Not just a trade fair dedicated to table grapes, but a meeting point for production, markets, research and innovation. From 20 to 22 October 2026, at the Nuova Fiera del Levante in Bari, LUV – La Fiera dell’Uva da Tavola will return with an edition that is even more open to the leading players in the global supply chain.
Production companies, retail chains, buyers, importers, breeders and technology suppliers will arrive in Puglia from different production and commercial areas. Participants are expected from Australia, California, the UK, the Netherlands and Spain, in a programme that will compare varietal strategies, retail requirements, production models and new market scenarios.
This international dimension will be reinforced by the collaboration with Fruitnet and the presence of the Fruitnet Grape Congress, which will bring expertise and experience from the world’s leading table grape markets to the capital of Puglia.
Bari, capital of the sector
Among the expected participants are some of the companies helping to shape the evolution of the sector. Marks & Spencer, Conad and Dole Italia will bring the perspective of retail and category management, while operators such as Olympic Fruit, Moyca, Gruppo Salvi and Apofruit will contribute to the debate on production and commercial dynamics.
A specific focus will also be dedicated to consumers and category management at the point of sale. Salvo Garipoli, director of SG Marketing, will analyse purchasing habits, choice criteria and the dynamics that shape the relationship between consumers, product and shelf. He will also moderate the round table “From the shelf to the consumer: Italian large-scale retail in comparison”, designed to bring together retail chains to discuss the evolution of consumption, market needs and the future prospects of the category.
Experts in marketing and consumer trends will also take part, including Hannes Tauber of VOG and Rachel Herce of Mint, who will explore the relationship between product, communication and purchasing behaviour.
The economic and forward-looking analysis will be enriched by a presentation from Rabobank, the Dutch banking group and one of the main international reference points for economic and financial analysis in the agri-food sector, focusing on the factors that will influence production, trade and competitive balances.
The grapes of the future according to retail
One of the central moments will be the round table “Retail Standards: the market’s view on the grapes of the future”, designed to connect those who develop and produce new varieties with those who measure the market response on a daily basis. Participants will include, among others, Lloyd Thompson of Marks & Spencer and John Pandol of Pandol Bros, representing the UK and Californian markets respectively, alongside representatives from Italian retail and production.
The debate will focus on the standards required by retailers, consistent quality, shelf life, sustainability, packaging and the ability of new varieties to meet consumer expectations.
Breeding, competitiveness and post-harvest
A broad space will be dedicated to varietal innovation through two discussion sessions: one reserved for Italian breeders and another focused on international programmes, with contributions also from Australia and California. The debate will explore the characteristics of new cultivars, access models, value-enhancement strategies and the choices needed to plan orchards in line with future market requirements.
Among the most relevant topics will also be the availability and management of labour. The round table “Labour and competitiveness: the future of table grape growing” will address workforce availability, costs, skills specialisation and the economic sustainability of cultivation operations.
RELATED NEWS: LUV expands its international reach with ITGS partnership
The programme will also analyse the strategic role of post-harvest. Storage, temperature reduction, selection, packing and automation will be addressed as parts of a single process, decisive for preserving quality, reducing waste and reaching increasingly distant markets.
Alongside commercial and varietal issues, there will also be space for digitalisation, robotics, water management, the soil microbiome, crop protection, certifications, nursery production and aggregation. On the third day, the debate will be extended to the relationship between table grapes, territory, sustainability, health and social development.
A fair designed to build relationships
The presence of buyers, retail chains, importers, breeders and operators from different countries will also give substance to the B2B dimension of LUV Fiera. Alongside the public meetings, the event will offer companies the opportunity to establish direct contacts, present projects, meet new counterparts and build commercial and professional relationships.
It is precisely in the integration between the exhibition area, technical content and business meetings that LUV Fiera identifies its role: bringing together those who produce grapes, those who develop innovation, those who market them and those who decide which products will reach the shelves.
From 20 to 22 October, Bari will therefore become the meeting point for the international table grape supply chain: three days that, by bringing distant territories closer together and tracing new routes, are once again ready to build bridges between production and market, research and field, tradition and innovation.
