Spotlight on hospitality and restaurant services.
From Monday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 8th: insights, masterclasses, and matching supply and demand for jobs in the sector.
Longarone Fiere Dolomiti is increasingly becoming the “capital” of mountain tourism. From October 6th to 8th, Dolomiti Horeca, the hotel, restaurant, and café trade fair, returns. This is the fifth edition of an event that has become iconic for hospitality professionals. It is increasingly geared towards supporting the long-term momentum of the Olympics, which are now fast approaching.
“Horeca first entered the Fair’s calendar in 2019, and a few months after this insight, the 2026 Milan-Cortina trade fair was awarded,” recalls Chiara Bortolas, member of the Board of Directors of Longarone Fiere Dolomiti. “From there, things fell into place, and today, Horeca is one of the most strategic products for the Veneto region, a true reflection of what is the region’s leading industry in terms of numbers and business: tourism.”
The official presentation, which opened this morning with a welcome from Lionello Gorza, Vice President of Confcommercio Belluno, in the Veranda Room of the Pedavena Brewery, was also attended by the President of the Province, Roberto Padrin, Veneto Lavoro (represented by Marianna D’Incau, a specialist in matching supply and demand for the Belluno area), and Francesco De Toffol for Confcommercio Belluno. Giovanni De Lorenzi, director of Longarone Fiere, elaborates on the reasons behind choosing Birreria Pedavena: “It’s a meeting point for the entire Northeast, which is also the goal we set ourselves with Dolomiti Horeca: to engage industry professionals and bring them to Longarone to boost tourism.” And “The fact that this year’s event is showing further growth means that a tremendous amount of work has been done behind the scenes,” adds Roberto Padrin, President of the Province of Belluno. “The hotel industry, thanks in part to the Olympics, is one of the most vibrant sectors in our province, and Dolomiti Horeca represents a great opportunity that, as the numbers demonstrate, the professionals have seized.”
THE NUMBERS
And here they are, the numbers. This year, there are 224 direct exhibitors and 258 corporate brands at the fair, from 15 Italian regions and 11 foreign countries. The exhibition sectors range from equipment and systems, hotel supplies, large kitchens and systems, to food products, catering, furniture, and service software. Over 7,000 visitors are expected. “Horeca continues to expand: we’ve created an additional 12% of exhibitor space compared to the last edition, covering an area of over 13,500 square meters. This has also led to a 20% increase in economic output, a key factor,” De Lorenzi emphasizes, “and an unequivocal sign that Dolomiti Horeca is generating genuine interest from tourism and hospitality industry players.”
Chiara Bortolas also considers the decision to restrict entry to industry professionals to be “strategic.” “We’re taking on board a specific request they made,” she explains, “which aims to focus attention, over the three days of the fair, on the heart of the event: B2B.”
FOCUS ON WORK
Horeca will again this year offer a focus on jobs in the tourism sector. Thanks to the synergy with Veneto Lavoro and the Employment Centers, the day of matching supply and demand will be repeated.
“Matching supply and demand in the Dolomites is a difficult challenge: the shortage of personnel is a highly topical issue for tourism,” says Marianna D’Incau. “Together with Confcommercio, last year we developed the “IncontraLavoro” format specifically for tourism in the Veneto mountains, with the aim of customizing the recruitment service for individual companies. This initiative has been very well received. Aware of the difficulties in recruiting staff in our region, we have opened up to the outside world, involving Employment Centers throughout Italy.” The highlight of the recruiting day will be at Horeca on October 8th, from 10:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Companies seeking staff will be able to interview candidates for the open positions. Veneto Lavoro has already listed over 120 open positions in tourism facilities and received over 110 applications, from the Belluno area and beyond. At Horeca, those seeking employment in the sector and those offering it will be able to communicate together.
HOSPITALITY STRATEGIES
Continuing with the Olympics, but not limited to, the topic of digital strategies within tourism and destination marketing will be explored at the conference organized by Confcommercio and Federalberghi Belluno Dolomiti, entitled “Dynamic Pricing, Channel Management, Benchmarking – Practical Case Studies and Strategies for Improving Hotel and Destination Performance,” scheduled for Monday, October 6th (at 2:00 p.m.). On Tuesday, the conference will focus on the latest developments in the thermal account, which provides access to investment opportunities for modernizing facilities, entitled “Thermal Account 3.0: Technical, Credit, and Contribution Solutions for the Energy Efficiency of Tourism Businesses,” promoted by Fidimpresa FriulVeneto and Confcommercio Belluno Dolomiti with Gabetti Solution (at 10:00 a.m.). AI enters the Fair: Dolomiti Horeca is also firmly looking to the future, with another new feature for this 2025 edition. The collaboration with Webidoo will offer three events dedicated to innovation and the potential of using Artificial Intelligence in the hotel and hospitality sector, scheduled for Monday, October 6th at 1:10 PM and 3:00 PM, and Tuesday, October 7th at 12:00 PM.
MASTERCLASSES
Horeca will once again feature masterclasses this year. Many initiatives have already been scheduled, from pizza tastings with masters of the art of baking to Naniwa stone sharpening (with Ambrogio Sanelli), to a guided discovery of the great wines of our region, led by A.I.S.
Horeca opens on Monday, October 6th at 10:45 AM. Opening hours: Monday, October 6th and Tuesday, October 7th from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM; Wednesday, October 8th from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
