a market share in terms of value that in August grew to almost 34%, with a peak of 43% with reference to the Midwest (which embraces 12 states). This is based on the performance in the first 8 months of the year, with orders from Italy growing by 4% to 1.5 billion dollars in terms of value – compared to an overall average for US imports down by 3%, with France posting a setback of -8% (1.6 billion dollars). Yet this undoubtedly encouraging result for Italian wine as regards shipments – according to the Observatory – does not suffice to overcome all the complexities of the current period. The situation remains complicated in terms of sales and effective consumption, albeit supported in part by sparkling wines and equally driven by the continuing success of the trend for cocktails.
And the market is precisely one of the main focal points of Vinitaly USA which on the first day hosted the ITA Agency wine business forum “Between tradition and innovation: the future of Italian wine on the US market”. The President of the Agency, Matteo Zoppas, said: “Italian wine is confirming its status on an international scale, thanks to an identity that equally promotes quality and prestige. Vinitaly USA is a strategic platform for consolidating the role of Italian products on the American market and strengthening Italy’s reputation as a leader in the wine sector. Thanks to synergy between public and private sectors, we are preparing to push the success of Italian wine even higher and reach increasingly ambitious goals.”
Buyers at Vinitaly.USA
The Vinitaly.USA ribbon cutting ceremony, in addition to Minister Lollobrigida, the Governor of Illinois Pritzker, and the President of the ITA Agency, Zoppas, was also attended by the Mayor of Verona, Damiano Tommasi, the Legal Advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Marco Rago, the Secretary General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Riccardo Guariglia, and the Presidents of agriculture and wine organizations Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, Unione Italiana Vini, Agivi and Federvini. Veronafiere, alongside President Bricolo, was represented by CEO Maurizio Danese, General Manager, Adolfo Rebughini, and Vice Presidents, Matteo Gelmetti and Romano Artoni.
Read the opening press release here.