Longarone Fiere Dolomiti “capital” of mountain tourism with Horeca
From 6 to 8 October, three days of in-depth studies, masterclasses, and matching of supply and demand for work in the sector
Longarone Fiere Dolomiti will be the “capital” of mountain tourism for three days. In fact, from 6 to 8 October, Dolomiti Horeca returns, the fair for the hotel, restaurant and café sectors, the fourth edition of an event that has now become iconic for hospitality professionals. And increasingly oriented towards creating the long wave of the Olympics.
«Horeca entered the fair calendar for the first time in 2019 and a few months after this intuition, the assignment of Milan-Cortina 2026 arrived» recalls the president of Longarone Fiere Dolomiti, Michele Dal Farra. «Let’s say that from there things fell into place and today among the most strategic products for the Veneto there is precisely Horeca, which correctly interprets what is the first industry of the region in terms of numbers and business, namely tourism».
«The theme of hospitality is fundamental for our territory» adds the president of the Province of Belluno, Roberto Padrin. «Horeca in this sense can act both as a business card for the Belluno area and as a catalyst for companies that work in the tourism sector».
THE NUMBERS
Companies that have always had a welcome appointment in Horeca. This year there are 179 direct exhibitors and 207 corporate brands at the fair, coming from 13 Italian regions and 9 foreign countries. The exhibition sectors range from equipment and systems, hotel supplies, large kitchens and systems, to food products, catering, furniture and software for services.
“The new feature of 2024 is the expansion: we have 10% more spaces assigned compared to a year ago” explains President Dal Farra. “Then Sunday, which is the inaugural day, will be open to the public with a ticket, not just to industry professionals. The public will also be able to take advantage of the latest display of the fair, namely the “Scie di gloria” exhibition, which is located on the first floor and displays a vast range of winter sports equipment from the early 1900s to today. Including pieces used and signed by the great athletes of the “Valanga azzurra” “.
FOCUS ON WORK
Horeca will also propose a focus on work in tourism this year. Thanks to the synergy with Veneto Lavoro and the Employment Centers, a day of meeting between supply and demand will be organized.
“Matching supply and demand in the Dolomites is a difficult challenge: the lack of personnel is a very current issue for tourism” is the premise of Raffaella Bordin, head of Veneto Lavoro for Belluno. “Together with Confcommercio we have set up the “IncontraLavoro” format aimed specifically at tourism in the Veneto mountains with the aim of personalising the personnel search service for individual companies. We started with this initiative last summer. The highlight of the recruiting day will be at Horeca on 8 October, from 10 am to 2:30 pm. Companies that are looking for personnel will be able to interview candidates for open profiles”.
Veneto Lavoro has already collected over 120 open positions in tourism facilities and received over 110 applications, from the Belluno area and outside the province. At Horeca, those looking for work and those offering it will be able to talk together and Veneto Lavoro will be available for all three days of the event with a dedicated stand.
PARALYMPICS AND ACCESSIBILITY
Then there will be space for the topic of accessibility, with an ad hoc conference by Confcommercio and Federalberghi entitled “Universal hospitality: everyone is welcome”, scheduled for Monday 7 October (at 2 pm). «We are strongly focusing on the approach to the Olympics and especially the Paralympics» explains Luca Dal Poz, director of Ascom Confcommercio Belluno. «If we are ready for particular and attentive hospitality, such as that of people with disabilities, we will be even more ready for hospitality in general. This year we want to communicate what companies are doing, and understand how to make it known. The Belluno mountains are a place where accessibility is guaranteed».
MASTERCLASSES
Horeca will also be a masterclass. Many initiatives have already been scheduled, from demonstrations of Japanese stone knife sharpening (by master Leonardo Donnini) to pizza tastings with masters of the white art; from Naniwa stone sharpening (with Ambrogio Sanelli) to pizza and wine pairings.
Horeca will be inaugurated on Sunday, October 6th at 10:45. Open on Sunday 6th, Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th from 10:00 to 18:00.
