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GELATOn the ROAD: General Assembly in Patras
February 15 - February 16
General Assembly in Patras: kicking off the operational phase of the project
It was the Greek city of Patras that hosted, last February 15 and 16, the first General Assembly of the European project – GELATon the ROAD. The partner responsible for organizing the work of this meeting and the guests’ stay was the Agrifood WEST association of Central Greece, based in Patras. Marios Prapapoulos, director of Agrifood West, kicked off the work with a press conference at which local authorities were present.
A busy program of work during the 2-day meeting allowed representatives of the 14 project partners present in Patras to deepen and set the next stages of project development. The central themes of the meeting were: the Pop-up Museum, analysis of the sustainability criteria, the official project presentation poster, the logo with a new title, the competition for gelato makers in each country, and the development of the communication and promotion program. Administrative issues and official reporting deadlines were also on the agenda. The theme “contest for gelato makers in each nation” was later explored in a separate working session, consisting of Annalisa Carnio of Uniteis and Marios Prapopoulos of Agrifood West.
At the end of the first day of the proceedings, a Master Class held by gelato maker Sandro Molin Pradel took place, which was attended by as many as 75 students from the hotel management school in the Greek city. Also present at the Master Class were the local press and some political figures.
GELATon the ROAD is a project financed by the European Community, whose goal is to involve the different operators in European countries working in the field of gelato heritage, gastronomy and tourism.
Under the banner of gelato, typical local ingredients and products from the project partner territories will be highlighted. The ultimate goal will be to develop a gelato itinerary – Gelato Road – that, through the partner countries, will identify gelato makers and gelato parlors that operate in compliance with sustainability criteria and quality protocols. A central part of the project is the Pop-up Museum, which will be itinerant and digital. It will be set up, time after time, at major stops along the Gelato road. The Pop-up Museum aims to promote and popularize the history and characteristics of gelato, as well as to present it as a sustainable product. The ultimate goal will be to develop a gelato itinerary – Gelato Road – that, through the partner countries, will identify gelato makers and gelato parlors that operate in compliance with sustainability criteria and quality protocols.
It will enable a more strategic involvement of the public, encouraging learning through playful activities, tastings and competitions, but also with workshops aimed at professionals. The first stage of the museum is scheduled for September 2024 in Bulgaria. Germany is on schedule for June 2025. For Uniteis, Annalisa Carnio, secretary general, attended the meeting; for Longarone Fiere Dolomiti, partner leader, Maria Valentina Vanceo, Federico Nervi and Franz Zanne, from the press office, were present; from Venice, Gianangelo Bellati, president of the Venetian Cluster Foundation, as associate partner and initiator of the project.
On the occasion of this two-day Greek event, the host association, Agrifood, honored the guests during the welcome dinner with a pleasant dessert: a gelato with “Feta” flavor. A nice surprise, all with a Greek flavor. For more information about the project, please visit the dedicated page on our Uniteis website (uniteis.com/gelaton-the-road/).