The 35th instalment of SIGEP – a major international exhibition for artisan gelato, confectionery and bakery production – wrapped up on January 22 after five days of demonstrations, trade exhibition, competitions and social events.

The event, which was held in Rimini, Italy, dedicated more than 110,000sq m of exhibition space to the Italian-made food sector, as well as the latest international artisan food trends relating to bakery production, gelato and confectionery.

Almost 174,000 local trade visitors attended the event, which is a 20 per cent increase on last years figures.

A further increase of 32 per cent was recorded in foreign trade visitors – an extraordinarily positive sign for Italy’s economy, which heavily relies on its export profile, particularly in regards to artisan gelato.

“There was an exceptional audience for streaming coverage of the Pastry Arena, in Italian and English, and coffee Championships with 68,000 users connected during the five expo days, 23 per cent of whom were abroad – in Argentine and France in particular,” a representative for the event said.

“On the social networks, the reach on Facebook in the last week exceeded 2.2 million, while there were more than 100,000 mentions on ”

Italy’s minister for economic development, Flavio Zanonato, inaugurated the event and said the exhibition’s increasing popularity confirms organisers have made the right decision to incorporate additional artisan product lines, including coffee.

“The exhibition showcased to the world the entrepreneurial spirit of the food industry, one that combines the best of artisan, tradition and innovation,” he said.

The next SIGEP event will be held in January 2015, parallel to the biennial International Exhibition of Technology and Products for Bakery, Pastry and Confectionery (AB TECH Expo 2015).