LUV Fiera will return to Bari on 4, 5, and 6 July 2028. The third edition of the event, which brings together businesses, buyers, researchers and international experts, was announced during the opening ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Nuova Fiera del Levante exhibition center.
“We have decided to move LUV Fiera to July so that it takes place at the beginning of the table grape marketing season, a strategic period for the sector when it is still possible to influence commercial agreements and product pricing dynamics. We are already looking ahead to 2028, with the aim of further consolidating LUV’s role in the sector, strengthening its international outlook and its ability to serve as a genuine platform for business, discussion and development across the entire supply chain,” explain Mirko Sgaramella and Francesco Menelao of Fruit Communication, the organizers of LUV Fiera.
The table grape trade fair welcomes 192 exhibitors from 19 countries to the Apulian capital. Following the success of the opening day, LUV gets into full swing with a packed program of debates, round tables and technical sessions hosted in the LUV Auditorium and LUV Agorà. The day will be marked by the Table Grape Conference, a series of meetings bringing together agronomists, researchers, buyers, institutions and leading international players from across the supply chain.
“Supporting LUV – the Table Grape Fair means investing in a sector that is strategic for the local economy and capable of combining strong local roots with an openness to international markets,” said Ferdinando Natali, Southern Italy Regional Manager at UniCredit. “At UniCredit, we believe in business growth and the development of productive ecosystems. This is why we have focused on Southern Italy, including through an observatory established with Svimez to analyze its potential and support its growth prospects. Demand for Italian products on international markets remains strong, and we expect positive effects on production and employment. However, significant challenges remain, starting with energy costs and difficulties in recruiting workers. Addressing them requires supporting businesses and strengthening connections among all supply-chain stakeholders. We believe that when the local area grows, we grow too. Our goal is to help build a solid, competitive production ecosystem capable of generating long-term value.”
LUV – The Table Grape Fair is organized by Fruit Communication, with the support of Nuova Fiera del Levante, APEO, CUT – Italian Table Grape Commission, and the Sicilian Table Grape Association. UniCredit is the event’s main sponsor. The event is held in collaboration with the Apulia Region’s Department of Agriculture and Rural Development and the Bari Chamber of Commerce. Institutional partners also include the Municipality of Bari and the Metropolitan City of Bari, while SG Marketing and Coldiretti Puglia are among the partners and industry organizations involved.
A survey promoted by uvadatavola.com provides a snapshot of the sector’s structural challenges. While 77.5 percent of respondents say they do not feel part of a cohesive industry, the findings point to a strong demand for change: 68.3 percent consider active coordination among commercial operators essential, while 71.8 percent identify collective organization and coordinated supply policies as the key to rebalancing relations with large-scale retail. This figure is significantly higher than the 10.6 percent who rely primarily on political intervention. However, this clear awareness of the need for cooperation contrasts with a marked lack of confidence in current industry governance. Supply-chain associations receive an average score of just 4.3 out of 10, with almost half of respondents (46.7 percent) giving them a distinctly negative rating. Among those who do not feel part of a cohesive sector, the average score falls to 3.9, compared with 5.8 among those who perceive greater cohesion.
“I would like to extend special thanks to all the exhibitors, more than 192 of whom are here at this particularly challenging time, showcasing their products and quality. Thanks also to the LUV organizers for continuing to believe in this project despite the difficult circumstances,” said Francesco Paolicelli, Apulia Region’s Councilor for Agriculture. “Apulia must respond to challenges that are affecting not only our region but all Italian regions. This is a global crisis impacting several supply chains. We must start with quality, networking and cooperation with other regions, because continuing to reach new markets is essential at a time when the closure of some markets due to the war is forcing us to look elsewhere. We are also working on logistics, including air cargo, which makes it possible to deliver our high-quality products to their destinations within hours and represents an important new development. We are now working to overcome this difficult period by allocating resources to current expenditure rather than investment, helping agricultural businesses cope with rising production costs. This work is being carried out in coordination with all Italian regions.”
Gaetano Frulli, President of Nuova Fiera del Levante, added: “The experience of 2024 had already helped us understand the opportunities offered by LUV. The Fruit Communication team has placed the value of an extraordinary product that represents us at the center of the event, because table grapes mean Apulia and Italy. For the exhibition center, supporting this initiative is not just a duty but also an opportunity to distinguish our venue and exhibition district, promoting local businesses and creating a hub for connections between buyers. Welcoming representatives from every continent also brings prestige to the region. The experience we can share with visitors is equally important: they come here to do business, but also to get to know us as people and as companies. With its second edition, LUV is doubling its exhibition space, with substantial investment in facilities and logistics, exhibition areas and stand quality that can compete with those of major international trade fairs. This shows that we are on the right track. I am confident this edition will allow us to make our mark and bring Nuova Fiera del Levante, LUV and our table grapes to the attention of the entire world.”
The morning program at the LUV Auditorium begins at 10:00 and focuses on market dynamics and consumer behavior. The opening session, Inside the Consumer’s Mind, will feature three analytical presentations. From 10:00 to 10:15, Hannes Tauber (VOG) will examine the apple sector as a benchmark for table grapes, followed by Raquel Herce (Mint), who will discuss marketing strategies in the grape industry. From 10:30 to 11:00, Salvo Garipoli (SG Marketing) will present a comparative study of Italian and German consumers to explore how to create value in an evolving market.
Two major round-table discussions will follow. From 11:00 to 12:15, representatives of Italian large-scale retail (Coop Italia, Megamark, Gruppo Arena, Unicomm and Veronamercato) will discuss the journey from shelf to end consumer. From 12:15 to 13:15, the focus will shift to imports into Northern European markets, examining sustainability and commercial dynamics, with contributions from O.P. Giuliano Puglia Fruit, FIS Group and Olympic Fruit.
The afternoon program at the LUV Auditorium resumes at 14:00 with a discussion on labor and competitiveness. A 75-minute round table will bring together representatives of the Apulia Region, agricultural organizations (Coldiretti, Confagricoltura, CIA and Fruitimprese), ARPAL and the UILA Puglia trade union.
The second part of the afternoon will be devoted to The Table Grape of the Future. From 15:30 to 16:30, Italian grape breeders (Rete IVC, SicilGrape, Grape & Grape, AgriUnitech and Nu.Va.U.T.) will present new varieties and development opportunities. From 16:30 to 17:30, the International Varietal Outlook will bring together leading global players, including Hort-IP, Bloom Fresh, Grape Evolution, Sun World and AVI – RK Growers. Finally, from 17:30 to 18:30, a panel will explore retail standards and the needs of international markets.
In parallel, LUV Agorà will host a series of scientific and technical sessions. The morning begins at 10:00 with Xylella and Pierce’s disease. From 10:00 to 10:30, Donato Boscia (CNR-IPSP) will explain how to identify and prevent the disease, followed from 10:30 to 11:00 by Salvatore Infantino (Apulia Region Plant Health Observatory), who will present the regional containment strategy. Both sessions will be moderated by Tea Di Lorenzo of Radio Puglia.
The next session will explore grapevine genetic improvement. From 11:15 to 11:30, Cinzia Montemurro (University of Bari) will outline general breeding strategies. From 11:30 to 11:45, Giorgio Gambino (CNR-IPSP, Turin) will discuss the opportunities and prospects offered by Assisted Evolution Technologies (AETs). From 11:45 to 12:00, Costantino Pirolo (Rete IVC) will address the question of whether it is possible to develop a seedless Italia grape.
Water will conclude the morning program. From 12:15 to 12:30, Giuseppe Cacucci (Food Agri Service) will discuss the physiological relationships of grapevines with water. A round table from 12:30 to 13:15, featuring Netafim, Agriproject Group and the University of Bari, will examine strategies for reducing water consumption without compromising yields.
In the afternoon, LUV Agorà reopens at 14:00 with a focus on soil health and the microbiome. A round table coordinated by Ilaria De Marinis, with contributions from CREA-VE, Tenute D’Onghia and Graper, will examine the evidence supporting regenerative viticulture. From 14:45, Giacomo Mastrosimini (Graper) will offer practical guidance on transforming degraded land into living soil. At 15:00, Laura D’Andrea (CIEC) and Liliana Gaeta (CREA-AA) will discuss the role of organic matter in mitigating abiotic stress. From 15:15, Luigi Tarricone (CREA-VE) will examine the effects of soil management, while at 15:30 Maurizio Simone and Graziano De Filippis (Doctor Farmer) will present solutions for regenerating soils and reducing water and heat stress.
The LUV Agorà program concludes with two further meetings. From 16:15 to 16:45, a technical talk organized by Doctor Farmer with AVI, CREA-VE and the University of Bari will analyze the effects of integrated protocols on the Arrathirty cultivar. Finally, from 17:00 to 17:45, a roundtable organized by FIMAA will close the program with a discussion on rules, transparency, and value in table grape brokerage.
*All images courtesy of LUV Feria.
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