The 2011 edition of the extra virgin olive oil show has recorded a participation of more than 6000 visitors, 1000 meetings between sellers and buyers coming from all over Europe, North America and Asia
“Olio Capitale”, the only fair in Italy exclusively devoted to extra virgin olive oil , looks ahead to the next edition in 2012: this exhibition of typical extra virgin olive oils will be held again in Trieste (Italy) from 2 to 5 March 2012 and its organization will still be coordinated by Aries, the Special Agency of the Chamber of Commerce of Trieste which will once again propose its original programme including not only business meetings and sales, but also tasting workshops and shows.
More than 6000 visitors and 1000 meetings between exhibitors and foreign buyers: these data by themselves may provide a tangible evidence of the success recorded this year by "Olio Capitale". The expo in Trieste, a privileged showcase for the Central and Eastern European Countries, has gathered this year exhibitors of brands and new products, among which chocolate and ice cream produced with olive oil, proposed by more than 200 producing companies from all over Italy, especially from the Italian Abruzzo and Apulia regions in addition to Spain, Portugal, Slovenia and Croatia.
This fair owes its international character also to the participation of visitors, catering sector professionals and enthusiasts of food and wine specialties coming in large numbers from bordering countries, especially from Austria and Slovenia; not to mention the participation of experts of the sector, among whom first of all buyers coming from all over Europe, USA and Asia. Sales during the fair, but more specifically the presence of so many guests and visitors who are becoming increasingly fond of such products and who are refining their taste and improving their knowledge of extra virgin olive oil, have been of determining importance in terms of the remarkable positive results for exhibitors.
“I commit myself to involving the 105 Chambers of Commerce in Italy and the 73 Italian Chambers of Commerce abroad in the forthcoming 6th edition, with a view to widening the network of contacts and relations”, has remarked Antonio Paoletti, Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce of Trieste. “We have always believed in this event, whose accent is exclusively put on olive oil without choosing other products such as food or wines, as a second choice, to reach success no matter with what product, as happens in other similar events. The name is self-explanatory: Trieste, the olive oil capital city, and exclusively olive oil, in a town marked by profitable trade business, and where both producing companies and exhibitors are duly safeguarded”. Visitors are attracted by a rich series of side entertaining events which at the same time spread the culture of healthy food and healthy eating, as witnessed by Emilio Cuk’s Cooking school.
A significant, self-explanatory, event marking this four day fair, in terms of attention devoted to dynamics affecting and involving the participants, was the presentation of the Italian olive oil “Manifesto per il Risorgimento”, an action plan to relaunch this sector, to stress the value of a product such as the extra virgin olive oil, which in the course of time received no real support from a trade-related point of view. Such action plan, whose Italian title refers to the Italian Resurgence movement, was illustrated to an audience of experts and professionals in the field by Luigi Caricato, oil specialist and director of “Teatro Naturale”, a media partner of “Olio Capitale” .
Within the framework of the fair, the “Olio Capitale Competition" also took place, with three olive oils selected by three different juries ( professional tasters' jury, cooks and caterers' jury and consumers' jury) with a jointly taken decision; the winners of 2011 are:
• Slightly Fruity Category : Farmhouse in Altomena (Pelago – FI), traditional organic
• Medium Fruity Category : Agrestis Agricultural Cooperative (Buccheri – SR), Bell'Omio Biologico
• Intense Fruity Category : Organic Agricultural Titone (Trapani), Dop Valli trapanesi
Special mentions :
• Consumers' Jury and caterers' jury : Potosi 10 SA, Jaen (Spain), Fuenroble
• Tasters' Jury : Organic Agricultural Company Titone, Trapani, Dop Valli Trapanasi