Sigep 2023, the international show for artisan gelato, pastry, bakery and coffee, ran in Rimini from 21 to 25 January. Carpigiani used it to host a programme of talks with guest chefs from its booth in Hall C1 and to launch celebrations for the 20th anniversary of Carpigiani Gelato University.

Twenty years of Gelato University

Alumni of the school gathered at the booth to share their success stories. Since September 2003, more than 70,000 students have attended its courses, and it now runs 22 campuses in 21 countries. Kaori Ito, director of Carpigiani Gelato University, said the school arrived at Sigep having passed a major milestone, confirming its international role in training both new entrepreneurs and experienced professionals.

Carpigiani also sponsored the Gelato Europe Cup, a new addition to Sigep 2023. It brought together European teams of gelato makers and confectioners competing for places at the 10th Gelato World Cup, held at Sigep 2024.

The programme

• Saturday 21 January: chef consultant Pier Giorgio Parini discussed using soft gelato in a dessert menu, with Giacomo Pini of GPStudios moderating.
• Sunday 22 January: the Gelato Arena hosted the Gelato Festival World Masters German Challenge, a step towards the 2025 world finals.
• Monday 23 January: master pastry chef Alessandro Dalmasso spoke on choux pastry, interviewed by Livia Chiriotti of Chiriotti Editore. Later, Marco De Vivo of De Vivo pastry shop in Pompei talked about traditional Italian pastry with Carpigiani Gelato University instructor Andrea Fiori.
• Tuesday 24 January: a “Gelato Jam Session” with Cinzia Otri (Gelateria della Passera, Florence), Gabriele Vannucci (Gelato, Florence) and Giorgio Ballabeni (Ballabeni Icecream, Munich), swapping recipes and samples of signature flavours. In the afternoon, pastry chef and AMPI master Carmine Di Donna, also a Carpigiani Gelato University instructor, was interviewed by Gabriele Vannucci about gelato in restaurant desserts.

Learn from the same school in New Zealand

You can tap into this expertise without travelling to Italy. Find out about Carpigiani Gelato University through Majors Group, browse our training options, and see the Carpigiani gelato machines and pastry machines used in the courses.

Source: Carpigiani news. Rewritten for New Zealand by Majors Group.