The road to Sigep World 2026, which will return to Fiera di Rimini from January 16 to 20, 2026, opens. The international event signed Italian Exhibition Group with the best of ice cream, pastry, chocolate, coffee, bakery and pizza will present a new opening agenda, which will run from Friday to Tuesday.
In 2025, the show hosted 1,300 brand exhibitors arriving from 33 countries, welcoming in its 30 pavilions an audience of professional operators from as many as 160 nations.
India is the Guest Country of the 2026 edition.
For 2026, the internationalization strategy is further strengthened. In particular focus on engaging large global chains and high-potential buyers to target overseas with a strategy developed to attract key industry decision makers.
It starts in Madrid on November 6, where the Sigep World 2026 roadshow aimed at the Spanish foodservice business community will be staged in the Italian Embassy.
In addition, to support the growing international openness, new air connections have been introduced from Munich and Spain to Rimini.
Protagonist will then be India, Guest Country of the 2026 edition. A qualified delegation of buyers, media and institutional representatives will take part in the event, helping to develop strategic relationships with the entire exhibition chain.
‘Gelato meets chains,’ strategic asset for global foodservice
At Sigep World 2026, gelato becomes the protagonist of the strategic project ‘Gelato meets chains’. Prior to the exhibition, selected buyers will participate in webinars and digital meetings to learn about the opportunities of gelato in modern foodservice. A guide, curated with the UIF and ACOMAG associations, will illustrate the economic, operational and image advantages of introducing gelato to menus.
Then, during the event, there will be space for business matchmaking, with speed dates and one-on-one meetings. All supported by the digital campaign ‘What is gelato?’, which aims to connect the Italian artisan gelato supply chain with international groups in the catering, hotellerie and retail sectors.
Sigep World 2026: Luxury Hotel Food Experience debuts.
Among the new features of the 2026 edition is a special focus on the world of high-end hôtellerie and the bar of the future. Thus was born the Luxury Hotel Food Experience, a project that showcases the excellence of tableware. That is, an experience designed to create a direct dialogue with top buyers from the most important international hotel chains.
Alongside, the Innovation Bar comes to life, an immersive space that chronicles the evolution of the global coffee shop, including specialty coffees, artificial intelligence, robotic solutions and new taste languages.
International competitions return
Sigep World 2026 https://www.sigep.it/it also brings back two events that aim to draw the attention of the international business community. These are the Gelato World Cup, the only competition in the world that puts the best master gelato makers in competition, and the Juniores Pastry World Cup. Here, promising young pastry chefs will compete in a competition that combines training, passion and global visibility.