VERONAFIERE: 54TH VINITALY POSTPONED TO 10-13 APRIL 2022
OPERAWINE CONFIRMED WITH ATTENDANCE BY WINE SPECTATOR FOR 19 & 20 JUNE
A truly special event for the sector in October 2021
A programme of initiatives from March to October to promote the recovery on national & international markets

Verona, 16 March 2021. Veronafiere has decided to postpone the 54th Vinitaly – the international wines and spirits exhibition – now scheduled 10-13 April 2022. “The ongoing uncertainties within the national and international scenario and the extended lockdowns have prompted us to reschedule the exhibition definitively to 2022,” said Maurizio Danese, President of Veronafiere S.p.A. It is a question of making an albeit painful choice of responsibility; yet another compulsory halt that deprives Italian wine of its landmark event for national and international promotion. While waiting for the scenario to become more favourable once again,” Danese concluded, “Vinitaly continues to work hand in hand with all exponents, including sector institutions, such as the Ministry of Agricultural Policies and ICE-Italian Trade Agency, as well as all associations and categories, to continue supporting the competitiveness of Italian wine both on the domestic market and other countries already on the way to recovery, with the USA, China and Russia in the forefront.”

Against this background, the CEO of Veronafiere, Giovanni Mantovani, added: “We confirm OperaWine attended by Wine Spectator and the top companies in the sector identified by the American magazine for the 10th anniversary of this event, which remains scheduled in Verona next 19-20 June. The event will focus on restarting the sector, thanks to the involvement of the trade press and national and international operators,” said Mantovani, “and will also act as a point of attraction and a driving force for all the wine companies keen to take part in a b2b calendar that Veronafiere is already preparing.”

Operawine will be preceded, again in June, by the Vinitaly Design international Packaging Competition (11 June) and Vinitaly 5 Stars Wine The book (16-18 June). The Vinitaly international Academy (21-24 June) will close the attended events scheduled for the summer.

Innovations also include an exceptional promotional event with significant institutional input next October and which will guide the sector during the run-up to the 54th Vinitaly in 2022. Giovanni Mantovani went on: “We are talking about Vinitaly – Special Edition, a strictly b2b event that will highlight the resumption of national and international business in Verona 16-18 October.”
“We want to keep attention on Italian wine alive all over the world as one of the most meaningful ambassadors of Made in Italy,” said the President of ICE-Italian Trade Agency, Carlo Ferro. The initiatives implemented by Veronafiere to keep the ball rolling between Vinitaly 2019 and 2022, with the Vinitaly Special Edition and other events we will develop together share this objective. This seamless approach was achieved despite the global pandemic and thanks also to the use of new tools in terms of digital commerce. I send my best wishes to the entire Veronafiere team and wine producers in the belief that the events scheduled for 2021 will help support Italian wine-making excellence.” While waiting for the resumption of attended events in Italy itself, Vinitaly continues its operations on international markets, starting off in Russia with stop-offs in Moscow and St. Petersburg scheduled from 23 to 25 March. It will be the turn of Vinitaly Chengdu 3-6 April and then Wine to Asia (Shenzhen, 8-10 June). And China will again open Vinitaly’s international calendar in the autumn (13-17 September) before moving on to Brazil for Wine South America (22-24 September).

Veronafiere also makes its know-how available to organise other promotional events in other target markets for the wine sector.
The decision to postpone Vinitaly was shared with organizations and associations in wine-making and agricultural sectors. There follow below, in alphabetical order, statements by: Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane Agroalimentare, Assoenologi, Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, Copagri, Federdoc, Federvini and Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv).
“We acknowledge the decision to postpone the 54th Vinitaly to 2022,” said the wine sector coordinator of Alleanza Cooperative Agroalimentari, Luca Rigotti. It was certainly not an easy decision to take but, in light of the current health situation, it is in line with what Alleanza delle Cooperative Italiane-Agroalimentare is hoping for. We also welcome the other promotional initiatives proposed by Veronafiere for coming months: we look forward to being able at last to enter a stage characterized by a higher level of safety and fewer uncertainties for the wine sector. These are also necessary conditions if we are to relaunch – thanks to the experience and expertise of Veronafiere – the wine sector on an international scale.”

The President of Assoenologi, Riccardo Cotarella, commented: “The decision taken by Veronafiere to postpone the 54th Vinitaly to 2022 follows the direction suggested by the wine supply chain. Yet, above all, it takes into account the on-going situation of serious difficulty generated by the pandemic emergency, for which vaccination has not yet found a decisive answer. It is a choice of responsibility that we share in the broadest terms. We are equally ready to support the other initiatives announced by Veronafiere and scheduled for next June and later in October. The world of wine simply has to be ready for the when markets restart and therefore it is vital to keep attention high even through events capable of stimulating national and international relationships and interest in our sector. Yet the support that the Italian government and Europe will be able to implement to sustain the entire agro-food sector will be even more important: after more than a year of pandemic, this field is feeling the impact of the crisis just like other sectors in the Italian economy.”

“We team up with Veronafiere to continue supporting the sector with all the companies and producers who help every day to ensure that wine in one of the products of Italian excellence acknowledged all over the world,” said the National President of Cia-Agricoltori Italiani, Dino Scanavino. The pandemic is still a very serious matter and has forced a further postponement of attended events – but we are ready to work together with Vinitaly, in these difficult times, to support a vital field in the agro-food sector with production worth around 12 billion euros and an incomparable reputation.”

“Postponing Vinitaly is a necessary decision to allow attendance by international operators and support the success of the most exported Made in Italy agro-food product worldwide which, despite the pandemic, achieved turnover of 6.3 billion euros in 2020,” said the President of Coldiretti, Ettore Prandini, in highlighting the importance of the programme of upcoming Veronafiere events starting with OperaWine.

“The decision of Veronafiere, although a painful one, goes in the right direction,” said the President Confagricoltura, Massimiliano Giansanti. We especially appreciate the capacity for resilience and range of proposals put forward in such an extremely difficult time for the wine sector. Confagricoltura fully supports Veronafiere and the entire national agro-food trade fair sector. We are convinced that it is vital to support the validity of the Italian system and avoid perilous openings to other international realities. We also believe the Veronafiere, with its activities and Vinitaly, is a hugely valid promotional and image tool for the entire Italian wine sector. We therefore hope to restart at full swing again in 2022 by giving far-reaching emphasis to the initiatives scheduled as of today through to the next edition of Vinitaly, together with our companies that help make the Italy of wine so great worldwide.”
The President of Copagri, Franco Verrascina, said: “Veronafiere decision, however painful it may be, confirms its seriousness and desire to support winemakers in the best possible way in these critical times. We are more than happy to collaborate and stand alongside Veronafiere in planning not only the 54th Vinitaly but also the special event in October, thereby giving a signal to the world of wine as regards promotion and valorisation of Italy’s great wines.”

“The announcement of the postponement is a huge disappointment but the reality of the pandemic leaves no room for alternatives: it would be difficult for us to plan trips and contacts, we would encounter difficulties in welcoming guests to our stands,” said Sandro Boscaini, President of Federvini, “yet the second postponement widens the void left by Vinitaly not taking place. We need international contacts, we need to present our products and keep in touch with the enormous number of national and international operators who flocked to Verona in the past. We are sure that Vinitaly’s experience and expertise, with the help of ICE Italian Trade Agency, will be of great help to our companies, with formulas and proposals we can study quickly together.”

“I can only emphasize our regret in having to miss out on Vinitaly again this year, the main reference event for the Italian wine sector,” said the President of Federdoc, Riccardo Ricci Curbastro. A show so full of events, reviews, tastings and workshops to promote meetings between exhibitors and national and international operators in the sector which has contributed to the success of Italian wine around the world while also highlighting that the wine sector is one of the pillars for the international success of Made in Italy. We ask the Government to consider the immense economic damage that this decision entails and therefore to provide effective aid to keep the international competitiveness of our trade fair sector high.”

“We understand and share the reasons that prompted Veronafiere to postpone the landmark event for Italian wine,” explained the President of Unione Italiana Vini (Uiv), Ernesto Abbona. However, we believe that it is essential in such a difficult moment to keep the promotion engine running. We therefore support Vinitaly’s intention to continue sustaining the sector during the year by organizing targeted events on behalf of the business and international image of Italian wine.”

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