With 100 flagship brands of made in Italy production excellence and an expected 20 thousand visitors the first edition of Sigep China starts tomorrow, May 10, 2023. The three-day event at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center will see an opening ceremony with the presence of Massimiliano Tremiterra, Trade commissioner of the Ice office in Canton, and Valerio de Parolis, Consul General of Italy in Guangzhou. 

Organized by the Italian Exhibition Group through Ieg China, in a strategic agreement with Fiera di Colonia, Sigep China aims to bring made-in-Italy ice cream to the country of the Dragon: it does so in Shenzhen, the economic engine of the Greater bay area of Guandong-Hong Kong-Macao, but above all a reference point for the entire southern Chinese market, categorized as a "first class" city on a par with Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. 

We are talking, let's be clear, about a market of 86 million people, with a GDP that, according to the latest available data, is close to $ 1.7 trillion, a globally competitive place of business, with peaks of excellence in finance, technology but also in tourism, and for this formidable pole of development also for our country's artisan confectionery. 

But there is more: according to iiMediaResearch data, in terms of regions, 46.1% of ice cream consumers reside in eastern and southern China. This makes the Greater bay area a particularly attractive concentration of end consumers for Italian companies in the industry.

The exhibition itinerary at Sigep China will feature raw materials and ingredients, machinery and equipment, packaging and services for 5 different confectionery sectors: artisan ice cream, bakery, confectionery, chocolate and coffee. Also on the calendar are some 30 events including conferences, business matchmaking, demonstrations, and competitions. 

One focus is on artisanal gelato since the Gelato China Cup with Chinese selection valid for participation in the Gelato World Cup scheduled at Sigep 2024 in Rimini will take place. Another focus is on the world of artisanal pastry and bakery made in Italy and the universe of coffee. On the subject of confectionery art, according to ValueChina, the trend of cultural ice cream has developed in the country of the Dragon to attract younger people to this product with "Instagrammable" ice creams: their shape recalls works of art or historical sites. Cultural creations now typical in the marketing strategies of the best-known historical tourist spots in China.

Sigep China is being held on the same days and location as Anufood China, the main food fair in southern China, promoted by Koelnemesse's well-known Anuga, on 40,000 square meters: already set are the dates 2024 for the next 2024 edition of Sigep China, April 17-19, also in Shenzhen.