Verona, 27 February 2026. More than ninety events over three days, spanning current affairs, education and taste, in a journey that embraces Italy’s olive oil heritage from the North to the islands. SOL Expo is preparing to cut the ribbon on its second edition, scheduled at Veronafiere from Sunday to Tuesday (1–3 March 2026, Hall 12), ready to welcome industry professionals as well as consumers and food lovers. With 15 producing regions represented at the venue and 230 companies from Italy, Slovenia, Spain and Hungary, alongside the main trade associations, the exhibition is an international showcase entirely dedicated to the whole supply chain, from the olive tree to the table.
On the programme front, the event opens on Sunday morning with the inauguration (11:00 a.m., Area Talk), featuring speeches—following the opening remarks by Veronafiere President Federico Bricolo, the Mayor of Verona Damiano Tomasi, and the Vice President of the Province of Verona David Di Michele—by the Undersecretary at the Ministry of Agriculture Patrizio La Pietra and the Deputy Executive Director of the International Olive Council (IOC) Abderraouf Laajimi. The Minister of Agriculture, Food Sovereignty and Forestry, Francesco Lollobrigida, is also expected to attend on the opening day.
Among the highlights addressing key sector topics is the conference scheduled for Monday morning (2 March, 12:00 p.m., Area Talk), titled “Market challenges for olive oil in a changing world”, offering an overview of the global landscape—from climate change to production shifts, and from consumer behaviour to price dynamics. Participants include Patrizio La Pietra, Abderraouf Laajimi, the Executive Director of the North American Olive Oil Association Joe Profaci, and Evita Gandini, Head of Market Insight at Nomisma, who will present a new consumer survey conducted for SOL Expo.
The analysis of the current economic context and future scenarios continues in the afternoon (2 March, 3:00 p.m., Area Talk) with “From the European market to the Mediterranean and Mercosur: the winds shaping olive growing and olive oil”. The talk will feature Members of the European Parliament Dario Nardella (Committee on Agriculture) and Stefano Cavedagna (Committee on the Internal Market), in discussion with Patrizio La Pietra, Javier Olmedo, Director of the Fundación del Olivar, and Gennaro Sicolo, Vice President of the IOC Advisory Committee.
At the start of the second day, the National Olive Oil Plan roundtable organised by MASAF is scheduled (2 March, 9:30 a.m., Room B), followed by “The growing demand for sustainability: from scientific evidence to storytelling for extra virgin olive oil” (2 March, 11:30 a.m., Area Talk), featuring contributions from Francesco Lollobrigida, Abderraouf Laajimi and Alessia Zucchi of Oleificio Zucchi. Among the institutional events, the National Board meeting of Fiepet Confesercenti will take place on Monday afternoon (2 March, 2:30 p.m., Room A).
The calendar of tastings and sampling sessions is particularly rich, ranging from regional insights—featuring sessions dedicated to the organoleptic characteristics of different varieties—to pairing experiences, from hand-cut raw meat to desserts, from mayonnaise to the timeless pasta with olive oil, as well as more elaborate creations such as “oil and radicchio symphony” risotto and “pink tortello”. There will also be forays into mixology, with masterclasses on olive oil-based cocktails led by Ludovico di Clemente and Bartenders Group, as well as more “entertaining” moments, such as the theatrical performance “Strippaggio? Yes, please” (1 March, 3:00 p.m., Area Talk), featuring Samuele Nannoni and Lorenzo Testoni performing texts by Airo.
SOL Expo (Veronafiere, 1–3 March, Hall 12) is the international exhibition dedicated to the olive oil and olive supply chain. Built on a unique format in Italy, the event stands out as a B2B2C platform capable of connecting industry professionals, companies, the foodservice sector and informed consumers. A hub for business, education and culture, it promotes Italian olive oil excellence with a strong focus on internationalisation and engagement with end consumers.