From Liguria to the Big Apple: eight Ligurian excellences in the USA
Our collaboration with Universal Marketing
and the Region of Liguria
Every year, the Summer Fancy Food Show offers a unique showcase for Italian companies that want to get noticed in the U.S. market.
And so, in June 2025, we headed to the Big Apple to take part in the most important event for Made in Italy companies looking toward the American market.
We attended the event as a partner of Universal Marketing, the exclusive agent in Italy for the Specialty Food Association and the official organizer of the Italian pavilion at the Summer Fancy Food Show. Our goal was to support the Liguria Region in the commercial promotion of a selection of eight Ligurian companies, each with its own story and products, turning the Liguria Region’s exhibition area into a landmark for anyone wishing to discover the authenticity of Liguria’s food & beverage excellence.
An initiative designed to highlight each brand, create qualified connections, and generate concrete opportunities for commercial growth.
What will you find in this new success story?
Represented companies
Artigiana Genovese,
Pastificio Alta Valle Scrivia,
Oleificio Santagata,
Biscottificio Grondona,
Amaretti Virginia, Pesto di Pra’,
Tonitto 1939 and Nuovo Liquorificio Fabbrizii.
Project Timeline
4
months
Target
Buyers, importers, and
Ho.Re.Ca. operators and
gourmet retail
in the United States
Objective
Strengthen the international
visibility of Ligurian companies
and generate qualified leads
Opportunities Generated
67
Active leads
Destination
United States
Challenges
01
Strengthen the visibility of the “Liguria” brand
in a complex and diverse market like the United States.
02
Ensure a
structured
approach
that maximizes the number of meetings and qualified leads.
03
Enhance the
export skills of Ligurian SMEs
by establishing lasting business relationships with importers, distributors, and Ho.Re.Ca. operators.
Solution
How did we arrive at the ideal solution?
After an initial set-up phase, focused on analyzing the market in all its complexity and defining the most suitable strategy, we identified the tools and actions to implement in order to effectively address the challenges encountered.
Analysis and Profiling
With Our Sales
Intelligence Platform
With Our Sales
Intelligence Platform
We analyzed the digital presence of American prospects, selecting the contacts that showed the greatest affinity with Ligurian products.
SOCIAL
SELLING
SELLING
We adopted a fully personalized approach, supported by insights from the Mallei platform and by analyzing the engagement patterns of U.S. buyers.
CONTACT
MANAGEMENT
MANAGEMENT
A native-speaking team, specialized in the U.S. food market, managed direct contact with decision-makers, tailoring content and tone. This accelerated the development of business relationships and significantly reduced the time needed to schedule meetings.
Strategic
Presence at
the Fair
Presence at
the Fair
We supported the companies directly at the booth, handling conversations on certifications, distribution, and FDA compliance, turning the products into concrete opportunities for the U.S. market.
Structured
Follow-Up
Follow-Up
Direct contact with personalized materials sent, and development of the relationships initiated in New York, which immediately led to sample requests and follow-up meetings.
Strategy
Do you want a personalized strategy?
Our collaboration with Universal Marketing and the Liguria Region was born with the goal of supporting Ligurian companies in the U.S. market and enhancing their commercial potential during the Summer Fancy Food Show.
We began with a detailed analysis of U.S. buyers through our Sales Intelligence platform, which allowed us to identify 1,489 decision-makers and gather valuable insights about them to understand their interests and priorities. This enabled us to build a personalized communication path and initiate targeted conversations even before the fair.
Within the ‘Liguria Lounge’ exhibition space, animated by a chef preparing Ligurian dishes for visitors and buyers, the eight companies were able to present their products more effectively. Thanks to the insights on decision-makers and the preparation done in advance on the topics most requested by U.S. buyers, such as certifications, distribution, shelf-life, and FDA regulations, the presence of our specialists on-site facilitated more concrete exchanges and strengthened the overall image of the Liguria eco-system.
The pre-fair activities led to the generation of 67 qualified leads, including CEOs, Senior Buyers, Purchasing Managers, and Category Managers. Most contacts came from the East Coast and Midwest, and the profiles identified were consistent with the target market, ranging from specialized importers to gourmet retail, premium restaurants, and foodservice. Many buyers engaged with the companies in the weeks preceding the event thanks to the preparatory activities, resulting in immediate requests for samples and further discussions.
Beyond the results achieved during the event, the project created strategic assets that remain available for future initiatives, such as a validated database of U.S. decision-makers, replicable operational methodologies, and a consolidated international network. Companies were supported with preparation that included reviewing materials in English, commercial briefings, and intercultural training, all of which made participation at the fair smoother and more effective.
The process concluded with a structured follow-up phase to keep in touch with the buyers met in New York. Personalized communications have already led to additional requests and new commercial developments. The initiative generated relationships with 551 international operators and demonstrated the effectiveness of a data-driven approach, intercultural expertise, and direct support for companies. This mission now serves as a concrete example of how a regional system can strengthen its presence in global markets through strategic and coordinated work.
Slaps statistics
1469
Profiled
Operators
Results
Building quality relationships with international players and initiating long-lasting business partnerships
Contact
profiling
551
Qualified contacts
with validated
decision-makers
Opportunities Generated
67
Active leads generated with commercial dialogue already initiated
Prospect-to-lead conversion rate
12,2%
Almost double the benchmark for the Italian gourmet sector in the USA.
Next Steps
The experience at the Summer Fancy Food Show 2025 confirmed the value of an integrated approach, combining Sales Intelligence, social selling, and direct, skilled management of relationships. This method turned the fair presence into real business opportunities, strengthening the position of the Liguria Region and the participating companies in the U.S. market, and demonstrating the Liguria eco-system’s concrete commitment to supporting its producers in internationalization efforts.
The results achieved, together with the assets created and the strength of a data-driven and intercultural approach, show that this is a replicable best practice, deserving of institutional and media visibility, and consolidating Liguria’s role as a credible player in international economic development.
