The only Italian expo completely dedicated to promotion of extra virgin olive oils will take place in the Italian city from the 1st to the 4th of March 2013, in a spectacular new location.
The historical city of Trieste, located strategically between the Adriatic sea and the Italian- Slovenian border, plays host to this unique festival celebrating high quality extra virgin olive oils from Italy and the Mediterranean Basin every year. Although the city is most well known for its role in trade and economic importance due to its geographical location near the popular tourist destination of Venice, olive cultivation and extra virgin olive oil have played a part in local culture throughout history.
The 2013 event will see the expo held for the first time in the central Trieste Stazione Marittima, an impressive venue located on the shore-front, which is hoped to draw even more visitors to the city famed for its food and wine events. The objective of the Olio Capitale expo is to surpass the great success of last year’s event, which saw a 15 percent rise in visitors, and a record number of exhibitors over the previous year.
The expo encourages the consumption of high quality extra virgin olive oils throughout Italy and the Mediterranean Basin and features numerous activities, workshops, demonstrations and conferences designed to heighten the awareness of this unique product. This year will see over 250 olive oil exhibitors together under one roof, representing all of the producing regions of Italy, as well as some neighboring Mediterranean countries.
It is hoped that the complete focus on olive oil will raise awareness of olive oil quality, which is deemed to be important in a market that is currently struggling. President of the Trieste Chamber of Commerce, Antonio Paoletti expressed his believe that quality and distinctiveness were assets that could help relaunch olive-growing and suggested that this year’s event would be even more diversified, exciting and fruitful than previous years.
Recognized internationally as a key event in the olive oil sector, the expo is widely attended by professionals, producers and olive oil enthusiasts alike. The event is an important networking opportunity for professional operators and producers worldwide, offering programs dedicated to business and opportunities for meetings between exhibitors and buyers. However, despite the strong business focus, the event is also popular with the general public at whom many of the displays and workshops are aimed.
This year, highlights will include olive oil and food pairing cooking demonstrations, conducted by the Olio Capitale School of Cuisine, featuring a range of traditional and modern cuisines. Visitors can also explore the sensory side of olive oil with tasting sessions guided by professionals at the OilBar, or broaden their olive oil knowledge by attending themed discussion on industry trends, which in 2013 will have a focus on the Mediterranean diet and the role of extra virgin olive oil.
The main event of the expo however, is the Olio Capitale Competition, in which contending oils selected by a professional panel are judged by three different groups; professional tasters, professional users, which includes chefs and restaurateurs, and consumers from the general public. This threefold judging has been designed to represent the entire olive oil market and provide valuable information on how olive oil preferences vary between these groups.
Pre-registration for the event is now open and details can be obtained at the Olio Capitale website.