THE CEO INTERVIEW www.ceotodaymagazine.com 57 currently developing an agreement with Wine.com that has brought on 50 new Italian wine and spirits to the top American online retailer. We also work year-long to secure our participation in top trade shows including Bar Convent Brooklyn, Tales of the Cocktail, USBG for the wine and spirits sector, and Pizza Expo, along with both the Summer and Winter Fancy Food shows for food, where we are set to bring close to 100 Italian companies to Las Vegas in January 2023 from the 300+ the summer edition saw. With reference to the fashion sectors, we have truly been nonstop since July as we are coming from sponsoring 45+ beauty companies at Cosmoprof North America and 35+ at the New York “Feel the Yarn” event, not to mention the 60+ of the best Italian menswear brands at the Chicago Collective show, and 9 of the best Italian bridal brands at the National Bridal Market Chicago. In September, we were at Coterie, our largest physical sponsorship in the fashion capital of the US with 70+ Italian womenswear designers, and we will launch an SS23 refresh of our free digital fashion platform, EXTRAITASTYLE.com. The most exciting event is happening next month where we’ll be partnering with Saks Fifth Avenue for a fifteenday Made in Italy promotion in-store and one month online in New York, Chicago Los Angeles, and Miami. A celebration of Made in Italy dedicated to consolidated and new to the market Italian brands we think the consumers will love. What are your ultimate goals for the future of the Italian Trade Commission? We know Made in Italy is one of the most recognised brands in the world and that the Italian lifestyle is among the most desired. Promoting the excellence of our various sectors also means promoting our culture and our territory, and that starts with educating the American consumer. We just marked the end of a successful project centered around this philosophy where PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) and PGI (Protected Geographic Origin) products were enjoyed in a guided wine and food tasting tour in 12 US cities to represent Italian quality at its best. The goal of the Italian Trade Agency is to continue to elevate the perception and appreciation of Italian categories and products and see to the continuous improvement and growth of Italian expansion in the US market. For us, it’s very important to try to maintain leadership through strong promotional activities in the areas where we are already strong, like New York, New Jersey, and California, but also carry out educational initiatives in other areas like Texas, Louisiana, Arizona, and beyond, while also attracting younger generations. This is what we hope to achieve throughout 2023. “We know Made in Italy is one of the most recognised brands in the world and that the Italian lifestyle is among the most desired. Promoting the excellence of our various sectors also means promoting our culture and our territory, and that starts with educating the American consumer.”
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