The world of private label and its many opportunities will be on show from May 24^th to 25^th in Amsterdam in a single global meeting place: the PLMA International Trade Show . The Italian presence at the fair will be very substantial and varied: a group organised by the Italian Institute for Foreign Trade (ICE) for the occasion will comprise 118 companies, 87 from the food sector and 31 producers of various items.

Visitors to the Italian stands will in fact be spoiled for choice: those who love the balsamic vinegar of Modena will be able to lose themselves in a host of different nuances, but not to be missed will be excellent tomato purées, generally used to prepare pasta but also in other dishes. Italy at the PLMA show in Amsterdam will also mean a triumph of cold meats and sausages (with raw ham the protagonist par excellence) and seafood such as anchovies in oil, exclusively yellow fin tuna and mackerel, all accompanied by crostini, Turin breadsticks and excellent wine. The best end to the journey through the tastes of Italy will be the desserts and fruits.

But private label is not just about food products: there will also be cosmetics with new colourful and warm shades of eye shadow and lip gloss dedicated to the summer season, bamboo sponges and organic body care products, plus colourings, anti- aging lines and anti-frizz products for hair. In addition, articles for everyday use will be on show: paper towels and serviettes, strictly non-stick pots and pans, and disposable plastic plates and cups.

The ingredients for success all seem to be there: products that are practical, useful and widely used and for which quality is the hallmark, the unique factor differentiating Italian products and those from other countries.

The private label market has long been regarded by many small and medium Italian companies as an excellent opportunity to exploit the full potential of their production facilities, which allow them to offer products at competitive prices. The distribution companies, which have them produce their own brands, can take advantage of the opportunity to have a wide range of products delivered quickly and at competitive prices. Based on these common goals at the PLMA show in Amsterdam, it will be possible to "meet " and share not only knowledge but perhaps even commercial objectives.

The success of last year’s event bodes well, even if it is not the numbers of visitors that demonstrate this but the exchanges that took place between businesses and local buyers: last year in fact, the event was visited by 8,000 operators and 1,933 exhibitors from 39 different countries took part, all of whom were very satisfied with the contacts they made during the show.