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• American Bakery Expo 2008

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     Sigep, one of Europe’s biggest expositions, focused on artisan production of Gelato (Italian Ice Cream), Pastry, Confection and Bakery is proud to announce the partnership with the former Frozen Desserts Expo to create Sigep-USA.  The Italian show is truly a site to be seen, with over 3 million square feet of exhibit space, in 14 airplane hanger size halls.  In the coming years, together we hope to replicate the success of the European Sigep in the United States.
     In early 2006, while visiting the show in Rimini, Italy, the idea was born to create a frozen dessert exposition in the United States.  The US is the largest consumer market in the world, the largest consumer of ice cream in the world, and the only untapped Italian gelato market in the world.  As the artisan product boomed in other parts of the world, Italian companies were poised to make the leap into the American market.
     In conjunction with the soon to be launched Frozen Desserts Magazine, an agreement was reached to bring a small group of exhibitors to the American Bakery Expo in Atlantic City. At the time, retail bakeries were struggling to compete with bigger supermarket bakeries and the addition of Italian artisan gelato seemed the perfect solution to increase traffic and more importantly revenue in their bakeries.  That first year, there were about a dozen companies and 40 booths; the Frozen Desserts Pavilion was a small part of the bakery show, but most exhibitors saw many interested attendees and all recognized the opportunity presented by the relationship with the bakers and the bakery show.
     Immediately after the 2006 show, a decision was made to keep the relationship with the bakers going, and to partner with the Retail Bakers of America for their 2007 American Retail Bakery Exposition, in Las Vegas.  With an entire year to promote and sell the show, exhibitors increased almost four-fold; the number of booths over doubled.  A few Italian gelato companies participated in the show and subsequently peaked the interest of the Sigep management.  With seminars and demonstrations, as well as a public section, the 1st Frozen Desserts Expo was a success. 
     Sigep-Italy had done their homework; a post-show survey in 2006 and 2007 showed their exhibitors were very interested in entering US market.  Over the next eight months, negotiations went back and forth and ultimately, in January 2008, during the 2008 Sigep show in Italy, an agreement was reached between Sigep and the Frozen Desserts Expo. 
     Once again, partnering with the American Bakery Expo in Atlantic City, September 21st to 23rd will be the inaugural Sigep-USA.  We’re proud of the progress we’ve made toward building the biggest and best frozen desserts exposition in the United States.  With a complete education program, comprised of informative seminars and demonstrations, the largest group of international exhibitors yet, and the new partnership with Sigep, this year’s show is sure to be the ‘Coolest Show in North America’.