Sicilian Region, Specialty Food Association and Universal Marketing today signed an institutional Intesa Protocol in New York to consolidate the presence and promotion of Sicilian agri-food excellence on the US market. The agreement was signed in Piazza Italia, the headquarters of Universal Marketing in the heart of Times Square, and defines a multi-year collaboration that involves the programming of the Sicilian regional group to the next editions of the Fancy Food Show, both winter and summer.
To better explain what is the protocol signed today and what will be the next steps, we interviewed Edy Tamajo, Councillor for the Production Activities of the Sicilian Region, Donato Cinelli, president of Universal Marketing, and Kate Nettuno, responsible for exhibitions and sponsorships of the Specialty Food Association. The three conversations are collected in a single episode of the New York Podcast and inaugurate the new format of interviews of the magazine: in the center, the opportunities offered by the agreement and the work necessary to accompany the Sicilian companies on the American market.
“The presence of Sicily at the Fancy Food Show is a concrete opportunity to support our companies and enhance the quality of Sicilian food in the United States,” said Edmondo Tamajo, Councillor for Production Activities of the Sicilian Region. Interviewed at the margin of the signature, Tamajo told the numbers behind the agreement: “My department has done an analysis and told me that at least 315 companies we have already brought, and still not finished 2026.” The agreement is part of a protocol signed with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation led by Antonio Tajani, along with ICE and SIMEST, and Tamajo defines it “a form of important cooperation that will surely bring so many small and medium Sicilian companies to come to America, and especially in New York, to strengthen competitiveness, to grow, to meet buyers.”.
Tamajo also touched the historical link between Sicily and the Italian American community of the city: “When you move an enterprise here, you don’t just transfer business issues. You also transfer the culture, traditions of that place, of our Sicily that we all love. Here is a great representation of people living in the United States. ” He closed with a greeting to the Sicilians resident in the city: “The traditions and our Sicily do not forget. ” On the similarities found between New York and Sicily in its first hours in the city, the answer was immediate: “The traffic. We spent an hour driving a mile. ”
“We are very pleased to strengthen the relationship with the Sicilian Region through an agreement that gives continuity to its presence at Fancy Food events in the coming years,” said Bill Lynch, President of the Specialty Food Association, underlining the role of Universal Marketing, a unique agent for Italy of the association, in making possible multiannual collaboration.
Donato Cinelli, President of Universal Marketing, has defined the agreement the result of “a route built over time,” designed to overcome the logic of the single fair. Asked about the conditions that a Sicilian company must have to build a lasting presence in the United States, Cinelli insisted on the quality: “Our products are considered here among the best ever. It must not necessarily be an innovative product. The important thing is that the product is quality: everyone stops there. ” He explained that the route agreed with Sicily will begin with the Winter Fancy Food 2027-2028, to continue with the successive editions, accompanied by a program of support to the companies and the possibility to bring in Sicily high level buyers to prepare the enterprises to the American market.
On the staging of the stands, Cinelli shared some practical advice, fruit of years of experience on the field: always participate in an area dedicated to Italy, rather than with an isolated stand, because “you find yourself next to an important company that also draws to all others. ” And on the reception of visitors: “The Americans want to see the product, they want to touch it, they want to taste it. You must work first, send invitations to buyers, have available samples and information in the language of the country where the event takes place. “ Cinelli has also anticipated the next major international event for Italian companies, the SIAL in Paris, from 17 to 21 October, where Italy will be the first exhibitor of the fair with over 1,500 companies present.
On the side of the Specialty Food Association, Kate Nettuno, Director of Exhibits and Sponsorships, explained what this partnership really means for Sicilian companies: “By visiting our fairs and meeting the buyers and retailers participating, they will have the exhibition that they do not have at the moment. Both the Summer Fancy Food and the Winter Fancy Fair will allow them access to these new markets. ” On the value of exclusive collaboration with Universal Marketing, Neptune added: “Their reach in the United States is incredible. As a partner of the SFA, it helps create connections around the world for Sicilian companies. ”
The agreement today took place in the spaces of Piazza Italia, which also houses other Italian companies in New York, including New York and Enoto, the main exhibition company of the BolognaFiere group.
L’articolo Sicilia e Fancy Food Show, signed a multiannual agreement to strengthen the presence on the American market proviene da IlNewyorkese.
