An expanded layout to make space for all those that have applied to participate: 1000 exhibitors, 6 pavilions, 60,000 m2 of exhibition space for an event that is more international than ever

Bologna also hosts the General Forum for the Organic Sector from 5-6 September

A further boost to the event’s sustainability credentials: at SANA 2019 the restaurants, bars and catering will all be plastic free

Organics means success: the demand for organic foods is growing, as is the demand for dietary supplements and natural cosmetics for personal care, there is a similar trend concerning sustainable products. A macro-sector in expansion, both nationally and internationally, can count on SANA – the International Exhibition of Natural and Organic Products, the reference event in Italy.

The 31st edition of the event will take place in Bologna from 6 to 9 September 2019. Organised by BolognaFiere, in collaboration with Assobio and Federbio, with the support of the Ministry of the Environment and the Protection of the Territory and the Sea and the backing of ITA, the Italian Trade Agency, SANA is much more than a fair event: it is the destination for business connected to the world of organic products, the platform for discussion and cultural exchange on themes concerning the sector, and the place to meet operators from all over the world.

This business oriented event takes full advantage of the expertise of BolognaFiere, Italy’s second largest fair event organiser and one of the leading players in Europe with a consolidated know-how concerning the organisation of B2B events that are leaders in their respective sectors.

SANA 2019: THREE MACRO SECTORS, 1000 EXHIBITORS AND 60,000 M2 OF EXHIBITION SPACE
At less than two months from opening, applications to participate at SANA have been so numerous – to date around 1000 exhibiting companies – as to necessitate an extra pavilion in addition to those already planned, for a total of 6 pavilions (21, 25, 26, 28, 29 e 30) and 60,000 m2 of exhibition space, in the sectors:
• FOOD, which will showcase the leading companies in the Italian and international organic food sector (pavilions 28, 29 and 30)
• CARE&BEAUTY, the space dedicated to producers of natural and organic cosmetics, body care products, dietary supplements, natural products and services for personal care (pavilions 25 and 26);
• GREEN LIFESTYLE, which will propose eco-compatible technologies, products and solutions, for healthy and responsible lifestyles.

CONVENTIONS, WORKSHOPS AND SEMINARS: SANA THE CENTRE OF DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING THE ORGANIC SECTOR
The exhibition offer at SANA is further complemented by a packed line up of conventions, workshops and seminars and an important initiative for incoming foreign trade delegations from 30 countries, in 2018 there were more than 2000 planned meetings between exhibiting companies and international buyers.
Also confirmed for 2019 is the presentation of the SANA Observatory (compiled by Nomisma) scheduled for the afternoon of Friday 6 September, the focus of this edition is the competitive positioning of Made in Italy organic products on foreign markets, with an in-depth analysis of Russian and Japanese markets, thanks to the participation of Giuseppe Russo, director of the ITA office in Moscow, and Antonella Marucci, deputy director of the ITA office in Tokyo.
In addition to this will be the presentation of key statistics from the Italian organic sector and the results of an analysis of consumer trends in Italy, a presentation that each year pinpoints the new consumption trends in the domestic market.

Three themes will be at the heart of the conventions of the SANA Academy, the event’s “cultural branch” that each year offers opportunities for in-depth analysis of the very latest topics for the sector; last year’s edition registered an increase of 27% in the number of participants.
On Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 September, discussions will focus on food intolerances and allergies, dedicating particular attention to Celiac disease, which is now classified as an autoimmune condition. The subject of the second meeting is dietary supplements that contain ‘botanicals’ and their interaction with other ingredients and pharmaceutical products. The third and final in-depth session will examine the possible use of by-products from the food agriculture sector in the development of new products to benefit human health.

ON 5 AND 6 SEPTEMBER BOLOGNA WILL HOST THE GENERAL FORUM FOR THE ORGANIC SECTOR
The 2019 edition of SANA in Bologna will acknowledge the growing centrality of the world of organic products on 5 and 6 September with the initiative FROM THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO THE ORGANIC REVOLUTION, two days dedicated to a “General Forum for the Organic Sector”, with extremely high-level discussions to outline the strategic choices for the future of agriculture and fundamental factors such as sustainability, respect for the environment and the sound use of resources.
The event, promoted by BolognaFiere in collaboration with FederBio and AssoBio, will stimulate reflection on the role of organics for Italian agriculture and on their correlation with essential factors that will be key in the future, such as biodiversity, the protection of water and climate change.
On its opening day, FROM THE GREEN REVOLUTION TO THE ORGANIC REVOLUTION will examine – using a multidisciplinary approach – the key themes of interest concerning the 2030 scenario of organic agriculture, and on the second day there will be a moment for debate with the leading institutions and the most relevant national and international actors in the sector.
The “General Forum for the Organic Sector” taking place in parallel to SANA will provide a moment for maximum visibility for the organic world, underlining the event’s role as the place at which, each year, the relevant associations and institutions, the experts, operators and companies in the sector all congregate in order to take part in discussions concerning the topics of greatest importance for the protection of the environment.

PLASTIC-FREE CATERING AT SANA
Zero plastic in the bars and restaurants at SANA, which this year is proving to be even more coherent with the themes of sustainability and respect for the environment that are a central concept of the event, both in terms of the training events and the exhibition side.
Thanks to the collaboration with, and the commitment of, Camst, single-use plastic will be replaced by glass and decomposable materials, while mineral water will be provided free from special distributors. The food and wine available will also have an emphasis on organic products, with snacks, sandwiches, pastries, pizzas, salads, fruits and drinks, including wines, that are all rigorously organic and sold in decomposable containers.

SANA NOVITÀ: A PREVIEW OF THE SECTOR
New products, rethinking packaging, restyling existing lines, modifying ingredients and recipes: the exhibition SANA Novità will present to the media and operators from the sector the latest innovations launched on the market by the exhibiting companies.
Located in the Service Centre, SANA Novità – which in 2018 included more than 950 items – is the best possible review of what’s on offer at the event: a concentration of innovations that provides an immediate view of the wealth and variety of products and services presented in Bologna.