Scroll down below the article introductions to find lists of Selected Future Events and Selected Past Events, with links to more information about each one.
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At the first face-to-face Food Expo in Athens since 2019, company representatives confronted an unusual situation. Mingling in crowds larger than many had seen in the two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, food industry professionals were glad to present new products, initiatives, and innovations, but concerned about the effects of new and ongoing challenges.
The Greek olive sector has been combining tradition with innovation for years. Education on the latest developments has increased alongside investments in cutting-edge technology. This progress was clear at the 2nd International Olive Center Conference on the “Olive Sector: Pursuing Innovation, Exploring Trends” at Perrotis College in Thessaloniki, Greece.
The International Olive Council (IOC) welcomes everyone interested in olive oil to an online seminar focused on The Future of the Olive Oil Sector. This videoconference will take place on November 26, 2020, the first anniversary of the creation of World Olive Day by UNESCO, with simultaneous interpretation into Arabic, English, French, Italian, and Spanish.
In Delphi, the ancient Greeks’ center of the world, more than 100 experts, professionals, and enthusiasts from seven countries gathered at the 2nd International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health to discuss a liquid gold and a solid treasure that have been central to Greek civilization since the time of the Delphic oracle: olive oil and olives.
The 2nd International Yale Symposium on Olive Oil and Health will take place at the European Cultural Center of Delphi, Greece, December 1-4, 2019. Olive oil experts, scientists, nutritionists, marketers, farmers, entrepreneurs, international dignitaries, and chefs from Greece, Italy, Spain, USA, UK, Japan, and Brazil will present the latest developments.
From November 4 to 8, 2019, the Olive Oil Academy is offering an olive oil sommelier course at Pienza Val d’Orcia, Siena, in Tuscany, Italy. This is a course for food lovers, gourmets, food enthusiasts, and professionals who want to deepen their knowledge of the whole production and commercial process of olive oil “from the earth to the plate.”
What do you need to know about extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)? That depends. Most people shopping for an EVOO to use at home can taste the oil to see if they like it, consider its best-buy date, classification, and origin, then choose a dark glass bottle or tin they’ll use within 3 months. But professionals who work with EVOOs can benefit from knowing more.
For five days last month, 90 Greek companies exhibited their olive oil at what may be the world's largest food exhibition, SIAL Paris. Among 7,200 exhibitors, Greek extra virgin olive oils attracted the attention of many of the 310,000 professionals attending the exhibition. Greek olive oil company representatives discussed the expo with Greek Liquid Gold.
The annual Food Expo in Athens gathers hundreds of superb Greek extra virgin olive oils (and many other products) under one roof. It is a convenient place for food and beverage businesspeople to taste products and meet with company representatives. It also offers an opportunity to catch up on stories and news from olive oil companies from all over Greece.
Last September, Irini Kokolaki studied Spanish at the University of Jaen for five hours a day. She learned a new language so she could attend a three-month course for certification as an “expert in virgin olive oil tasting,” the world’s only expert level university course focused on sensory analysis that is supported by the International Olive Council.
At a recent seminar in Rethymno, Crete, olive oil tasting panel supervisor and international judge Eleftheria Germanaki discussed Greek successes in olive oil competitions. Agronomist and scientific consultant Ioannis Metzidakis emphasized the importance of accurate knowledge. And award winning Cretan olive oil producers considered their accomplishments.
In the shadow of a Medieval monastery outside of Barcelona (Món Sant Benet, Catalonia, Spain), a world class team of olive oil experts will convene March 19–23, 2018 to teach an olive oil evaluation course, Tools for the Trade: Tasting, Testing and Understanding Olive Oil.
The 2nd Gourmet Olive and Delicacies Exhibition in Thessaloniki, Greece on May 5, 6 and 7 confirmed for the second consecutive year that Gourmet is an exclusive exhibition. Over three hundred fine foods and natural personal care products from seventy two artisan Greek producers were showcased in a three-day festive Gourmet exhibition.
June 12-14, 2022, New York City, USA. According to its website, "The Specialty Food Association’s 2022 Summer Fancy Food Show is the largest U.S. show devoted exclusively to specialty foods and beverages."
These include an Introduction to Sensory Evaluation of Olive Oil in Davis, California, June 24-25, and a free webinar on modern acreage for table olives on June 23. See the UC Davis site for updates and new events.
Starting June 27, 2022, online and asynchronous from the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. According to the linked site: "In this online course you will learn how to classify olive oil according to its quality characteristics and how to produce high quality olive oil. You will also learn how olive oil has been a source of inspiration and how several artists used it in order to create works of art from ancient times till today. The content of this course presents the varieties and characteristics of olives and the various types of olive oil that are destined to be consumed and used in recipes based on Mediterranean diet. Last but not least, this course aims to define how important olive oil is, how it can benefit our daily diet and additionally how it can contribute to conserve a healthy lifestyle."
July 26 - 29, 2022, Nürnberg, Germany, and online. According to its website, BIOFACH is the "World´s Leading Trade Fair for Organic Food."
October 15-19, 2022, Paris, France. "The world's largest food innovation exhibition," according to their website, for importers, buyers, and retail and food processing professionals.
November 16-17, MalmöMässan, Sweden. "Scandinavia's biggest natural & organic trade event," according to its website.
February 3-5, 2023, Peania, between Athens, Greece, and the airport. According to its website, "EXPOTROF is the largest effort to promote quality Greek products; it is aimed at both professionals in the premium food and beverage industry and Greek gastronomy as well as fine food lovers."
March 18-20, 2023, at the Metropolitan Expo exhibition center near the airport that serves Athens, Greece. According to its website, the Food Expo is "the top business forum for the F&B sector in the Region of S.E. Europe."
The well-known Spanish publication Mercacei publishes lists of events related to olive oil each month. English is one of many languages that can be selected at the top of Mercacei's page.
April 27-28, 2018, Nicosia, Cyprus.
March 10-12, 2018, Athens, Greece.
May 5, 6 and 7, 2017, Thessaloniki, Greece
Organized by the Society of Olive and Olive Oil Products of Certified Quality (EL3P) in Athens on March 23.
January 22-24, 2017, San Francisco, USA
October 8-10, 2016, New York, USA
June 26-28, 2016, New York City, USA
June 2-3, 2016, Olympia, Greece
Metropolitan Expo Center, Athens, Greece
Zakynthos, Greece
Moscone Center, San Francisco, California, USA
Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, Massachusetts, USA