Roots and Professional Vocation
Mrs. Malcangi, you are the President of the Italian Producers Association (born from the evolution of Puglia Top Quality) and have offered fundamental support to companies for their internationalization for years. How did your professional journey begin, and what drove you to dedicate your career with such passion to promoting Italian excellence worldwide?
It all stems from a deep passion for Italian production and the Mediterranean Diet, combined with a strong creative spirit. I started at a young age when my mother, an agricultural entrepreneur, would take me to our Apulian olive groves during the harvest season. After school, having lost my father prematurely, I immediately entered the workforce, collaborating with various companies, including the home furnishing sector. Later, after becoming a mother, I felt the need to reinvent myself and began creating international projects for producers. Thus, my Association was born, aiming to promote the "Made in Italy" and the Mediterranean Diet worldwide. My first major mission? In the United States.
The Birth of the Italian Producers Award
You conceived and realized the Italian Producers Award (also known as Produttori Stellati), which has become a highly prestigious stage. What was the primary inspiration behind creating this award, and what specifically do you look for in the companies and producers selected to receive this recognition?
The Italian Producers Award is dedicated to international excellence—namely, those importers and distributors who tirelessly promote the "Made in Italy" across the globe. We are talking about true buyers who generate real economy. In collaboration with Italian communities abroad, we select valuable stories to grant recognitions to those buyers and ambassadors who, through their businesses, elevate international excellence in the Food, Wine, and broader Italian artisanal production sectors.
The Essence and Strength of Made in Italy
In an increasingly standardized and competitive global market, defending and enhancing the true "Made in Italy" is a crucial challenge. Based on your profound experience with businesses, what is the true, inimitable added value that our companies manage to convey to foreign markets?
Our companies succeed in conveying a true "Italian Story." In every product - whether it is olive oil, wine, or pasta - there is the soul of the producer. Beyond the undeniable health and human benefits, this emotional and cultural identity is exactly what captivates foreign markets and drives international consumers to choose and purchase high-quality Italian products.
Synergy Between Businesses and Institutions
Throughout your career, you have organized top-tier events in collaboration with government bodies, bringing our excellences to institutional venues like the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate of the Republic, as well as international contexts like New York and Washington. How important is it today to 'build a system' and create a solid network among private producers, associations, and institutions to truly compete abroad?
To build a solid economy, you need a project, a strategy, and a well-defined image. Collaboration with institutions is essential: it is a way to bestow prestige and enhance both our businesses and international buyers. The crucial aspect is forging the right synergies, working together to organize B2B missions and practical product demonstrations, both in Italy and abroad.
The Event as a Cultural Narrative
Your events, such as the renowned "Galà sotto le stelle" (Gala under the stars), are never mere commercial showcases; they always blend art, culture, fashion, music, and food & wine. How essential has it become today to sell the 'Italian lifestyle' as a whole to captivate international buyers, rather than promoting a single product?
Combining a cultural project with Italian products exerts an irresistible charm on international buyers. Even our awards are handcrafted Italian creations, such as ceramic jars filled with olive oil: a tangible "Italian Story" representing our land and culture, physically handed over to a potential client. Our winning strategy consists of building, immediately after every event and B2B meeting, a foreign representation network tasked with organizing local tastings and targeted product demonstrations.
Future Vision and Advice for Businesses
Looking to the future, what are the next ambitious goals for the Italian Producers Award and your international projects? Finally, what golden advice would you give to a small but excellent Italian artisan or producer dreaming of exporting their brand beyond national borders?
Our future goals include developing new representative offices and promotional distribution centers abroad, opening new markets wherever there is a strong presence of Italian communities. They inherently understand the value of our products and act as formidable cultural amplifiers. My advice for small artisans is to carefully identify the right buyers and actively invest in on-site events and demonstrations, supporting them and encouraging them to purchase and elevate more Made in Italy products.
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