It's been almost a year since my last visit to Italy.
Only a few months ago, the possibility of a summer tourism in Italy looked bleak. COVID-19 had an especially strong impact here. From a tourist standpoint, this meant that for more than a year, the magnificent cities of Rome, Florence, and Milan, as well as the rest of this lovely country, were essentially off-limits to foreign visitors.
This amazing country has been through a lot in the past year, but finally is starting to go back to normal. As restaurants shops, museums, and fairs are now open, and people can meet up with 1 meter social distancing, and obligatory advanced reservations.
I'm a lucky person. I enjoy interacting with the teams and listening to their thoughts. Although during the pandemic, we had several online sessions, but nothing beats meeting in person.
As a CEO, I believe enhancing openness across reporting levels, raising morale through shared decision making, and establishing lines of communication across all channels are crucial to success.
So as the limitations were off, I knew I was headed there.
My first stop was "Enovitis in campo" in is a unique itinerant trade fair, which is hosted every year by a different wine producer, this year it was in Piedmont region, southeast of Turin. This fair is a meeting point for “Italian vineyards”, which Haifa Italy participate in it since 1998 as we are the leading partner in Italy for all the vineyard growers.
This fair event offers opportunities for updating and training through an extensive program of conferences and thematic workshops, as well as “live” interaction and participation.
During this event I was honored to be video interviewed by Il Corriere Vinicolo, the official monthly magazine of Unione Italiana Vini (the national wine maker association).
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During my stay in Piedmont, I had a fine Italian dinner with Haifa Italy commercial team along with Andrea Zadro, Circolo Agario Friulano Commercial Manager, one of Haifa's loyal customers.
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The next day, I visited the Multi liquid plant of Consorzio Terrepadane in Piacenza. Haifa Italy's strategic partner and senior distributor. I had the honor of presenting the company's President (Marco Crotti) and General Manager (Dante Pattini) with the PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP certificate, as a symbol of appreciation and highest regard for collaboration that brought remarkable achievement in times of strait and challenge.
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You can't visit Italy without enjoying all the regional culinary delicates. The very same evening, I went to Bologna to catch another great dinner with the whole Haifa Italy team. Like the famous phrase "when in Rome do as the Romans do", same goes here. When in Bologna you must eat ragù alla Bolognese.
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The following morning, I went to Haifa Italy offices, where I was interviewed once again with a journalists from Il Resto del Carlino (Italian national newspaper based in Bologna) and Terra e Vita (the leader agribusiness weekly magazine).
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While in the evening I attended to a Gala dinner hosted by Italterminal one of the main logistic hub in the Italian fertilizer market where all the top partners have been invited to celebrate the end of the campaign and the end of the main pandemic local restrictions. Also in this event I had the opportunity to award to Mr Cirilli, the owner of Italterminal, with the PIONEERING PARTNERSHIP certificate.
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What can I say – It's great to be back!
Thank you to the Haifa Italia team and its CEO David Leykin for hosting me and arranging this perfect visit.
Can't wait for my next visit.
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