illy To Elevate Coffee's Vital Global Reach At EXP0 2015

NEW YORK, March 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Starting May 1^st, illy will play two major roles at EXP0 2015 Milan – the first Universal Exhibition to take place in Europe since 1992 – as Official Coffee Partner of the overall event, and also as partner and official coffee provider for the USA Pavilion.  While perhaps best known for science and innovation, EXPOs and the organizations that participate, also play major roles in public-facing diplomacy and global relations.

"We are proud to have illy's involvement in the USA Pavilion as coffee plays an important role within the U.S. and international foodscape both culturally and economically," said Dorothy Hamilton, President of the USA Pavilion and founder and CEO of the International Culinary Center. "Illy exemplifies the unique combination of traditional heritage, impeccable quality, and scientific advancement which embodies EXPO Milano and the USA Pavilion themes."

Beyond the opportunity to serve coffee to 20-plus million guests expected to attend from all over the world as Official Coffee Partner of EXPO, illy is channeling its eight decades of deep expertise, industry innovation and passion to support programming that brings to life the USA Pavilion's theme, "American Food 2.0."

Illy, recognized worldwide by the BIE (Bureau International des Expositions) for its coffee knowledge, experience and industry relationships, was also chosen to serve in a third role as the curator of the Coffee Cluster, a 43,000-square-foot pavilion dedicated to the past, present and future of coffee, which will also become home to ten coffee producing countries that lack the means to officially exhibit at EXPO 2015 on their own.  The important contributions coffee makes socially and economically to producing nations will come to life through exhibits and these representative countries, such as Burundi, Dominican Republic, El Salvador and Ethiopia.

"It is our mission through EXPO 2015 to indelibly underscore the vital imperative to respect, protect and nurture the global food supply," said Andrea Illy, Chairman and CEO, illycaffe SpA. "The Coffee Cluster and the USA Pavilion are important perspectives to showcase coffee's global role in leading dialogue and creating best practices for food's impact on culture, health and sustainability."

The Coffee Cluster will take visitors on a literal journey from bean to cup, including visits to greenhouses that nurture coffee plants, roasting demonstrations and a global coffee marketplace. A striking black-and-white exhibition by renowned social photographer Sebastiao Salgado will bring to life the culture, creativity and art that surround every cup of coffee, along with exotic stories and traditions from coffee producing countries.

The physical structure and architecture of the Coffee Cluster takes its inspiration from the vast coffee plantations that grow at the edges of the tropical forests of Africa and Central America -- evoking the long branches of majestic, tall trees under which coffee plants grow.

The Coffee Cluster is one of the nine thematic pavilions at EXPO 2015, each dedicated to specific foods and issues related to the "Feeding the Planet, Energy for Life" theme: Rice, Cocoa, Fruit and Legumes, Spices, Cereals and Tubers, Bio-Mediterraneum, Arid Zones and Islands, Sea and Food.

About illycaffe

Based in Trieste, Italy, illycaffe produces and markets a unique blend of coffee under a single brand. Illy buys green Arabica coffee of the highest quality directly from the growers through partnerships based on the mutual creation of value. Illy considers respect for the environment and people that nurture coffee a fundamental part of doing business -- in evidence every day for 20 years across Central America, South America, India and Africa. It is expressed through Universita del Caffe ("University of Coffee"), which provides hands-on instruction at no cost to coffee growers who meet its quality standards. And it is recognized by independent arbiters like DNV (Det Norske Veritas), which in 2011 conferred its first-ever global Responsible Supply Chain Process Certification to illy in recognition of sustainability in every aspect of its coffee sourcing, particularly the ethical, long-term direct relationships with coffee growers. More than six million cups of illy coffee are enjoyed every day in more than 140 countries. Visit www.illy.com to learn more.

The USA Pavilion is funded entirely through the generosity of corporations, organizations, universities and individuals. Current partners include GE, Uvet, DuPont, illy, SageGlass, 3M, McKinsey & Company and Fleishman Hillard. 

About Friends of the USA Pavilion Milano 2015

Friends of the USA Pavilion Milano 2015, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is a collaboration between the James Beard Foundation (JBF) and the International Culinary Center (ICC), in association with the American Chamber of Commerce in Italy, whose mission is to conceive, design, fundraise for, and produce the USA Pavilion and programs at Expo Milano 2015 under the auspices of the U.S. Department of State. Current partners include GE, Uvet, DuPont, illy, SageGlass, 3M, McKinsey & Company and FleishmanHillard. The pavilion's management and program is directed by President Dorothy Hamilton (founder and CEO of ICC), CEO Charlie Faas, and Chief Creative Officer Mitchell Davis (EVP of JBF). Biber Architects has been selected to design the USA Pavilion. In consultation with a team of experts across the science, business, technology, agriculture, sustainability, design and other fields, the Friends organization will oversee every aspect of the project.

For more information, visit: http://www.usapavilion2015.net/ and http://en.expo2015.org/.

Media Contacts:

Adam Paige
Director of Public Relations
illy caffe North America, Inc.
+1 914-253-4436
[email protected]

Emily Wardrop
Fleishman Hillard for USA Pavilion
+1 212-453-2196
[email protected]

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