Webinar Recap: How ITA & Tridge Accelerate Access to Top Italian Food Exporters

Host: Benjamin Lategan - Global Market Analyst (South Africa) 

Presenters: Bojan Mijatovic - Global Market Analyst (Serbia) and Seung Hyun Lee - Product Manager (Korea)

Speakers: Deborah Gu - Account Management Team Lead (Korea), Emanuele Celletti

Account Manager (Italy), and Alper Akkurt - Global Supply Chain Manager (Türkiye)

Special Guest Speaker: Ferdinando Gueli - Italian Trade Commissioner at ITA Seoul

Agenda:

• The "Made in Italy" Opportunity and the ITA's Digital Strategy
• Inside the ITA-Tridge Pavilion and Buyer Journey
• Panel Discussion

The "Made in Italy" Opportunity and the ITA's Digital Strategy

The Italian Trade Agency (ITA), a government body dedicated to promoting Italian companies abroad and attracting foreign investment, is leveraging digital strategies to capitalize on the "Made in Italy" brand. A key aspect of this is ITA's partnership with Tridge, aimed at modernizing agri-food export promotion through data-driven solutions, thereby enhancing ITA's global brand power and connecting international buyers with Italian producers. Combining ITA's market expertise with Tridge's innovative approach, this collaboration aims to enhance global market access for premium Italian product categories, including pasta, bakery products, olive oil, truffles, tomato sauce, and vinegar. Italy’s agri-food exports have seen remarkable growth, nearly doubling over the past decade to reach USD 55.07 billion in 2024, driven in part by strong performance in key markets like Korea. In response to this momentum, the strategy is to emphasize promoting authenticity through certifications such as Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) and Protected Geographical Indication (PGI) and leverage growing global demand for premium and healthy options. At the same time, it aims to address challenges like the proliferation of “Italian-sounding” products. 

Picture 1. Tridge and ITA Joint Collaboration on Tridge Pavillion

Source: Tridge

Figure 2. Italy’s Agri Food Export Trend 2020-2024

Source: Tridge

Inside the ITA-Tridge Pavilion and Buyer Journey

Designed to connect credible exporters with global buyers, the Tridge Pavilion serves as a digital showroom curated by organizations . For buyers, these Pavilions offer a trustworthy selection of suppliers from specific origins, simplifying the discovery of authentic products and enabling confident sourcing. In turn, suppliers gain enhanced global visibility, a platform to showcase their offerings alongside peers, and direct connections with verified buyers actively seeking to source. A notable example is the ITA Pavilion, launched in late Jul-24. This is the largest Pavilion to date, featuring 144 suppliers and 1,698 products listed across 177 product categories. Since Jan-24, Tridge Pavilions have become a key channel in facilitating connections between verified suppliers and international buyers through trusted partnerships, exemplified by the ITA Pavilion's significant scale and reach.

Figure 3.ITA Pavilion at a Glance

Sources: Tridge

Panel Discussion:

During the panel discussion, speakers Emanuele Celletti, Deborah Gu, and Alper Akkurt explored the specifics of the ITA-Tridge Pavilion and its impact on connecting global buyers with Italian food producers.

The discussion began with an examination of how the ITA’s vetting process within the Pavilion specifically helps buyers trust and accelerate their decisions when selecting new Italian suppliers. Celletti initiated the conversation, explaining that the ITA's vetting process is a robust, multi-layered system of trust involving a joint screening by ITA and Tridge. This ensures that only export-ready suppliers, in terms of legal compliance, operational maturity, and production capability, are included. He emphasized that this significantly reduces the buyer's burden of early-stage due diligence, allowing them to proceed with confidence, knowing that reputable institutions have already validated the suppliers. Highlighting his Italian heritage, Celletti noted that this approach honors both the commercial and cultural aspects of Italy's food industry, with many suppliers holding quality certifications like the Protected Designation of Origin (DOP), Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (DOCG), or Indication Géographique Protégée (IGP), making the Pavilion a gateway to trusted and high-potential producers in a structured and transparent manner.

Gu built upon Celletti's points, underscoring how the process cultivates an environment of trust, which is crucial given the significant weight of the "Made in Italy" label. She reiterated that certifications like DOP (PDO), DOCG, and IGP are not mere labels but signals of product quality, origin integrity, and food safety. She stated that from a buyer's perspective, sourcing from a government-validated and platform-curated network creates a "shortcut to trust," bypassing the usual trial-and-error phase of international sourcing and being a primary reason for repeat engagement with the Pavilion.

Offering a commercial perspective, Akkurt agreed with the previous speakers and shared that he has witnessed firsthand how this vetting process translates into business momentum. He observed that when buyers see that both ITA and Tridge have vetted a supplier, they approach discussions with greater confidence, moving directly to high-value conversations about product specifications, volume, pricing, and logistics rather than focusing on basic compliance checks. Akkurt described the Pavilion as a "trust accelerator," which significantly impacts the speed and quality of sourcing decisions by transforming the experience from a transactional exchange to a strategic dialogue focused on positioning, scalability, and long-term fit, ultimately fostering stronger and more sustainable trade relationships.

The panel then addressed what specific platform features or data insights, beyond listing suppliers, most significantly speed up the sourcing process for buyers using the ITA-Tridge Pavilion. Akkurt described the Pavilion as a dynamic sourcing ecosystem, not just a supplier directory. He highlighted that detailed and actionable supplier profiles, including verified export history by HS code, production capacity, and certifications (ISO, Halal, Kosher), enable buyers to move quickly from browsing to requesting quotes samples or initiating secure transactions via Tridge Pay. He emphasized the supporting data layer, which provides access to historical pricing, demand trends, and insights into seasonality, thereby facilitating faster and more informed decisions. Built-in messaging and intelligent supplier matching further streamline communication and efficiency.

From an Account Management perspective, Celletti added that the Pavilion's visual richness is a key strength. High-resolution product photos, factory tour videos, and behind-the-scenes content allow buyers to assess quality, hygiene, and operational scale remotely, bridging the initial trust gap, especially for those new to sourcing from Italy. He also pointed to intelligent filters that simplify navigation and comparison by allowing buyers to sort suppliers by certification, product category, and region. Celletti found the platform's real-time content updates—such as seasonal product availability, new certifications, or expanded production capacity—to be particularly useful for maintaining buyer engagement and enabling agile sourcing decisions, thereby transforming the Pavilion into an evolving ecosystem.

Gu elaborated on the points made by Akkurt and Celletti, emphasizing the importance of communication as a crucial layer. She explained that the Pavilion enables immediate, meaningful interaction, allowing buyers to message suppliers, request documents, or schedule virtual meetings within a secure environment. As head of the Account Management team, she stressed the importance of this seamless communication flow in driving momentum. Gu also reiterated that the Pavilion is a dynamic, content-rich space with real-time updates, supplier highlights, and newsfeeds, which instills trust and speeds up data-driven decision-making. She concluded that these features make the Pavilion a "sourcing as a service" offering, providing a more innovative, faster, and more collaborative way to connect with Italian suppliers.

Looking ahead, the speakers discussed the most significant opportunities and challenges for global buyers using digital platforms like the ITA-Tridge Pavilion to connect effectively with the diverse range of Italian food producers. Akkurt identified a key opportunity in the ability to easily discover and connect with previously hard-to-reach Italian producers, particularly small and mid-sized companies with high-quality, regionally rooted products. He acknowledged the challenge that many of these producers are new to digital tools and global business practices, which can lead to communication delays or misunderstandings. Therefore, he asserted, platforms must not only connect but also guide both buyers and suppliers, with Tridge aiming to be a trusted advisor.

Gu concurred with Akkurt, emphasizing that realizing the massive opportunity depends on managing cultural and operational gaps. She highlighted that the Pavilion stands out by providing not just access but also structure and human support. She pointed out that the human layer, including Account Managers and support teams, plays a hands-on role. On the supplier side, her team helps producers present themselves professionally and align with global expectations. For buyers, they offer continuity, interpret local context, manage expectations, and support negotiations, ensuring both sides feel confident and respected. Gu stressed that in a market like Italy, this personal touch is essential, making the digital experience deeply human and fostering lasting partnerships.

Celletti concluded the discussion by emphasizing the emotional dimension of Italian food, where it represents identity, family, and regional pride. He noted that international buyers often seek authenticity and a connection to the tradition behind the products. He explained that the Pavilion provides access to the stories of Italian producers, allowing buyers to experience the real Italy within a structured sourcing environment. To maintain this authenticity at scale, Celletti stressed the need for a balance between technology and empathy. While the platform must evolve, human support from Account Management and specialist teams is equally important in making relationships personal and long-term. He believed that achieving this balance would lead to genuine, lasting partnerships rooted in trust and cultural understanding.

Click here to view the webinar recording, or click here to see the presentation slides.