Organised by Zenith International in association with Italian mineral water trade association Mineracqua, the event brought together more than 50 producers, suppliers, customers and other industry partners. The event was sponsored by Krones and Bericap.
The programme began with a plant tour to leading brand Ferrarelle, in Riardo near Naples. The Ferrarelle plant at Riardo is one of the largest mineral water bottling plants in Italy, certainly the biggest in southern Italy. The site covers an area of 130 hectares, rich in vegetation, near the Casilina, the major communications route of the Roman Empire, between Naples and Rome.
The first industrial plant dates back to 1893. It employs about 160 employees and produces 550m litres of mineral water per year of the brands Ferrarelle, Santagata and Natia in PET and glass. There are three bottling lines with speeds from 34,000 to 43,000 bottles per hour, processing different bottle sizes from 25cl to 2-litre. Furthermore, the site utilises a photovoltaic system for the production of 1,000 kW of electricity – one of the most powerful in southern Italy.
The first afternoon of the event featured an informal review by five MDs who considered current market trends, industry changes, retailer pressures, horeca, consumer concerns, health, environmental issues and innovation.
The session featured:
The session was moderated by Zenith International chairman Richard Hall.
The four bottled water company MDs each described the key issues in the marketplace, with consumption falling a little due to overall economic pressures and raw material prices rising. When Vincenzo Tassinari joined the panel and the floor was opened to questions, there was much discussion about Coop Italia’s recent pro-tap water advertising campaign.
The first day closed with a drinks reception and industry dinner.
The conference day began with a session on ‘Market realities’. Mineracqua director Dr Paula Parziale welcomed delegates and introduced the first session. Roberto Donati, market analyst for Zenith International, then talked about ‘2010 Italian market themes and developments’.
Italy is one of the largest producers of mineral water in the world and has one of the highest levels of consumption per person. Ongoing pressure from economic conditions, tap water and environmental lobbies and a competitive retail and horeca environment means the industry faces a number of challenges it needs to address to ensure a sustainable future.
Daniella Murelli, CSR director of Sanpellegrino, followed with the subject of ‘Meeting consumer needs, hopes and concerns’. The session closed with ‘Success in vending and Horeca’, by Domenico Di Carluccio, modern trade sales director for Coca-Cola HBC Italia.
After a hydration break, the conference moved on to the subject of ‘Promoting the integrity of mineral water’. Dr Paula Parziale, director of Mineracqua, opened the session with a presentation entitled: ‘Communicating effectively and collectively’.
The keynote address – ‘The benefits of healthy hydration’ – was given by Hubert Genieys, senior vice president, corporate communications for Nestlé Waters and president of the European Federation of Bottled Waters (EFBW).
The session closed with Alessandro Pasquale, general director of Karlovarské Minerální Vody, talking about ‘Experiences from the Czech Republic’.
After lunch the conference moved on to a session on ‘Environmental action’, which was opened by Vincenzo Tundo, marketing director of Acqua Minerale San Benedetto SpA, talking about joint projects for environmental sustainability between San Benedetto and the Italian ministry of the environment.
Franco Tomba, general manager of Krones then talked about ‘Ecology, economy and ergonomics’, and the session closed with Giuseppe Cerbone, director general of Ferrarelle SpA, who considered ‘Sustainability from source to consumer’.
The conference closed with two detailed market briefings. The first was on ‘Water market trends around the world’, presented by Zenith International chairman Richard Hall, and the second was entitled ‘Water innovation around the world’, presented by FoodBev Media group editorial director Bill Bruce.
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