Great enthusiasm around the 53rd edition of Vinitaly: despite an increase in the exhibition area, all the spaces were sold at least three months before the opening date. Therefore, also in relation to the exhibitors, the great esteem enjoyed by the Veronese kermesse is evident. There are several innovations: the Vinitaly Design exhibition hall and the Organic Hall on all, in addition, there are now 9 languages available to buyers, within the Vinitaly Directory Official Catalog & Business Guide. A signal of openness towards increasingly receptive and important markets. And it is numbers that declare the importance of foreign buyers: 32,000, out of a total of 128,000 presences, coming from 143 countries. The gradual reduction in the number of consumer visitors (to which the above-mentioned Vinitaly and the City exhibition is proposed) has as a direct consequence the increase in the level of professionalism present. This formula is also one of the reasons that led to the sold out of the exhibition spaces: it is important to underline how a fair like Vinitaly is also and above all an important sales moment, or at least an opportunity to establish important business relationships. Returning to the topic of novelties, the Organic Hall space will host Vinitalybio, which will be dedicated to organic wines produced according to European legislation and promoted with Federbio, and the collective of artisanal producers of the Vi.Te – Vignaioli e Territori association, which has been active for seven years collaborates with Veronafiere. A larger surface will guarantee the visibility of the companies that have most believed in the sustainability of production. Moreover, in the case of craft wines, the superior size will serve to increase the awareness of buyers with respect to these productions through a calendar of initiatives and appointments that includes conferences and specific master classes. Enolitech is also the subject of a revisitation: inside it finds Vinitali Design space, in which all the products and accessories are proposed that complete the offer linked to wine promotion and sensorial experience: from the objects for tasting and service , furniture for cellars, wine bars and restaurants, up to personalized packaging and gift. This initiative allows to keep within Enolitech only the technologies and equipment for the production, in view of the change of cadence of the review that from 2020 will take place in the years equal to coincide with Fieragricola. Vinitaly Design, however, is combined with a further innovation: the renaming of the International Packaging Competition, now in its 23rd edition, becomes Vinitaly Design International Packaging Competition. A non-secondary change, to give even more evidence in marketing key to the presentation of wine, seen as one of the drivers that guide consumers in their choice. The competition is extended to two new categories among those admitted in the competition: vermouth and other aromatic wines and beer. The new location of Vinitalybio and its production facilities craftsmanship has allowed the presence of a greater number of companies in the collective of independent winemakers of Fivi, constantly growing year by year, in addition to the entry of new important exhibitors or the expansion of the surface to meet the demands of some of those already present. In other words, rationalizing spaces and rethinking the internal structure has allowed many more options for those who truly animate Vinitaly: exhibitors and companies. As for International Wine Hall, there are now two rooms dedicated to tastings of foreign wines and spirits, the strong point of the pavilion. French exhibitors are increasing, the Spaniards are doubling, and the exhibition space dedicated to Hungary and Croatia increases. A welcome return, Kosovo. Vinitaly’s International Wine Hall is increasingly a distinctive space, thanks to the modalities of the proposal that combines the exhibition area with a calendar of workshops and tastings, establishing itself as a precious promotion point for the edition’s international productions. The goal of Vinitaly is to facilitate the meeting in Verona between international demand and supply: for the 2019 edition thanks to the promotion of the Veronafiere delegates network in the world and the activity of ICE Agency favored by the involvement of Vintaly in the extraordinary promotion plan of the made in Italy, buyers from 50 countries are expected. With the five continents represented, double the attention of the Verona exhibition is confirmed both to historical markets such as North America, United Kingdom, Germany or Japan, just to name a few, and to new places where wine consumption is becoming more and more a trend: Cuba, Mexico and Colombia, for example, looking west, China, Thailand, Vietnam and the Philippines, looking to the east. An integral part of Vinitaly’s offer to the operators is the busy calendar of tastings, each year different and unrepeatable. The Tasting ex … press program has already been set, the world tour of the best wines in the world made by Vinitaly in collaboration with the most important international wine magazines. The inauguration day returns traditionally the walk around tasting of the Tre Bicchieri of Gambero Rosso, while between the promotion of the wines and the social network the Young to Young initiative is set up, which combines the tastings with the communicative verve of the best young wine bloggers . One of the novelties of this year will be the master classes dedicated to artisan wines, created in collaboration with the Vi.te. Vinitaly is not just a fair, but a system made up of many initiatives aimed at increasing the international wine business. In particular, in Verona during the Vinitaly 2019 period, a course of the Vinitaly International Academy is scheduled from 29 March to 2 April, directed by prof. Attilio Scienza, for the certification of Ambassador and Expert of Italian wine, which have exceeded 200 in the world (with the aim of reaching 300 by this year). Following, from 3rd to 5th April, the selection of the Five Star Wines – The Book is scheduled, which provides from this edition the possibility for each exhibitor of Vinitaly to participate for free with their own sample, and which represents, with the expression of the score in cents, a real rating system certified by Vinitaly, thanks to the evaluation of international experts for specific areas and types of wine. From 5th to 8th April, the outing of Vinitaly and the City, under the direction of Paolo Massobrio, destined to the consumer segment, will also be scheduled, with programs and initiatives aimed at spreading the culture of wine, of moderate and conscious drinking. On the eve of the inauguration of Vinitaly, on April 6th, OperaWine offers the Grand Tasting of the best 103 Italian wines selected by Wine Spectator for the 2019 edition, in the only event organized abroad by the important US magazine. At the same time as Vinitaly and Enolitech, from 7 to 10 April 2019 is scheduled Sol & Agrifood, the International Exhibition of Quality Food, which has specific focus on extra virgin olive oil (Evoo), craft beers and food products made from small and medium-sized companies in the sector.