A Super Edition of Taste!

News

Edition 17

07.02.2024

More than 8,250 industry professionals from over 50 countries attended, with a double-digit increase in buyer numbers and a 25% rise in international attendance. The best performances came from Germany, France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Japan, and South Korea.

In total, to explore the over 660 exhibiting companies, more than 11,000 visitors arrived at the Fortezza over three days.
Significant participation was also seen in the Talks, Rings, and events within the Fortezza, as well as at all the FuoriDiTaste appointments across the city.

The success of a fair like Taste lies in the numbers, but primarily in the selection and quality of the participants, from every perspective. On the one hand, our exhibitors—over 660 companies, including many introducing new products at this edition—represent the best of Italian gastronomic heritage: selected, multifaceted productions of the highest quality, where tradition, valorization, and storytelling of the territory go hand in hand with innovation and essential attention to nature and the environment. On the other hand, the industry professional audience is not only growing but also becoming increasingly qualified. From specialty stores, distribution companies, and department stores to importers of Italian excellence, the best international names in the quality food world have come to Florence from established and new distant markets—also thanks to the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation and ICE Agency—to meet their clients and establish new relationships. Taste has increasingly become the reference event for professionals in the quality food & beverage sector: the place to discover new products, create commercial connections, and at the same time gather insights on market trends and new scenarios.

— Agostino Poletto, General Manager of Pitti Immagine

The seventeenth edition, which concluded yesterday at the Fortezza da Basso in Florence (February 3-5, 2024), registered a total of 8,250 industry professionals: of these, about 7,150 were buyers, marking a 20% increase compared to the previous edition's attendance. International numbers reached almost 750 buyers from more than 50 countries, achieving a 25% growth. Italy also saw significant growth, totaling over 6,400 buyers (+19%) from all regions.

The list of 15 reference markets is led by Germany, followed by France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, Japan, the Netherlands, South Korea, Romania, Canada, Poland, and Greece.
Good attendance numbers were registered from the Scandinavian area, with high-profile buyers and importers from the Baltic Republics, Mainland China and China - Hong Kong, and other markets near and far—like Australia, Brazil, the United Arab Emirates, and Saudi Arabia.

Overall, including the public of enthusiasts and the nearly 600 journalists and media professionals who entered the Fortezza over three days, Taste surpassed the 11,000 visitor mark.

I conclude by mentioning the success and many appreciations for the events of this edition. The beautiful NEW EGG installation presented by Giannoni & Santoni at the Sala della Volta, which offered Taste's audience the surprising collection of domestic chicken coops by the artistic duo Vedovamazzei; the hot and original themes of the Taste Talks and Taste Rings by Davide Paolini (the importance of branding in SMEs, food fermentations, the amphora wine phenomenon), and all the presentations staged in the UniCredit Taste Arena; the many events in the city for FuoriDiTaste, increasingly original and well-curated, which brought the spotlight on our exhibiting companies in special places around the city.

— Agostino Poletto