The Salone del Gusto 2000 closed on a high note: all records broken

The facts ands figures of the 2000 edition of the Salone del Gusto show just how successful the event was.
First things first, attendance figures. Last November’s Salone del Gusto, in fact, improved on the exceptional results of 1998 with 130,000 visitors from all over the world. 80 countries were represented, ranging from the countries of Eastern Europe to Bolivia, the Lebanon, Australia, Thailand, China and Brazil.
The mass-media were also present (en masse!), with close on 2,000 accredited journalists.
The 250 Taste Workshops were a sell-out, attracting as many as 14,200 people, while the 45 Great Halls (nine a day on cheeses, cured meats and cakes and confectionery) were attended by more than 30,000 people.
More than 120,000 tasting coupons were sold to 50,000 people at the two Wine Bars. Over two days, the ‘Taste Track’ event attracted as many as 4,000 people, while, on the Thursday and Friday, 2,400 schoolchildren from Northern and Central Italy took part in the ‘Schools On Track’ project on the roof of the Lingotto exhibition center.

During the five days of the Salone, 3 tonnes of bread, 70,000 bottles (hence 120,000 liters) of Sparea mineral water, 1,600 kilos of cakes and confectionery, 2 tonnes of cured meats and over 2 tonnes of cheese were handled by the depot responsible for supplying the Great Halls and the Taste Workshops. 64,000 glasses were used (and washed at a rate of 25,000 a day!) to taste 2,737 different labels of 850 types of wine.
Not forgetting that Lavazza served over 30,000 cups of coffee.
The 572 exhibitors at the market (representing 13 countries) used up virtually all their stocks of food and in the ‘Island of the Presidia’, the 91 products ‘saved’ by Slow Food were an enormous and unprecedented success with the public.
1.6 tonnes of Leonforte peaches were sold, the capocollo of Martina Franca was used to fill 1,300 sandwiches a day and, by the Saturday, there was no lardo di Colonnata (1.2 tonnes) left.
200 kilos of Genoese focaccia were produced (and gobbled up!) each day and the 400 forms of Robiola di Roccaverano brought to the show were also sold out.
Here’s hoping that the fourth Salone del Gusto in 2002 will be just as successful — if not more.