The Italian coffee at the conquest of the world

illycaffè presents the Coffee Culture Global Tour and its presence  at EXPO Milano 2015 as cultural advisor of the coffee world

Rome, September 5, 2013 – Today, Expo Milano 2015 and illycaffè have presented to the Foreign Press in Rome the Coffee Cluster, one of nine theme pavilions that at Expo 2015 will focus on specific food and subjects related to the main topic “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. 

Giuseppe Sala (CEO of Expo 2015 Company), Andrea Illy (Chairman and CEO of illycaffè), and Robério Oliveira Silva (Executive Director of ICO, International Coffee Organization) have explained the perspectives and the opportunities for the world of coffee offered by this significant international event.

This morning, at the  meeting, illycaffè has also announced an important global  tour aimed at celebrating coffee and at spreading the culture of this black beverage, very well-known (after oil it is the second commodity worldwide), and yet not much  known in its manifold appealing features.

The  Tour

Nine cities; three continents; twenty months left before the opening of Expo Milano 2015, that will be focused on the subject of “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life”. Coffee will be one of the main players. illycaffè has been given the mission of managing all cultural contents related to coffee.

Under the aegis of the International Coffee Organization, the tour will bring to every city the expertise of the coffee world, seen from different perspectives:

  • The journey from the bean to the coffee cup;
  • The creativity being born by/and developed around the coffee cup (art, literature, etc.);
  • The culture and the traditions of the countries where coffee is grown and where coffee is drunk;
  • Coffee and pleasure (sensorial, intellectual, social);
  • Coffee and sustainability (economic, environmental, social);
  • Coffee and health (the virtues of a drink that cheers life).

The tour will begin as September 9th from Belo Horizonte (Brazil), on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the International Coffee Organization, the most important intergovernmental organization of the exporting and importing countries, with an exhibition of photos that Sebastião Salgado has made for illycaffè in the last ten years to tell the rural reality of coffee growers’ life.

Sebastião Salgado and Josè Carlos Grossi, coffee grower, will be the Brazilian ambassadors at this event, in an ideal relay race that will finish in Milan, in January 2015. In each of the involved countries, a local testimonial and a representative of the company’s stakeholders will be called to explain and to witness the values that define illy world.

The tour will reach the following cities, and in each of them it will offer a different perspective on the coffee world:

2014
New York (February)
Seoul (April)
Shanghai (June)
Bogotá (September)
Dubai (October/November)

2015
London (February)
Berlin (March)
Paris (April)

illycaffè and Expo Milano 2015
illycaffè has been chosen as partner by Expo Milano 2015 thanks to its experience and the number of relationships developed in eighty years of history: this is such a unique heritage that illy has been acknowledged as the authority of the genuine Italian espresso worldwide. Its deep knowledge of the coffee world and of the growing countries; its pursuit of excellence and innovation; its looking forward to  sustainable development; its  talent for  giving life to cultural and artistic events are the most important reasons that have led Expo 2015  to opt for the Triestine coffee company.

Expo Milano 2015 will be the longest event ever focused on coffee, made possible by an innovative partnership among the  institutions and a private player.

At Expo Milano 2015  all visitors will have the occasion to begin a journey in the world of coffee, thanks to dedicated exhibition areas and an agenda full of events: from popularization meetings to tastings, from conventions to entertainment. In the common area, Sebastião Salgado’s  reportage will be on display: his  is a tribute paid to the people, the history, the traditions, and the nature of the countries where coffee is produced. This photographic journey in the coffee producing countries is a work in progress for illy since 2002, and has the purpose of telling the life and the work of coffee growers and the beauty of those regions. Thanks to the network of international relationships developed by the Triestine company in time, Expo Milano 2015 will participate to the promotional program and the market development of ICO (International Coffee Organization), the reference for the coffee industry. Moreover, with multimedia tools and interactive systems it will be possible to share the experience of the world of coffee in real time, beyond the exhibition space and with the guest countries.

Above all, the project will be focused on sustainability. The stands will be made of environmentally-sustainable materials: objects of daily use and special installations will be shaped and made of exhausted coffee, whereas some clothes will be manufactured by coffee fibers.

At the coffee bar it will be possible to taste the illy coffees studied and proposed by the University of Coffee, while at the shop visitors may  buy all kinds of products branded illy and illy Group. In order to make the espresso experience as absolute as possible, and to match esthetic and tasting pleasures, a new collection of coffee cups will be designed and produced on the occasion of Expo Milano 2015.

“Coffee is the drink that counterpoints Italians’ life, every day” Andrea Illy, President and CEO of the company said. “Worldwide, espresso, the coffee elixir, is one of the most recognizable symbols of Made in Italy. In eighty years of history, illycaffè has given life to the most important innovations of the industry: from the espresso machine (as it is meant today, that is pressure coffee machine) to the pressurized packaging to the new portioned coffee. The scientific  research and the technological innovations have been the  guiding principles of our pursuit of excellence. This is why we have considered an important acknowledgement to be chosen as tutor of coffee-related contents for Expo Milano 2015, and this is why we have decided  to organize a Global Tour of the coffee culture, as an  approaching journey to the great event”.

“The Expo will be the highest moment, the most important stopover of the Global Tour focused on coffee that we have presented today” Giuseppe Sala, CEO of Expo 2015 Company explained. “Thanks to the decisive contribution of illycaffè, this Cluster will be one of the most interesting and fascinating pavilions to visit at Expo Milano 2015. We are sure that illy will set up exhibitions, events, and meetings so to increase the unique and extraordinary story of coffee and of each variety. The Expo will offer a meeting place and  a once in a lifetime event  to all those countries that will play a part in the Coffee Cluster and in the International Coffee Organization: with both of them we have begun a wonderful, factual, and cultural journey,  with the purpose of discovering one of the most beloved drink of the world”.


Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffè produces and markets a unique blend of espresso coffee under a single brand leader in quality. Over 6 million cups of illy espresso coffee are enjoyed every day. illy is sold in over 140 countries around the world and is available in more than 100,000 of the best restaurants and coffee bars. espressamente illy, the chain of franchised Italian-style coffee bars is now present in more than 30 countries and comprises 230 outlets. With the aim of spreading the coffee culture, illy has founded the Università del caffè, the centre of excellence offering theoretical and practical training on every aspect of coffee for coffee growers, coffee shops staff and enthusiasts. On a global level illycaffè employs about 900 people and has a consolidated turnover of €361 million. (2012 results).

illy buys green coffee directly from the growers of the highest quality Arabica through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. The Trieste-based company fosters long-term collaborations with the world's best coffee growers - in Brazil, Central America, India, Africa and China - providing know-how and technology and offering above-market prices.


Expo 2015 is the company in charge with the organization and managing of Expo Milan 2015 events. Set up in December 2008, it is made by the Government of the Italian Republic (Ministry of Economy and Finances), the Lombardia Region, the Municipality of Milan, the Province of Milan, and the Commerce, Industry, Agriculture, and Arts and Crafts Chamber. The Universal Exposition will take place in Milan from the 1st of May to the 31st of October 2015. For more info and updates on the subject “Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life” and the Expo 2015 activities go to   www.expo2015.org 


About the ICO:  The International Coffee Organization (ICO) is an intergovernmental organization created under the auspices of the United Nations to serve the international coffee community. Established in 1963, the ICO is unique in bringing producing and consuming countries together to exchange views on coffee matters and market conditions, and address coffee policies. In the last four calendar years, the value of world coffee exports by exporting countries averaged over US$19.3 billion. Among the services provided by the ICO are: up-to-date information and statistics; innovative projects to benefit the world coffee economy; coffee market reports and economic studies; a coffee quality improvement programme; consultations on coffee sector finance; developing consumption through market development activities; and conferences and seminars.


For further information:
illycaffè - Anna Adriani/ Christine Pascolo - t: +39 040.3890111

Expo 2015 - Stefano Gallizzi – t. +39 345.7742807 – stefano.gallizzi@expo2015.org