RIBBON CUTTING OPENING CEREMONY FOR REAL ITALIAN WINE & FOOD EXPERIENCE LONDON 2026

London, April 2026

In the framework of Real Italian Wine & Food Experience London 2026, the official ribbon-cutting ceremony will take place at ExCel London, marking the formal opening of a new-generation B2B trade platform designed to reshape how international buyers and Italian producers connect. The ceremony represents not only the institutional launch of the event, but also the introduction of an innovative trade model within the wine and food industry.

Wines Experience is conceived as a structured international hub, built to facilitate efficient sourcing, targeted meetings, and commercially relevant interactions. Unlike traditional trade fairs, the format replaces standard booth-based exhibitions with a lounge-based environment, where curated tastings and pre-scheduled meetings allow for deeper engagement. A dedicated digital matchmaking platform enables buyers to explore producers in advance, filter selections, and optimize their time on site, while integrated tools such as the Blind Tasting Area and Data Hub transform tastings into actionable market insights in real time.

The London edition brings together about 200 wineries and 50 Italian food producers, offering a comprehensive and credible overview of Italy’s wine landscape. The selection combines established brands with small and mid-sized producers, many of whom reflect sustainability-driven practices and are aligned with evolving market demand, including a collective of producers selected by Slow Wine Fair, the international fair for good, clean, and fair wine organized by BolognaFiere and based on an idea by Slow Food. Wines Experience London is further enriched by a full experiential program, including food pairings, masterclasses, and market-focused discussions, positioning it as a complete platform that integrates business, education, and category exploration. The support of ICE – Italian Trade Agency further reinforces the international outreach and buyer engagement strategy of the event, contributing to its positioning as a qualified platform for promoting Italian excellence in the UK market.

Matteo Zoppas, President of ICE – Italian Trade Agency, stated: “Wine plays a strategic role in defining the positioning of the "Made in Italy" agri-food sector. 

The storytelling ability tied to each place of origin serves as a tool for the ongoing promotion of a supply chain that begins with grape cultivation in a specific territory until the craft of harvesting and the delivery to the customer - encompassing the unique ability to manage each stage of the production process.

ICE Agency aims to support a sector that has identified a promotional priority as highlighted by the working group organised by the Government to anticipate potential challenges linked to current circumstances. ICE agency backs major international initiatives to help wine succeed in its key export channels.
London represents an important stop where ICE connected operators with our entrepreneurs for a market that remains a benchmark for this sector, which accounts for approximately €7.8 billion in global exports.”

As Gianpiero Calzolari, President of BolognaFiere, stated, “Real Italian Wine & Food Experience has been conceived not merely as a trade showcase, but as an advanced business platform designed to foster high-value connections, unlock access to new markets and create tangible growth opportunities for Italian producers. London marks the first stage of a broader international strategy through which BolognaFiere is reinforcing its role as a partner in the internationalisation of food and beverage companies, developing innovative formats that combine curated matchmaking, data-driven tools and high value-added content. In an increasingly complex global environment, we believe that building long-term ecosystems connecting supply and demand is essential to supporting Made in Italy in pursuing new growth trajectories, while strengthening its competitiveness and international market presence.”

Within this context, the opening ceremony is designed to set the institutional and strategic tone of the event. Led by Valeria Robecco as Master of Ceremony, the format is intentionally concise, media-oriented, and highly structured. It aims to deliver a clear political and economic message, reinforce credibility, and activate immediate engagement across the exhibition.

The ceremony will bring together leading representatives of the Italian institutional and economic system, together with Gianpiero Calzolari, BolognaFiere President, and Antonio Bruzzone, BolognaFiere CEO, as well as representatives of the Italian diplomatic network in the United Kingdom. Their presence reflects the alignment between institutional support, trade promotion, and industrial development behind the initiative.

The program will open with a brief welcome, followed by a sequence of short institutional remarks structured to build progressively toward a final political endorsement. The concluding address by Minister Lollobrigida will emphasize the strategic role of Italian wine and agri-food as key assets in international markets and as drivers of economic diplomacy.

The central moment of the ceremony will be the ribbon cutting, involving all dignitaries in a coordinated stage setting. This symbolic act will officially inaugurate the exhibition and will be accompanied by a formal photo opportunity, national anthems, and a structured media moment, ensuring strong visual impact and press coverage.

Beyond its ceremonial function, the opening moment serves as a bridge between institutional representation and immediate business activation. The timing—Sunday late morning—is strategically aligned with trade dynamics, maximizing accessibility for buyers and professionals while enabling a seamless transition into tasting sessions and scheduled meetings.

The initiative reflects the broader vision of Wines Experience as a globally connected platform, with London representing the first stage of a wider 2026 calendar that will continue in Ho Chi Minh City and Mexico City. Through this model, the platform moves beyond isolated events to create continuity across markets, offering producers and buyers a structured and ongoing international ecosystem.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will officially inaugurate Real Italian Wine & Food Experience London 2026, initiating direct engagement between international buyers and Italian producers and setting the foundation for a new, more efficient and experience-driven approach to the wine and food trade industry.