SIGEP the Italian Coffee (& So Much More) Show Gets Underway

The show hall entrance at Rimini.

I’m headed to Rimini, Italy this weekend for a visit to SIGEP, the Italian Coffee, Pastry and Gelato show. Now, that’s a nice sounding combo!

I’m looking forward to a follow-up on the Barista & Farmer Project that I wrote about in the December + January 2014 issue of Barista Magazine. The Italian baristas have roasted their coffee (that they picked and processed at Hacienda San Pedro in Puerto Rico in November) and will be serving it to the crowds attending the 35th installment of this trade show/festival in Rimini.

Of course Rimini will also host the 2014 World Barista Championship in June, so I’m excited to get a sneak peak at the city.

But before we get to the WBC, SIGEP will host the Italian Barista, Coffee in Good Spirits, and Latte Art Championships. (In addition to some pretty awesome sounding gelato and baking competitions – Pastry Queen, anyone?)

Also at SIGEP will be Italian mainstay (and WBC sponsor) espresso machine manufacturer, Nuova Simonelli with some new products (from their press release):

The Nuova Simonelli exhibition space will host two new products from the Victoria Arduino brand: Theresia, introduced in 2013 with innovative design by Doriana and Massimiliano Fuksas and the prototype for the VA388, an absolute novelty in 2014, designed by Carlo Viglino and the only machine equipped with gravimetric technology. In addition to these two new products there will also be the Adonis, the most successful model in recent years from the Victoria Arduino professional range.

2009 WBC Champ Gwilym Davies will bring his charm, wit and knowledge to share at SIGEP this weekend in Rimini!
2009 WBC Champ Gwilym Davies will bring his charm, wit and knowledge to share at SIGEP this weekend in Rimini!

They’ll also be hosting another installment of their Coffee Education League with 2009 WBC Champion Gwilym Davies as a presenter:

The 2009 world champion of baristas, Gwilym Davis, and technical trainers from Nuova Simonelli will explain how to achieve the level of champions to participants at a “Coffee Educational” event divided into two modules.

The first module (Saturday 10-11:00 and Sunday 17-18:00) is “How to become a Champion Barista” and is also an introduction to the Italian barista championship that takes place during Sigep and also to the World Championship, which this year will be held in Rimini in June ( 10-12 ). The second module (Sunday, Monday and Tuesday 10-11:00) will focus instead on “The Role of Temperature in Coffee Quality”. This fundamental subject is always a true “rock” for every barista. Nuova Simonelli has been able to tackle this, introducing T3 technology into professional espresso machines. T3 technology is an acronym that stands for three-dimensional temperature. Today it is the new trend for working in coffee shops because it ensures maximum thermal stability, allowing all the fragrance of the coffee to be maintained and delivered in an espresso.

I’m looking forward to all of it! And you can follow along here at the BMag blog and on our social media (Twitter, Instagram & Facebook) accounts!

About Ken 262 Articles
Kenneth R. Olson (he/him) is co-founder and publisher of Barista Magazine the worldwide trade magazine for the professional coffee community. He has written extensively about specialty coffee, traveled near and far for stories, activities, and fun, and been invited to present on topics important to coffee culture. He is also an avid fan of the Portland Trail Blazers, the Washington Huskies, and public libraries.