At SIGEP World, taking place at the Rimini Expo Centre from 16 to 20 January 2026, the foodservice industry moves to the foreground through a series of curated projects and thematic platforms designed to link products, supply chains, and business models.
Concepts such as Luxury Hotel Food Experience, Sustainability District, Innovation Bar, Gelato Meets Chains and Pizza (R)evolution provide the framework through which Italian Exhibition Group examines a sector in the midst of structural change, from the role of food in premium hospitality and the reinvention of bar formats to sustainable sourcing and the global expansion strategies of international chains.
In the upper tiers of hospitality, food and beverage have become decisive competitive tools. Through Luxury Hotel Food Experience, SIGEP World 2026 presents case studies and discussion forums that examine how breakfast, catering and events shape the identity and market positioning of luxury hotels, whether independent or part of a chain.
Among the headline events is “Signature breakfasts in luxury hospitality: the Portrait Milano case,” hosted at the Pastry Arena in Hall B5. The session explores one of the industry’s most visible trends through the example of Portrait Milano, winner of Best Breakfast at the Best Luxury Hotel Awards 2024.
For the occasion, the Pastry Arena will be transformed into an immersive buffet inspired by the hotel’s breakfast service and curated by Cesare Murzilli, executive pastry chef at Portrait Milano. Open to buyers, companies, influencers and trade media, the event combines experiential tasting with discussions on luxury service standards, buffet presentation and the role of water in pastry-making.
The Portrait Milano case, which illustrates how food can function as a core element of brand identity and a strategic positioning lever, will be examined further at Vision Plaza with “Luxury Hotel Food Experience – restaurant offerings as a new competitive lever in positioning strategies,” scheduled for 17 January at 3 pm.
The session broadens the debate on the role of food and wine, from breakfast through events, in the communication and value-creation strategies of international hospitality brands. Additional Vision Plaza sessions extend this narrative by analyzing food and beverage as a driver of brand differentiation, pricing and perception in global markets; by presenting case studies in which catering contributes 30–40% of total revenue, with peaks of 50%, through integrated management and storytelling; and by exploring how pastry, bakery and breakfast services are emerging as strategic assets for luxury brands, increasingly open to non-guests and positioned as new revenue streams.
Completing this focus, the conference “The hotel: the new potential market for the food world,” organized by POLI.design of Politecnico di Milano on 18 January at 3:30 pm, presents findings from the Observatory on breakfast and catering in hotels. The research offers a structured analysis of a fast-growing channel whose operational and business dynamics remain only partially understood.
Sustainability is also moving from principle to practice across foodservice supply chains. The Sustainability District at SIGEP World 2026 returns as a dedicated space for international dialogue, with a particular focus on cocoa and coffee.
Alongside in-depth insights into these supply chains, the district highlights technological solutions and case studies that link producers, cooperatives, institutions and companies across the value chain. The initiative brings together the Italian Trade Agency, the Italian-Latin American Institute, the European Coffee Federation, the International Institute of Chocolate and Cacao Tasting, ANIMA Confindustria and academic partners including Bologna Business School and H-FARM, ensuring that the perspectives of producing countries and regions are represented alongside discussions of innovation, energy sustainability and new industry frontiers.
The geographic scope is broad. Twenty-one cooperatives from six African countries—Uganda, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania and Kenya—will be present, joined by Latin American organizations from Costa Rica, Guatemala and the Dominican Republic.
The shared objective is to promote cooperation models that are fairer, more transparent and more closely aligned with market realities. Within the district, visitors can follow Chocolate Origins and the Bean to Bar route, curated by Maestro Guido Castagna, which traces cocoa’s transformation from raw material to finished product, as well as explore the Choco Village dedicated to artisanal chocolate making. The 2026 edition also introduces tea culture as a new area of focus in the premium segment.
A full program of talks anchors the Sustainability District. Among the highlights is the European Coffee Federation panel “Sustainability: a balancing act,” which addresses the economic, social and environmental trade-offs facing an industry responsible for roughly 35% of global coffee trade.
The Italian-Latin American Institute will host a series of sessions dedicated to coffee- and cocoa-producing countries in Latin America, reinforcing the link between origin, quality and international business opportunity. Contributions from Comunicaffè include the discussion “Will super-automatic machines replace baristas?”, examining the rise of intelligent equipment in global markets and high-traffic environments while weighing its implications for the professional role of the barista. The program is rounded out by initiatives from Gambero Rosso, including the Guida del Camaleonte, and by contributions from the US association Women in Restaurants.
Technology and expertise converge at Innovation Bar, SIGEP World’s concept area dedicated to the future of coffee and the bar industry. Here, espresso machines, super-automatics, artificial intelligence and plant-based solutions are presented as responses to automation, labor shortages and shifting consumer expectations.
The project is complemented by the Micro Roaster Village, which brings together Italian and international micro-roasters and positions coffee as both a sensory experience and a business opportunity, emphasizing specialty products, new brewing methods and direct relationships with producers.
Gelato, long a symbol of Italian craftsmanship, is also being reframed as a strategic lever for global foodservice. At SIGEP World 2026, the Gelato Meets Chains project targets international restaurant, hotel, coffee shop and bakery chains, promoting the integration of artisanal, soft and frozen gelato into global menus through tailored content, matchmaking and networking.
This approach is reinforced by the international campaign “What is Gelato?”, which presents the identity and value of Italian gelato to a worldwide audience of professionals and investors, culminating at the Rimini event. Supporting this effort, the guide “Gelato means Business,” produced by Italian Exhibition Group in collaboration with ACOMAG, provides data, models and case studies showing how ice cream can deliver high margins, seasonal appeal and rapid returns on investment across a wide range of foodservice formats.
Pizza, too, is positioned as more than a product. Building on its 2025 debut, Pizza (R)evolution presents pizza as a fully fledged industrial and business platform. The exhibition connects ingredients and flours with production technologies, ovens, equipment and ready-to-use solutions, addressing the needs of independent operators, structured groups and international chains alike.
A structured program of talks and masterclasses accompanies the exhibition, developed with the support of ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, industry associations such as the True Neapolitan Pizza Association and the Italian National Pizza Makers Association, and specialist media including 50 Top Pizzas, Italian Gourmet and FOOD Ristorazione Italiana Magazine. Together, they outline a vision of pizza that is as much about competencies, strategy and new markets as it is about tradition.
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